The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-03


Newspapers and the News.
Since the war began the Journal has fire.
quently come to the relief of readers of Chi
cago papers by furnishing them war news
that the papers of that city, bearing the
same date, did not contain. Owing to the
custom adopted by the morning papers
there OF sending to their country readers
editions printed before midnight and bear
ing date of the next day, much important
Geographic matter is necessarily absent
from their columns. Observers OF events
have noted the fact that the great happen
ings of the world do not all take place be-
fore early candle-light, but that they have
all hours for their own. The news Of them,
at least, is as likely to be transmitted after
midnight as before. This has been particu-
larly true of the war news. The story of the
blowing up of the Maine came over the
wires in the early hours of the morning. and
was contained in all the editions of the
Journal of that day. Readers of Chicago
papers living outside of the city did not get
it till a day later. When Dewey's great
naval victory occurred news dealers hand
ling Chicago papers telegraphed for Jour-
nails in order that their patrons might know
of this remarkable event, of which all the
rest Of the world was talking. Since then it
has repeatedly happened that important
military movements and other proceedings
of the government relating to the war
have been recorded in the Journal one day
in advance of the Chicago papers. What
is true of the war news is equally true of
other matters, the Journal, for instance,
containing the earliest account of the death
of Miss Frances E. Willard a resident of
Chicago, and a woman whose friends were
everywhere. Just now, owing to the ext
gencies OF the strike among stereotypers,
which temporarily prevents the issuing of
any Chicago papers, before midnight or af
ter the Journal is supplying their readers
within its reach with all the news they are
getting. In these days of thrilling events and
general anxiety it is glad to come to their
rescue in the emergency, for to be without
newspapers at such time is nothing less
than calamity to an American community.
But while the patrons of the Chicago press
are without the papers to which they are
accustomed they will not only have the lat
est news furnished them, but will have all
the news that they would get in the larger
and more pretentious papers. This the
Journal asserts, not in boastfulness, but as
a mere statement of fact. The Journals
ing essential is omitted. 1t does not repeat
one piece Of information in variety Of
ways in the same issue, nor allow its special
correspondents to serve up in elaborate
form, as new matter, what the Associated
Press presented more briefly the day before.
1t does not fill it's waste places with cheap
illustrations nor dreary syndicated miscel-
lany, bought for a few cents yard. 1t has
no waste places. It's pages being few all
it's space is valuable, and there is no room
for superfluous matter. It's news is in con-
densed form, but it is all there. The man
who reads the sixteen pages of the Journal
to-day will know quite much about the
war and other current events as if he had
spent his time over a padded forty-page
Chicago daily, and he will know more If
anything happened after midnight Incl
dentally, too, he will have in the Journal a
much moro carefully edited literary depart
ment and fresher miscellany.
It is not often that the Journal calls at
tention to it's own merits, preferring to
leave that Office to its friends, but it seems
advisable now and then to correct COM
mon but thoughtless impression that mere
bigness is necessarily virtue or an advan-
tage in a newspaper. Signs are numerous
that the more intelligent portion of the
reading public is tired of the bulkiness of
the great daiies, and preference is be-
ing shown for smaller papers. In meeting
this growing demand the Journal feels that
it is in advance of the Chicago press The
newspaper of the future will undoubtedly
be small, and the sooner the tendency is
recognized the better for public and publish
ers. Meanwhile, the Journal extends SYM
pathy to the troubled Chicago contempt
raries, and will do its best to prevent them
from being missed.