The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-13
He Boiled Everything Down to $50 Words,
and Actually Wanted to "Kill7 Few
High-Priced Advertisements.
INSISTED ON SOME THEATRICAL PICTURES
AND ALLOWED TWO PAGES FOR SPORTS.
Those Delirlum Tremens Heads Didn't Suit Him at
ALL and When They Served Champagne He
Turned Down His Glass.
By REGINALD l. FOSTER Star Member Of Puitzer's Staff

And then Mr.. Harmsworth retired TO
write his two editorials; and here,
strangely enough, Mr.. Harmsworth VIC
lated his own rules abont condensation.
Each of his editorials was a column long
and contained more words than any ar
ticle in the paper, SAKE one Ana heie'
too, he unset The World 81 ideas, for its
editorials are couched in the briefest
form and seldom run over 200 words;
while short paragraphs are !iberaily
sprinkled in between.
THE ALL-POWERFUL BLUE PENCIL.
1t was dinner time now, and the night
force of editors and copy readers was
coming in. To the night city editor, who
has charge of handling all the city copy,
Mr. Harmsworth was particularly care
full in his directions.
Remember" said he, nothing more
than $50 words. and keep a good share Of
them down TO 100 words Condense as
much as possible.
And so the copy readers began choppinS
down TO a Observation-Disclosures than $50
words-..spread" stories written for the
customary half column or over IretlE
soon the proofs began to come down
stairs from the composlng-room. All
were handed to the new editor-in-chief.
Sometimes he looked very serious-the
matter was running over his ideas OF
space He hurried out into the city room
with word of caution.
Keep il down, gentlemen. he SAID
Things were taking shape pretty last
now Meanwhile Mr.. Harmsworth mad
been out 10 dinner with the several edl-
tors where he talked long and earnestly
about his ideas Of successful Journalism
1t was getting along TO II z. NJ. There
was but an hour left before going to
press Proofs were coming downstairs IN
lunches and the makeup men were al
ready getting the earlier pages ready Tor
the stereotypers. Because OF the great
mechanical problem presented in the
change of form the paper was going to
press an hour earlier
We've only got twelve columns 1or
news.' cried the makeup editor. hurry
ing down from the composins-room-
Mr. Harmsworth was master OF the
situation in a moment
KILLED a FEW ADS
News is all important said she, IN
c-siyeIy. then see the business manager:
we must leave out some advertisements.
Aud when The World went To press
that night there were four columns OF ad-
yertisement.s left on the galleys that never
saw the light on New Years morning!
Think of that on "a New YORK newspaper
of to-day-though, in the old days me
Herald often did 50.
The work was almost done. Nj
Harnsworth was everywhere-coe!, alert;
directing this and suggesting that Twice
he was summoned upstairs 10 the
.stone." where he went over the forms
carefully 10 see that his ideas were car
ried out Finally, the great work was
finished. ..-The World went 10 press as
edited by Alfred Harmsworth for the
opening day of the twentieth century.
WOULDN'T TOUCH y DROP.
Meanwhile walters were busying them
selves in a corner where there was a table
srraad There was champa gne a-Dlenty
and a bite 10 eat Then Mr. W. H Mer-
rill, the editorial chief Of THE World,
Droposed the new editors bealth and the
staff, gathering around. drank to his sue
cess. Mr. Harmsworth took nothing: he
is a teetotaler He replied in a few Well
chosen words adding that the remarkable
thing about it all was to see a staff organ
lied on wholly different lines adapt itself
in a moment to such a new order of
things
The World of New Years Day was
unique. Its pages were only half as large
as those OF the regular World" 1t had
thirty-two pages instead of the usual
fourteen or sixteen. There were no scare
! heads The matter was very brief.
There was absolutely no attempt at fine
: writing.
The edition was all sold out, and 50
great was the demand that another had
to be struck off in the afternoon. News
boys raised the price, sometimes as high
as 20 cents. and newsdealers sent in rush
orders for more supplies. AS an adyer-
tisement. the Harn,sworth edition of
1.-The World was an overwhelming sue
cess Opinion widely differs among the
readers and editors of other newspapers
whether or not the experiment was sue
ce. sful from a Journalistic standpoint.