The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-15
NEWSPAPERS IN INDIA.
The Native Publication Are often
Literary CuriOsities.
From Pearson's Weekly.

From Pearsons Weekly.
The Indian press is of ancient origin.
Ages before the European conquest every
court had it's weekly-in some cases its
daily-journal, which was sent out to the
principal towns and attentively read by
mobiles, wealthy people and officials. These
journals contained proclamations and de-
crees, and chronicled the movements of
the court and all things likely to be of in
terest to the faithful subjects of the rul-
ers of the various principalities.
Newspapers, in our meaning of the word,
were first published in 1918. But these
were in English; the first native newspaper
was not issued until the middle of the CEN
tury The native press of the present
day may be divided into two classes: pa
pers edited and published by natives, the
matter being generally half in English and
half i'm a native language, and those jour-
nails which are published entirely in a ma
tive language, this class being much more
numerous.
As rule, these last are small, very poor
ly printed on cheap paper, often on only
one side of the sheet, and not infrequently
the same journal varies greatly in size, ac-
cording to the amount of news obtainable
ana the personal ciICuulSldIlCeS anu Gull
venience of the editor
Generally speaking, the native Is very
anxious to acquire a knowledge of Eng
lish. 1t not only opens the way to ap-
pointments in the government service, but
also makes him a person of great import
ance in the district, as comparatively few
of the millions of natives read English or
even understand 1t when spoken. A work.
ing knowledge of our tongue is indispensa-
BILE to native editor, because all the i'm
portant news is first published in the An
glo-Indian newspapers.
The native writer is fond of extravagant
expressions, and makes use, wherever he
can. of quota tons from Shakespeare or
Milton and the religious phrases he has
seen in missionary literature. In the use
of metaphors he often gets much mixed
up.
The editorial page of the Indian country
paper is a literary curiosity. For instance,
The reader is assured. in an article on a
politicai crises, that "all the crowned heads
of Europe are shaking in their shoes"
Sometimes we read that "the editor ex-
poets. with divine help. to have more read
ing suited to the intelligence of his sub
scribers in the next issue.
Bur the editor is seen at his best in his
own announcements. His whole vocabulary
is brought into play to impress the read
ers. Sometimes the announcement takes
the tone of apology, as in the case of the
editor who innocently declared: This is
only the beginning of our paper We were
not sure how much matter was required
10 nll il up. aud, thinking we had sufficient
we did not exert oursen much to get any
more. We, therefore, beg that our readers
win excuse us this time for the space left
blank. and promise to do better and get
more in the future"
sim more curious was the announcement
of a paper which came out for the first
time with two columns blank, the editor
making the bold announcement that "a
large quantity of exceedingly interesting
matter had been left out for want OF
space"
When the native editor wants holiday,
he suspends publication until 1t Is conven-
lent 10 resume, and, taking his readers into
his confidence, informs them plainly why
the paper was not issued on the expected
dates: with the consent Of our readers,
we now propose to take our annual holiday.
We are sure none of them win begrudge
us our relaxation"
II Il were not for the English newspapers
published in Calcutta, Bombay and other
large cities, which are edited by cultured
Engiishmen and Anglo-Indians, the native
journals would be very poor productions,
as nearly all the news and much of the
other reading matter are translated in or
der to fill them. rsflfot