The morning times., 1896-06-28


must be considered. as well, that London
was then, as it has been ever since, the
theater of numberIess scandals, TO say
nothing OF mysteries and murders and So
ietyeve nts W hi cII any well re yuiat ted A meri
can newspaper would devote columns TO,
and over which scare heads" in black
type would prevail in gorgeous array.
But that was not nineteenth century
paper nor a twentieth century subscription
list.
APPRECIATED THE NEWS.
II was the Courant in 1702. Its cnl
umus were filled almost exclusively by
quotation fro mforeign papers, whicn
It's protector, without doubt, classed as
material news and that the ''publick
appreciated it is evidenced from The state
Hent published six weeks later. The edi-
tor announced. in the largest type he had,
that the project had been 80 successful
that hereafter both sides will be printed"
The same issue that gave publicity to this
statement also Contained Il whole column
of advertisements. and the future Of the
first daily newspaper was assured.
Like all ne cwspapers with any pretenslon
To individuality. the Courant had its special
feature. and this was its foreign intelli-
gence.'' Three months after its first ap-
rearance it was announced in its columns
that lit viii be found from the Foreign
offers. will be mentioned in this Paper.
that the Author has taken Care to be duly
furnished with All that comes from Abroad
in any language. And for an Assurance
that he will not. under Pretence of having
Private intelligence. impose any Addition
of feiEn'd Circumstance to an Action. but
give his Extracts fairly and implrtially.
at the Beginning of each Article he Will
quote the Foreign Paper from whence It's
taken. that the Publick. seeing from what
Country Piece of news comes. with the
allowance of the Government. may be bet
ter able to Judge OF the Credbiiity and
Fairness of the Relation. Nor Will he take
upon him TO give any Comments or Coniec-
lures of his own. but will relate only Mat
.cr of Fact. supposing other People TO have
Sense enough to make Reflections for Them
sclycs."
This leads TO present day reflection"
which will without doubt be uppermost in
the minds of all readers of The Times. and
that is. in effect. that newspa per publish
ers were very much such men then as they
are now found to be. 1t is also ma nifest that
the Courant was aiming a shaft at one or
more of its few weekly contemporaries
whose columns of foreign intelligence
or of some other branch of thought had
been found to be padded"
or course. the Courant's foreign quota
tiOns were somewhat aged by the time they
reached the English eyes through its col
umns. Clipper ships. ocean steamers and
submarine cables. as we'll as many other
modern conyeniences. We're then unknown,
and the publisher OF the only daily paper In
the world was Obliged 10 depend upon the
uncertain movements of Transatlantic ship
ping. received from and consigned to YES
sells propelled by the wind. Thus il came
about that the new from America was al
ways two and sometimes three and four
months old. when the COurant had the priyil-
ege of reproducing IT, and the Intelligence
from so near foreign port rs that across
the channel was often two and three weeks
behind date.
WHAT NIGHT HAPPEN.
A fire might occur in New YOrk-doubt-
less did-aud the destroyed buildings be
replaced by the time the English public
read the account of the loss in the Courant.
1t could have occurred, likewise, that
public ruuctionary passed beyond the vale,
and his widow be enjoying her honey
moon with husband No. before Il sympa-
thctic people would learn from the columns
of the only daily paper in the world that
there had been cause for tears.
But that fact did not seem TO dctract
from the popularity of the Courant. for its
subscription list grew, its influence ex-
tended and its example as pioneer has
had Its ICDe1lClal eIfeClS upon I'LL news
papers that came after.
AT last there came day-as there comes
to all flcsh-when the enterprising propriC.
tor OF the Courant shut his eyes upon the
world and went out of it, His work looked
at across the two centuries of time that
have intervened appears to be small and
inconsequential, but the example he set
has been ever since an inspration--a chal-
lcnge--to progressive men OF subsequent
ages to do us much in succession for the
advancement of the world.
It would he an interesting bit of In
formation that one might CLEAN from the
Courant's subscription books, and one
feels like demanding of some one TO be
informed or the exact circulation and the
amount of advertising enjoyed by the first
daily paper, but the extent of its patron
age must of necessity be small in cOtnpari-
son wit hthat given to any first-class news
paper of the present day.
The number of newspapers printed in
the United States alone is great, and
many of them enjoy each Il daily income
OF many thousands CT dollars more than
the proprietor of the first newspaper
ever dreamed OF realizing In the greatest
possible limit of its career. and if it were
the purpose in writing this to rlorify the
modern newspaper at the expense OF the
Courant some startling figures might he
given in comparison. The real object Is,
however, to extol the pioneer vino was
brave enough to take the risk Gs intro
duciEr an Improvement worthy to be i'm
proved upon