The Washington times., 1901-08-03
JOURNALISM IN AMERICA.

The Librarian of Congress viii soon
publish book complied by Ralph NJ.
Mckenzie, Of the periodical department.
containing brief history of American
Journalism The newspapers treated are
arranged by States. and include those
long since dead as well as the newest of
the living. In every instance the name of
the founder is given and such other facts
as Will answer the questions which nat
urally suggest themselves concerning a
newspapers history. The entire work. it
Is estimated. VIII hll more than two thou
sand pages of print. 1t has taken some
three years to prepare. and another six
months will probably be consumed in put
ting it through the press The compilation
was huge task, involving a search
through State histories. county histories,
biographies, gazeteers directories, occa-
sional addresses, pamphlets of all sorts,
and the files of newspapers from the ear
liest American date down to the present
time. Mr.. Mckenzie will introduce the
book with a chapter discussing American
journalism and periodical literature in
general way.
When it is remembered" said he to a
visitor the other day, that a thousand
periodicals become extinct in this country
every year, and that nearly % 600 were is
sued in the year 1900, you will understand
something of the task which / have just
finished. The first newspaper was printed
in America in 1904, and 1 have gone over
the field for the whole three centuries
since that date.
Il suppose 1 was most struck by a COM
parative study of the circulation of the
periodicals in this country and In Europe.
As early as 1880, the United States with a
ished more periodicals than Europe, with
a population of 1885, ESQ In this COM
parfson. you understand, l am including
newspapers under the general head of Pc
riodicals. Fifty years later America pub
ished go more periodicals than Europe,
and each decennial census has found us
still far in the lead The most notable in
crease OF periodicals in this country came
between 1870 and 1880 when the number
1l.314.
The increase in periodicals is most
marked at the large publication centres
IKE New YORK, Boston. Philadelphia, and
Chicago. The greatest percentage of in
crease between decades belongs to the
Northwestern States, Minnesota Wiecon-
SIN, Michigan. Iowa, and Illinois. Mime
sofa, for instance, doubled its output be-
tween 1850 and 1870, and in 1880 published
nearly two and a half times -as many as
in 1870. 1t doubled it's product again be-
tween 1880 and 1881. Michigan more than
doubled on itself between 1910 and 1880
and so did Illinois. while Iowa made near
ly as good record. All this was accom-
plished without letting the newcomers in
the field destroy the circulation of those
who had preceded them. In Minnesota,
that shows the most rapid development
of any State the increase of circulation
between 1850 and 1890 was more than $50
per cent. and there are many instances
OF 2O and 800 per cent increases in ten
years in other States.''
Mr. Mckenzie has given the history of
the printing press, of StereOtyping of the
telegraph in its relation to the newspaper
business, of lithography, of paper mills
and of copyright He gives a list of the
Oldest newspapers in the country with
the date of the est jlishment of each
and a list of the pe-.odicals published in
foreign languages, from which 1t appears
that the Italians have IS, the Norwegians
81, the Poles 20. the Swedes 81. the Ger
mans 651, and the French ~. He also dis
cusses agricultural, religious. college and
law, and sporting journals.
one most entertaining bit of history in |
the BODY of the work is told under the |
derings of the old press on which We're !
printed the first newspapers ever issued !
IN sundry States of the Northwest. The |
hrst newspaper in Iowa was the Wis |
ltor. established Dubuque on May IL. |
1886, by John King. Its name was changed !
TO the Iowa News" and the press which |
printed 1t was removed to Lancaster
Wis. In 1s42, where the Grant County |
Herald was established, the first news |
paper in that State. The press and ma I
terial were moved again in 1919 to St |
Paul by OK team. and John Goodhue used /
them In getting out the first issue of the
first newspaper printed in Minnesota, the
st. Paul Pioneer" In 1858 the old press
was taken to Sioux City Falls, now Sioux
Falls. where it was used for the. printing
Of the Dacotah Democrat" the first
newspaper in either of the Dakatas. The
press was burned by the Indians In the
UPRISING Of 1852