The times., 1899-10-29


most prominent Paris evening newspapers.
He was sitting on the terrasse of the Cafe
de la Paix, and upon the table in front
Of him was q glass Of absinthe Hardly
an hour before had occurred calamity
which had stirred Paris to its centre. More
than 100 people, the flower Of French fash
ion, had been burned TO death in the ruins
of the Bazar de la Charlie The news had
been brought to the boulevards by word
OF mouth; hundreds Of victims. was the
report. and among them all the
great people Of the old regime. Il was the
biggest piece Of news in twenty years.
The editor n-chief beckoned 10 the
American snd pointed TO seat beside him.
He was greatly excited although he as
sumed calmness.
What a desoIating thing it is" he
cried. All my friend. France has received
= cruel blow! Well. we must bear up we
must have fortitude"
He went on, waxing reminiscent. then
poedcaI.
Presently the Americans nose for news
impelled him TO remark that none OF the
papers seemed yet TO have got out an extra.
The FreBchmans glance was rsprOach-
ful. Always thinking OF the dollars,
What practical people, you Americans"
The American explained rather strongly.
that trustworthy news regarding the ca
lamity would relieve public anxiety; as yet
there was nothing but rumors.
'An eXtTai" echoed the editor again.
Then. with injured air, he pulled out his
watch
Why. my dear fellow. do you know that
] dine in half an hour
The American laughed impolitely.
Tomorrow. my friend, tomorrow said
the Frenchman. You viii be able 10 read
ii ali tomorrow. il is too late this even
ing"
II was then not o'clock Al : the
''Pgesse." a puny little sheet published
late To give the result Of the races. had no
information about the fire. At 10 a Teli-
gious paper the 'CrOiX, got out an extra.
Its printing Office ad5oined the scene of the
disaster and some OF its c0mpositors had
helped al the rescue: but ii printed moth
ing but the rumoTs OF the street Toward
midnight two or three Of the evening pa
pers. the reporters OF which had finished
their dinners and made the usual rounds
Of the theatres on free tickets. tumbled
over each other at the police station near
est the scene OF the disaster. They got no
news. but some extras came out announc-
ing in big type the facts that everybody
knew
In the morning each OF the papers had
two o. three columns, not more than 2 600
words. still rumUrs. On the second day
they printed the police reports. On the
third day the news began to be something
like trustworthy, and was Of the character
that an American paper would have had in
press within an hour There was a dia-
gram Of the scene OF the FIRE and two or
three hasry sketches of the ruins we're Civ
en in one OF the most enterprising papers.
But il WsS-only when the weekly illus
treted papers came out. on the fourth day.
that the real story OF the calamity was
told. From that until the expiration Of
three weeks the news came out in driblets.
a1d at the end OF the month the French
press. with many repetiti0ns had told such
2 story Of the burning OF the Bazar de Ia
Charlie as an ordinary American paper in
town OF 50,00e people would have told
upon the following morning.
This little incident the American IeWs-
paper man thought. struck the keynote of
French Journalism Roughly speaking. a
German newspaper prints the day before
yesterday s news, and French newspaper
last weeks. Even then ii is done cautious
y. because there seems TO be nothing that
2 German or French journalist is more
afraid Of than live news. He treats ii as
be would treat the business end OF a brok-
en- electric wire. When he runs against
anything OF any real Importance he is
overwhelmed.
The foreign journalists are not alone to
blame for this state Of affairs. the public
demand-0r rather the lack OF it's 2 so
responsible. 4 Frenchman doesn't care
whether there is any news in his paper OF
not, and he isn't particular what time he
gets IT, That is because his education has
not been devised 10 give him general in
Jerests- such as the average American has.
His mornings. 10 start with. are usually
occupied with his own affairs. outside
matters may only be considered ar his Ieis-
are Ths morning papers, consequently.
are always on sale al the kiosks until the
evening. and, indeed until the next day.
and Ia Paris. probably the only large city
IL the world where such a condition exists
there are always more morning papers
sold IN the afternoon than IN the morning
The morning papers even compete With
the evening papers in some quarters. But
that is not especially significant because
the evening papers. with one exception.
rarely have so much as a single paragraph
that has not been copied out Of the morn
ing papers bodily, without credit, and
without the change OF word IL Ia ne
are any later developments they may pos
sibly get into the morning papers or the
next day. but never by any chance into he
evening paper.
There are seventy-nine daily papers in
Paris and all Of them put together would
hardly make one Of the first class. viewed
with American eyes. The greater number
of these are morning papers. and all Of
them are strongly political In circulation
they run from few thousands 10 more
than a million. From the French stand
point The matter Of most Importance is
politics. but not a tenth Of the whole num-
beg occupy Is much space with politics
as is given 10 the other features which go
10 make up the paper These features are,
a. the order of apparent value. fiction the
drama literature art. sports. music.
finance, and last. general news. With the
exception OF the Figaro, which has six
pages, The papers are all OF four pages,
usually printed in very large type with
Wretched, smudgy ink, upon inc0nceivably y
flimsy paper. OF those most prominent,
one Is sold al four cents. FIVE are sold at
three Genus, eight al TWO cents. and the
rest at one cent. The French admit that
they don't read papers so much for in
structiOn as Tor amusement and the sheet 5
which treat matters with any degree Of
seriousness are not much sought after.
When a French editor Is really Of the seri-
Gus habit. his attitude is something awful
10 cOntemplaye-Wltness The Temps" and
the Journal des Debats' he IS almost as
greWsome as his prototype OF The London
Times" The readers Of these Two papers
are confined almost wholly TO sleepy gen
uemen Of the old school who nod over
their pOlemics in cafes OF honorable re-
nOwn IN the side streets of the boulevards.
OF another type, the frothy. smart, super
G FY- 1.