Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-16
Washington Has Seen Many
Journalistic Failures.
NEARLY NINE HUNDRED
FEW SURVIVORS OF A LONG ROLL
OF BEGINNERS.
Interesting Record Of Enterprises
Covering the Districts Entire
Existence.

Probably no other city in the United
States has such long record Of journalistic
enterprises as that which has been written
in Washington in the little more than a
century of It's existence. So many news
papers have been started here without pro-
longed success that the District has come
to be known, indeed as journalistic grave
yard. Unfortunately, no exact record has
been preserved, as far as can be ascer-
tanned, of the periodicals which have come
into existence and then succumbed to one
or another of the influences which shorten
the life of publications. In 1877 The Star
printed, on the occasion OF It's twenty fifth
anniversary from the best sources then
available, list of the newspapers which
had been started in Washington prior to
that time. This incomplete as it has since
been proved to be. made a remarkable
showing Of journalistic mortality.
In preparing the subjoned list of periodi-
Gals the II list has been taken as a basis,
and many names have been added to 1t
from the photography of the District Of
Columbia" compiled by Mr. w. B. Bryan
for the Columbia Historical Society. That
work, however, did not include scores Of
minor publications, such as weeklies. month
lies and quarterlies, issued within the last
two decades. The names of these have
been obtained from the records Of the Post
Office Department, showing entries of peri
odicals as second-class mail matter. The
post Office officials acknowledge that their
records are imperfect in this respect, and
are now endeavoring to perfect them as far
as present information will permit.
Imperfect Official Records.
One difficulty about the Post Office De-
partment's records Is that the date Of entry
Of the periodical as second-class matter.
which. In the absence Of other information.
has been published In the following list as
the date of birth, does not necessarily COIN
eide with the organization Of the periodical,
as 1t is frequent that the publishers have is
sued for weeks and even months, before
applying for. and especially before receiv-
Ing permission from the Post Office De-
partment to send their publications through
the mails at newspaper rates. And, in fact
probably several publications have never
applied for this privilege, and others, apply
Ing, have been refused the privilege. So
that the postal list cannot be relied upon
a. complete Yet 1t Is the only available
record now at hand.
No attempt has been made IN the prepara-
ton of the following list to indicate the
term Of life of the publications noted. In
some cases they have lived for many years.
Is the Intelligencer, for example, which
did not go out of existence until 1870, having
been established in 1900. Some of the daily
newspapers were issued but few times.
monthlies were issued but half a dozen
times, while in few cases the initial num-
esr was also the last.
Interesting Results Of Analysis.
An analysis of the list will yield many in
tsresting results. 1t will be seen that in
the early years the newspaper titles fol-
lowed a fashion which is not now known.
The papers published during the first few
years Of the Districts existence were more
Of q literary and political character, and
their names were chosen accordingly. The
real newspapers, as the word Is now un-
asrstood. did not come into existence until
tho middle Of the century. 1t will be seen.
furthermore. that the same individuals con-
tinued to engage In journalistic enterprises
following one failure with another attempt
sometimes covering several years In the
fruitless effort to secure permanent estab-
Gshments.
Another notable feature Of this list is the
recurrence of certain names In the alb
sence Of dates Of death, this may mean
either a short lapse between the demise of
the paper and it's revival or long interval.
Many OF the periodicals, short Of dailies,
have owed their origin to governmental work
carried on in the District. Scores of week
Hes, devoted to the interests Of claims busi-
ness and other enterprises connected with
the departments, have come into existence
and have in the course OF time passed away.
A few of these have lived for a long time.
The scientific. patriotic and literary societies
OF the District have also contributed to the
roll, and the total of nearly 900 titles is
swelled further by the campaign publica-
tons which have been started with the def
mite idea Of only brief existence.
The list follows in order of the years of
beginning. without other arrangement:
Early Years.
17s9-Times and Potowmack Packet, weekly.
l790-Weekly Ledger (Georgetown). Day &
Hancock.
11p3-Columbian Chronicle semi-weeKly
Hanson & Priestley.
179o-1mpartial Observer and Washington
Advertiser weekly T. Wilson
179e-Washington Gazette. weekly. Ben1a-
sentlnel Of Liberty (Georgetown>,
Green. English & Co.
1797-Times and D. c. Daily Advertiser.
James d. Westcott.
lSOO-National Inteiligencer. Samuel Harri-
son Smith.
Universal Gazette. Samuel Harrison
Smith.
Washington Federallst tri-weekly and
daily. w. A. Rind & Co.
1sO1-National Magazine.
Cabinet ]. Lyon.
lSO6-Monitor. tri-weekly. j. B. Colv1n.
191-Atlantic World. John Wood.
1SOS-Washington Expositor. Dinmore &
Cooper.
Colvin's Weekly Register.
1SlO-Spirit OF SeventySix James 3. Carter
Independent American. tri-weekly
1Sl1-Washington Gazette, James A Bayard
Hive. Repository of Literature
1S12-Federal Republican Georgetown).
Wagner & Hansen.
1s1S-WasAington City Gazette. William FL
Holt
1s15-Washington Critic. William Wright
1Sl6-National Register, W, Joel K. Mead
Washington Gazette. Jonathan Elliott.
lSlT-National Messenger (Georgetown), trt-
weekly, James c. Dunn.
Weekly Messenger Mrs. Colvin
1s19-American Farmer, semi-monthly
Columbian Telescope and Literary
Compiler W. 9. II. Davis.
In the Twentles.
Metropolitan, tri-semi- weekly, WIZ
lam A. Rind. Jr.
Calendar y. Force.
American Museum. quarterly
1&1-Washington Gazette. daily. Jonathan
Elliott.
National Observer. r. Irvine & Co
Latter Day Luminary. monthly.
ls2-Catholic. weekly, II. N. Beadle
The Washington ReUuhlicar I'm