The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-15
MADE AT NIGHT 1"

MADE AT NIGHT"
Gazette. whose function IS often 10 be
heard OF, but never 10 be seen. Yet VINO
! would not be It's editOrf No contributors
| 10 look after. no circulation 10 bother
about no vulgar Advertisements TO pro-
| cure'-here Is journalism made easy. In
! point of fact (as Mr.. Bernard Harrison,
/ the present occupant Of the position wac
| good enough 10 explain day or so agoh
! the London Gazette is all these things
! and more. and none Of them gives MIN
any trouble worth mentioning.
! AS TO the antiquity OF the Gazette there
is no doubt whatever. 1t was In 1865 that
the government Of the day first seems 10
, have realized the adyisability OF having
( an organ Of It's own, and from that time
20 this the Gazette has never failed an
oxpectant public. For brief period, IL
is true. during the year OF the plague
when the seat OF government was remoN-
| Cd pro TEN. 10 oxford, tho paper followed
suit. and became for a time the oxford
| Gazette but this was temporary devla-
ton from established custom never after
ward initiated.
Nor have changes Of other kinds ever
found much favor. The printing OF the
paper, for example has been in tho hands
OF Messrs. Harrison * Sons since 1919,
while off and on they have been connect
ed with II even longer. The paper was
first printed. IN fact. by this famous nrm'
who occupy, as every one knows, the
proud position OF printers In ordinary 70
her Majesty. rs long ago as 1873. And
Mr.. Bernard Harrison, who disclosed the
information contained IN this article, Is
a direct descendant Of the Harrison OF
those far-off days who first obtained the
work fOr his firm
Nowadays. OF course. the contents oil
the Gazette are much less varied than
those OF the earlier issues. Certain pre-
scribed matter-gOvcrnment notices, ap-
pointmcnts. accounts Of ceremonials,
BANKRUPTCIES partnership dissolutions. Of
fetal dispatches. &c.-are dealt with, and
nothing else. OF news there is none
Even in the case OF dispatches nothing so
frivolous as telegraphlc messages Is ever
cOuntenanced
"As a consequence, your ordinary news
papers" said Dir. Harrison on this point
"have discounted entirely oil the interest
which formerly attached 10 our column
IN this respect. So that the state Of things
now Is very different from what 1t was
in the time OF the Crimea, for instance
when our Offices were besieged day after
day for copies OF the paper containing
what was the very latest Intelligence from
the seat oil war"
paratvely light nowadays"
Mr.. Harrison smiled. 1T is hardly 70
be called editing at ALL" he said. -
merely have TO see that / have proper
authority for whatever appears, and thai
everything goes I'm In due form. My re
sponsibllity is confined almost entirely to
the production OF the paper. OF course.
the Gazette varies considerably as 10 the
number Of its pages, according 10 its con.
tents Here. for instance. Is the sort OF
thing we have to get out In November
when we have TO put in all the parlamen-
tary notices for the ensuing session
and Mr. Harrison produced a bulky vol
ume. running to several hundred pages
yet that Is Just an ordinary number ~
the Gazette"
NO" said Mr. Harrison, in answer &c
another question:: however heavy th'
tax has been upon our resources, we have
never yet failed 10 bring the paper on
10 time on the appointed days. II appear
YOU know. on Tuesdays and Fridays. AM
we take even more pride In the circum
stance that no information has ever leak
ed out before its time. while the work has
been intrusted 20 US. OF course. attempts
have been made from time 10 time 10
bring this about. but they have never sue
ceeded. Equally. Of course, we take spe-
cial precaution 10 prevent such thing
when these seem advisable. but all the
same. considering the enormous amount
Of government printing OF the highes'
moment In addition 10 that OF the Ga
zette. which we do. II is rather satisfac
tory I think. that not one OF our work
peonIe has ever BETRAYED US"
''What is our circulatonf" was the ar
swer 70 another question 81 musn't r a'
Tpaf is n state secret. not n he reveale
Bur, course, you know, II Is practical
" MI few government denaft-ent.
one or two official bodies. stray lawye'
or so. you newspaper people. and the lik
take MS. brt that is all. We have m
general readers "-westminster Gazette.