The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-30

manager Of this paper was Victor f.
Lawson, a young man Of 20, who had
gone into the Office ut the time Of his
father DEATH a few years before, be-
cause an interest in the paper formed a
part of his father estate. To Mr.. Law
son went the proprietor Of The News
and offered it for a nominal sum. Tt
was then six months old; and it had
neither circulation nor advertising
enough to give it any value.
Mr.. Lawson knew nothing about the
editorial management Of a newspaper,
and after deliberation he said he would
buy on one conditiOn-that Mr.. Stone
remain as editor. Under this arrange
ment the publication Of the paper con
tinued. Within two years Mr.. Lawson
sold Mr.. Stone a one-third interest in
the paper at cost as an indueement for
him to remain in editorial charge of it.
The paper then was prospecting. It gain
cd IN strength month by month. Believ-
ing a 1 cent morning paper would pay,
the partners in 1886 got out a morning
edition, first as The Morning News,
then as The News-Record and finally as
The Record, the name under which it is
published today.
In 1888 Mr.. Lawson gave Mr.. Stone
$3.50, 600 for his interest in the two pa
pers.
Mr.. Lawson's annual income from
the property now is more than $500, 600,
and the joint circulation Of the two pa
pers is more than 400. 900 copies a day
This ia brief ia the history of the Chi
cage Daily News and its offspring, the
Chicago Record. 1t is a signal illustra-
tion OF what a man with a genius for
newspaper making can do with q small
opportunity by perfectly clean, 1egiti-
mate means.
Success In Journalism.
Mr.. Lawson s Office is as remote from
the front door Of The Daily News build
ing on Fifth avenue as it can be. It IS
the last of a line of Offices on the top
floor Of the building, and you have to
run the gantlet before you can get 80 it.
It is a fine Office though small
When I called on him by appoint
ment a few days ago, he was sitting be-
fore a pile Of unanswered correspond
ence.
''Tel me just what you want to
know, - he said, pushing it aside.
ST want to know what you think is
necessary to make a good. successful
paper, 7 answered.
THAT is a pretty broad question, y
said Mr.. Lawson, and he considered it
for a minute or so before he answered.
Zone Of my ideas about a newspaper,
he said, s'is that it should be made in
teresting as we'll as newsy-that it
should contain a great deal of reading
matter which, while il is Of the general
character of news, is something the tele-
graph editor or the city editor would
not pick out for immediate publication.
Everything IN a newspaper should be
made as brief as possible, because news
paper reading is fragmentary. Business
should not be permitted to interfere
with the publication of news, and the
most successful paper I think, will be
the paper which is nOnpartisan. The
Daily News and The Record have been
independent in politics and have printed
the news from both sides. .
do you find nonpartisanship a good
commercial investment
eyes. it paws, and think partisan
ship is growing weaker every day. In
its strongest form it was a development
Of the late war, and as the war feeling
dies out craftsmanship weakens. In this
campaign it has meant less than at any
time IN the last 80 years. In other cleo
tions The Record has lost circulation
because men did not find IN it the polit-
ieal matter they wanted to read In this
campaign we have gained p. 600. "
The one Cent Paper.
The Daily News was the original I
cent paper in Chicago. The competition
Of The Daily News and The Record