The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1901-02-14
DAILY NEW SpAPERS.

Inc EteHtHg HeTuet, III Sht i''tfo
daily afternoon paper at Henderson,
edited by Mr.. Will X. Coley, formerly
OF the Mocksville Times, has suspend
ed publication. In announcing the
suspension OF his paper Editor Coley
says:
In our opinion. Henderson is not yet
large enough. nor is there enough bust
ness transacted in the town. for 1t to
support daily paper. We at first
thought that it was, but thorough
trial Of ten months has convinced us that
we were mistaken.
Mr.. Colry is not the first newspaper
man who has made.this sort OF mistake
and he won't be the last. The news
paper field is overworked-consider-
ing the fact that SO large number OF
our population do not take and read
their home papers-but in no depart,
ment is it more sadly overworked
than in the attempt TO publish daily
papers in towns OF small population
where there is really no field for a
daily. Or course some sort OF sheet
can be published in town OF 1000
or 5000 people and called by courtesy
daily ew>paper. but no we'll regu-
lated community should want such
production sent out to represent their
town.
We have submitted these remarks
in passing for the reason that the
LANDMARKS has at various times and
seasons been urged to publish daily
| paper in Statesville. We know
oIa I'm
| to know that there is no field in
Statesville for A daily paper of any
consequence and we would not be
content to publish one that wa. not
large enough and complete enough TO
command respect. Under ordinary
| conditions, no town OF less than 5000
to 10000 population is sufficient for
daily pap-r-even local daily Of con-
seuupnce-and sometimes even towns
Of this size or larger, do not supper,
a daily. Much depends on the char
acter Of the town, its environments
and mail facilities. even when popula-
ton is deemed sufficient.
1t is very easy to sit down with
pencil and paper and figure ont a
profit in newspaper-the late ChaS.
r. Jones used to say that nothing
else would figure out so well-but re-
suits are something else, as every
well informed newspaper man knows.
OF course there are people who will
not be convinced until they have had
the experience OF Mr.. Coley at Hen
derson, but there are enough daily
newspaper wrecks in the State and
enough papers that have half,
starved, slipshod appearance to con
vince any experienced newspaper man
that running a daily paper or any
other sort of paper isn't as easy and
simple as it looks.-Statesville Land
mark.
What the Landmark says in the
above answers the question which has
frequently been asked us: why
don't you run daily paper?' Be
cause we have never thought Hen
derson would sustain daily paper
There may be 'demand" for j daily
paper because some other town has
one, but it does not follow by any
means that it would find support.
The editor Of the GOLD LEAF hope.
he is not altogether lacking in enter
prise; that he is not so dull that he
does not know good thing when he
sees it; or that he is wanting in bust
ness judgment to grasp an opportnn
, itv and improve it when it presents
itself. But he has not seen any O.
these things in daily paper in Hen
derson vet. II others do the field i:
. open, they are at liberty to step il
and occupy it.
Economically a. Mr.. Coley ran his
, paper, small as it was in size ant
r taking no telegraphic service, we be
tray no secret when we say that h
told us he dropped about $50 a month
on the enterprise. Had he not beef
, able TO draw from other sources thal
p the income the paper yielded it woult
have been even shorter lived than i
was.
And yet people have remarked t.
US since the Erening Herald suspend
ed they thought it wa. maxim.
, money. But they don't know any
thing about newspaper business, it i
I needless to say.
We regret that Brother Coley's en-
:. terprise did not succeed, because fail
: ure makes it worse for him and wors
4 | for the town