The suburban citizen., 1902-02-08
HISTORY Of JOURNALISM
iALUA5LE WORK COMPILED IN THE
CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY.

The Newspapers Treated Are Arranged
by states - The Entire Work Fills
More Than Two Thousand Pages of
Print Growth of American Periodicals
Ralph NJ. Mckenzie, of the periodical
department of the Library of Congress,
has compiled a book containing a brief
history of American journalism. The
newspapers treated are arranged by
States, and include those long since
dead MS we'll as the living. In every
instance the name of the founder is
given, and such other facts as will
answer the questions which naturally
suggest themselves concerning a news
papers history. The entire work, it is
estimated, will All more than 1000
pages of print 1t has taken about
three years TO prepare, and another
six months will probably be consumed
in putting it through the press. The
compilation was huge task, involving
a search through State histories, county
histories, biographies, gazetteers, direc-
tories, occasional addresses, pamphlets
Of all sorts, and the files of newspapers,
from the earliest 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 be to
visitor the other day, that a thou
sand perIedicals become extinct in this
country every year, and that nearly
%, 900 were issued in the year 1900,
you will understand something of the
task which l have just finished. The
first newspaper was printed in Amer
lea in 1704, and have gone over the
field for the whole three centuries
since that date"
What fact impressed you most as
the result Of your investigationT' he
was asked.
II suppose 1 was most struck by q
comparative study of the circulation
of the periodicals in this country and
in Europe. AS early as 1880 the United
States with a population OF less than
100000, published more periodicals
than Europe, with population of 1885,,
100000 In this comparison, you un-
derstand, am including newspapers
under the general head Of periodicals.
Fifty years later America published
600 more periodicals than Europe, and
each decennial census has found ais
still far in the lead. The most notable
increase of periodicals in this country
came between 1870 and $780, when
the number was almost doubled, run
ming from 57S1 to 1874.
"The ten years between 1880 and
1S40," continued Mr.. Mckenzie, may
be distinguished in periodical history
for its innovations During that period
James Gordon Bennett introduced reg
ular market and financial letters into
the news columns OF the New York
Herald, and collected the local news,
sensational and otherwise, to place
side by side with the foreign budget,
which till then had filled the choicest
space in the American newspaper. 1t
was Bennett who evolved the idea Of
giving a complete history Of the events
Of each day throughout the world in
the press OF this country.
The increase in periodicals is most
marked at the large publication cen
tres like New York, Boston, Philadel-
phia and Chicago. The greatest per-
centage Of increase between decades
belongs to the Northwestern States,
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa.
and Illinois. Minnesota, for instance,
doubled its output between 1860 and
1870, and in 1880 published nearly two
and half times as many rs in 1870.
1t doubled its product again between
1880 and 1890, and so did Illinois, while
Iowa made nearly as good a record.
All this was accomplished without
letting the newcomers in the field de-
strOy the circulation Of those who had
preceded them. In Minnesota, which
shows the most rapid development Of
any State, the increase Of circulation
between 1880 and 1890 was more than
$50 per cent, and there are many in
stances Of 200 and 300 per cent. in
creases in ten years in other States
MIR. Mckenzie furnishes the follow
ing table to Illustrate the growth Of