The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-08-03
The Movel and the ~
Newspaper of the Future.

NJ Iues Verne the French novelist, and Mr. Victor Muir
dock American journalist have recently made prede-
tons as to the future the novel and newspaper that
have been attracting wide attention Mr.. H. G. Wells, who
would be the prophet laureate OF latter day literature If there
were such an Office prophets aures poets
supposed TO do treated Of this subject his scientific
"Auticpations' but the public generally has the
opinion tina, TRUTH in this instance in spite Of the poverb
is not to be found the bottom OF Wells.
Whether 1t is not NJ Jules Vernes prophecy is
interesting He believes that the time is coming the
novel will exist and It's place will be taken strange
relate by the daily This prediction based the
yvdness Of style to which newspaper writers have attained
The French novelist is believer N proverbs and holds that
truth is stranger than fiction "As historic records, NJ
Jules Verne reported saying correspondent OF the
London Daily Mail. the world will file its newspapers
Newspaper have learned to color everyday events
well that read them viii give posterity picture
than the historic or descriptive novel could do. .
The real psychology of life is in its and truth
truth with big Tcan be gathered from the police court
story the railway accident from the everyday doings Of
the crowd and from the battles future than can
obtained IL attempt is made to cohe the psychological
moral in garh of fiction.
nast In strong that Of the French novelist
Mr. Murdoch recently informed the Kansas Editorial
in his judgment will be written in the highly eoored
style which NJ Jules Verne predicts but the contrary,
eoorless within forty years" Mr. Murdoch insists the
daily Of the large city will be impetsona
Santa Fe passenger train. 1t will be issued In series Of
editions. says Mr. Murdoch each devoted kind of
only. For instance, at edition devoted TO
the market reports at $780, transportation and tariff in
formation edition. at 6. report of worldwide weather con-
ditons 80, real estate bulletin, and at 10
o'clock concession the ordinary will be made by
the publication of general edition In each large city
there will be only OF these papers and single oorpo
ration will control the in all the cities Political in
formation will be given mainly in the form Of authentic in
ervews with public hut the newspaper whole will
have political complexion
Now these prophecies both OF them interesting and
only lack the element of truth be superiavely important
Prophecy based probability uncertain what APP
pears to be probability to is mprobahy to an
other and impossbity a third The only prophet
is he who prophesies after the
The public OF the will be satisfied with color
al,
OF contemporary journalism may he beached in the f
tureand that would be good thing but human readers
will always insist human Interest in the wreup Of thC
OF the day and that the thing be done in reasonably
attractive Nor will the editorial writer be super
seeded Expert opinion in public affairs will always be de
journalist will find employment long there pouca
parties Editorial writer's able lead public opinion
only because there is demand for such leadership and be
cause the average citizen whatever his requirement, look
to his newspaper if not for guidance at least for inorma
, ton.
NJ. Jules Verne is equally wrong The other extreme
opinion Newspapers will be turned into novel
cites feueons of fact The Journalist will take tn
novelists occupation away from him We do read ho
ton because il is founded fact but because is fctio
and relief from facts in the regions fancy Whe
the imaginative writer is overloaded with facts the resu
is failure; instance, Homers catalogue ships and MI
James Lane Aliens description of hemp raising in his Tn
Reign of Law to take ancient and modern example
The pleasure OF reading novels from following I'll
novelist in his flights of imagination of which there would
none If he confined facts from the plot and til
characters. II the novests limited writing bioRra
ply all their genius would be wasted for the and dc
ngs of their characters the wit the laughter the ha
imagination would have to be eScised Of the
spite of NJ Jules Vernes eulogy often trivial and u
to extreme degree