The Republican journal., 1897-08-12
A Great Newspaper Enterprise.

The members of the Suburban Press A s.
ISOLATION, after their monthly meeting at
the Crawford House last Monday were in
vited to go over the Youths Companion
Building by the proprietors and officials
of that great enterprise. 1t is one of the
best appointed newspapers offices in the
world, and the paper enjoys, with per
haps no exception, the largest circula-
ton of any periodical published. The
Youth Companion is as familiar to the
childhood and youth of this country who
have a taste for good reading as any pa
per can well be already, but its scope and
influence is continually broadening and
it's great circulation is consequently in
creasing.
The entire building on Columbus ave
nue. was Inspected from the great press
room in the basement to the offices in the
top floor. The paper is now printed from
rolls upon six large Cottrell perfecting
presses, each Of which will print in one
second sixteen-page paper on both sides
or two eight-page papers-l20 eightpage
Companions in a minute. 1t is by such
mechanical appliances as these that the
enormous circulation is handled. OF
course the type is set but once, but after
that any required number OF plates can
be made. The six presses can print 4@,
200 copies in an hour. But they are sell
dom in operation at the same time.
The mailing room is another interest,"
ing department. F0rty touS of printing
type is employed in setting up the names
Of the 80, OO0 subscribers of the Compan-
ion, and these all have to be gone over
carefully for revision every two weeks,
Eleven machines are constantly employed
upon this work, printing the names OF
the subscribers upon the margia Of paper.
On the top floor are the editorial rooms
and illustrating department, and this, too,
is most interesting part OF the great es
tablishmeut. The illustrations are many
of them made from life. The story is
read and then the picture to adequately
illustrate it is designed. ON the occasion
of our visit Il handsomely developed
young fellow, stripped to the waist, was
dashed by his wrists to a cross bar over
his head to illustrate story on logging
at sea. An artist sat sketching him in
that position. The living models are COP
sidered far superior to photographs too
work from. Another room was devoted
to the exhibition of the amateur photo
graphs which were sent in single year S
competition for the prizes offered by the
Companion for that kind of work.
The Youths Companion was started in
1927 by Nathaniel Willis, the father of
the poet n. P. Willis. and Asa Rand, who
were also editors and propretors of the
Boston Recorder, afterwards merged into
the Congregatioualist, and they continued
IN nhli N for In
was sold to Daniel S. Ford and John W.
Olmstead. Mr.. Ford then became, and
still is, its editor-in chief. The name of
Perry Mason 4 Co. then appeared at the
head of the paper simply for convenience,
as Messrs. Ford, Olmstead & Co. We're
editing and publishing the Christian
Waterman and Reflector, and as both
papers were published from the same
Office the use of Mr.. Ford name on both
publications might cause confusion. Per-
ry Mason & Co. never had any tangible
existence.
At the time of the purchase the number
of the Companion S subscribers was i, 800,
and in the years prior to 1871 it had in
creased to 10000. By 1877 the number
had doubled, and in the ten years from
1877 to 1887 the circulation increased to
405, 600. 1t is now more than half a mil
lion.
All this has not been done without wise
and careful management, and the proprie-
tors are constantly alert to bring all that
is wholesome and elevating to youth to
its columns. 1t is matter of pride to all
that such a paper is published in New
England, and the paper is eminently de-
serving of the success that it has achiev
ed. Rocllland, Mass, Standard.