Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-22
STARS HALF CENTURY
PRESS COMMENTS ON THE ANNI-
VERsARY EDITION.
PRAISE FROM SIR HUBERT.
Henry Watterson on The Star and Its
Semi Centennial.
From the Louisville Courier-Journal.

From the Louisville Courier-Journal
''Star of the evening" beautiful star"
Fifty years is good age for an Amerf.
can newspaper. The Evening Star OF
Washington city has just attained that
exceptional and honorable longevity. 1t
came into being the 10th of December, 1867.
and consequently the 18th Of December,
1902, falling on Tuesday of this week, our
venerable contemporary began to celebrate
and has been celebrating ever since; a
semi-centennial anniversary edition start
ing off the festivities at a gallop.
The Star furnishes an admirable 1llustra-
ton of newspaper Hfe-indubitapiy, stren.
uous life-in the United States. 1t was set
up on a capital not exceeding $500 FIT
teen years later it was sold for $1O0,O0o II
could not be bought today for $2,OOO,O0o
Its history Is in a sense an epitome OF the
progress of the country.
Washington was in the old days ever con-
sidered the graveyard of newspapers. Even
the National Intelligencer eked out pre-
carious life to die pauper at last The
Globe and the Union-party organs-went
the way of the rest. From first to last
there must have been half a hundred disas-
trous failures. The Star was first to break
Post, so that now the national capital
boasts of at least two daily newspaper
properties Of the first rank.
In it's fiftieth anniversary issue The star
gives graphic account of itself. Its story
reads like the history Of city which can
no longer be described as of magnificent
distances. 1t is one Of the best compilations
as we'll as one of the most superb pieces OF
enterprise yet produced by the American
press, deserving to be filed away in the
public archives.
OF the original founders all are long since
dead. OF the company which succeeded the
original founders only Crosby Stuart Noyes
and Samuel Hay Kaufman survive, each
at ripe old age. These two brought the
property to its full fruition. Under their
admirable management it became indeed
not only "a fixed STAR" but a most lumi-
nous and effulgent Star. Mr.. Kaufman
has given his later years and ample for
tune to the cultivation Of a love for fine and
useful arts, the trusted head of most Of the
societies for the advancement of knowledge
and the improvement of taste in the ma
tional capital, whilst Mr. Noyes, at seventy
seven, sits in the editorial rocker, a very
Nestor of the profession, to which he has
contributed not alone his own genius but
his distinguished sons. Theodore Williams.
associated with his father in the editorship
Of The Evening Star. and Frank Brett,
editor Of the Record-Hera1d in Chicago and
president of the Associated Press.
The career Of The Evening Star is at once
an inspiration and an encOura gement to the
American journalist. Always sensible and
clean, often both brilliant and able, it is the
best local newspaper in the world, literally
Indispensable to the city in which as pur
veyOr Of news to the general public-the
historian of each day Of the year-it has
never had a rival Its editorial manage
as nearly perfect-being essentially concur
rent-as can be attained in world Of i'm
perfections; for the most part independent;
keeping the middle Of the stream; yet wise
ly considerate of the things that be and the
powers that are. We take of our hat in
The Star celebrate its centenary. December
16. 1852.