The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-20
DICKENS AND THE LONDON xE~o-
Celebration Of a Dfrthday ~ the
Paper ON which Re Worked.

i-oiioOn Lctttr IN lnlItltIIuli4 ItI<xI4IH-
One OF those interesting celebrations
born journalist has taken place during the
recent week. our friend. the London Daily
hrst sppesrance FIN Fifsy wears are e mot 3 very
long time in the history OF a nation nor. for
the matter OF that. In the story or a news
the z1st OF January. 1886. In England: and
the lapse or time Is brought nome TO un
very Viy1diy by a comparison OF No. 1 or
the Daily News and its issue OF Tuesday.
not only by reason OF the change an size.
price and typographical appearance, but by
the character OF the contents and the events
which are dealt with. And In the case OF
the Bouverie-street organ there IL much
that is OF interest In connection with its
initial number. seeing that the guiding
then i'm the zenith Of his popularity. sur
rounded by a galaxy OF talent such as few
new ventures could hope 70 have. IL IL
eminent novelist would have been had he
been able TO divine what the child he was
instrumental in launching upon the world
very much in earnest over the work is evi-
dent from the story which is told In the
jubilee issue: and although his active edi-
est in the fortunes OF the concern until the
last. Even at the time OF his death the Daily
News had assumed a commanding position
abled 90 witness much in its progress that
must have been peculiarly gratifying 10 his
parental feelings. IL was on the 9th OF
December, 1916. that the advent OF the new
Journal was advertised I'm the pages OF
Punch. then. as now. printed by bradbury
4 Evans. Ii was TO be "A morning news
paper of Liberal politics and thorough in
dependence" and the literary department..
which in those days meant the editorial.
was to be under the direction or Mr.
This was the point about the coming or
gan which excited the most interest in the
novelist was responsible for the first con-
ception OF the idea Is a matter OF discus
sion. but there is no doubt as 10 the part
He is hardly the man whom one would
have regarded as physically mt for the
trying work of an editor. with It's turning
or night into day and its thousand and one
worries. As a literary editor pure and sim
pie. he subsequently, made his mark in
Household Words; but even his friend
work in she case of the News. But Dick.
ems persevered. and II IS interesting at this
distance OF time 10 read the names OF those
the very first were Forster himself, Doug
las Jerrold. William johnson Fox "a
preacher and mem5er Of Parliament. and
helped 10 find the capital was Mr.. Paxton.
afterwards TO be known 10 fame as The
ffTdsnf Park SI a ins f Il wanted SryI piept ra of cam m
ital and nerve to run a daily paper IN those
days 1t does still. 10 a certain extent:
but fifty years ago there were many OBJ
stacles which have long since been re-
moved. The mere fact that IL could not
be issued at a less price than sd Is sug-
absence OF those means OF communication
and production which are nowadays 90
much taken as a matter OF course. But
Dickens and his friends were not
prior to the all-eventful day they
appear to have worked like the ira
ditional Niger I'm making all the necessary
preparations. 1t was in a back room OF
No. 30 Fleet street. not far from the pres
ent Punch office. that most OF the pre-
iiminaries were arranged, the printing
office being in Lombard street. just at the
back of the street in which the palatial
offices of the News are now situate. L
have myself assisted at the birth OF many
journalistic ventures TO say nothing OF
been present on the night OF Jan. 20. 1sf6.
Among the little crowd who worked so
hard TO produce the initial number OF the
News Mr.. John Dickens father or the nov
elist. was the chief reporter. and among
those who worked that night were George
Hogarth. the musical critic; William Haz-
Thomas Halcroft, whose father wrote The
Road TO Ruin John Leech. father of the
celebrated artist: William Henry Wills, the
future dramatist: Mark Lemon: Scott Rus
sell, the great railway authority. and many
another. All have since been called away.
and Mr.. John Britton, who was the pub
Usher. alone remains. The worry ana
anxiety must have been intense. and there
is a good deal i'm the Endorsement which
appears on a copy Of No. I. still preserved.
brought home by Charles at ? o'clock In
the morning, Jan 2iCCatnerine Dickens
/ imagine that Charles" must have told
his good lady a little hb as to the hour.
for there is internal evidence that the
paper could not have been produced much
before G O'Clock, there being i'm those days
no early trains 10 catch and no clamorouS
wholesale agents to supply by 4 a. m A
reproduction of that first number Is now
before me. and there are In IL many lea-
furac IF interest