Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-03-29
portland OregonIan. }

NieI eSpOhueACe.)-ln the OH'tSu
States the newspaper has passed
through five distinct epochs, so far as
the nature of its purpose is concerned.
Before the revolution the few papers
published were mainly devoted to
firing the colonial heart against the
English crown and to the formation of
national patriotism. After the ad-
option of the constitution and the be-
ginning of our present government,
the newspapers were for a time the
mouthpieces OF the politicians of a
day when politics was as bitter as
tors soon found that it was through
them that the politicians were en-
abled to carry on these wars and they
| rebelled.
Then came the era when the news
| paper was the personal property of its
editor, an editor with ambitions to
| rule in politics. This type flourished
for three decades and during it's con-
tinuance the editors nodded public
thought and shaped the public policy.
Well-nigh all-powerful in politics, the
newspaper was a thing that appealed
to but few of the masses. Devoted al
together to the science of government,
it printed news only as a side line
and excluded from its columns nearly
all that would interest young people
or women.
Begin to Publish News.
Then the newspaper realized its
principal mission of gathering and pub
fishing the news. Politics was still
most important, however and each
important paper was the "organ" of
one of the great parties. fighting for
it's own saints and its own scoundlers
without let or hindrance. Lastly
comes the great American newspaper
Of today, printing the news and with it
something for every member of the
family. 1t takes a lively interest In
politics at times, but instead of being
tied to any particular partys apron
strings, is more often entirely inde-
pendent as to men and measures.
The development of the American
newspaper is best shown in the evolu-
ton in the handling of the news. When
William Henry Harrison, ninth presi-
dent of the United States, died
month after he had taken the oath of
office and was succeeded by John Ty-
Ter, one of the greatest newspapers
of the country told all it thought worth
while about the death of the president
in a quarter of column. 1t didn't
mention the fact that Mr.. Tyler would
succeed him, evidently assuming that
everybody ought to know who was
| vice. president. A few weeks later the
editorial columns blazed with COM
ments about Tyler, but the news said
never a word.
Object Lesson in Progress.
When Lincoln was assassinated the
leading New York papers published
four columns about it, The Herald's
display line was the single word I'm
portant." Sixteen years later when
Garfield was shot, the first days news
was given to New York in SO columns
of reading matter. No portraits were
printed of the president, and the only
railroad station where the assassin
attacked his victim. After another 20
years Mckinley was shot at Buffalo.
One New York paper next morning
had IL pages of matter concerning the
assassination, including q half-tone
engravings, and a cartoon depicting
the grief of the stricken nation.
Recalls New Works Bic Fire.
In December 1885, there was a
great fire in New York, which de-
stroyed 10000 900 worth of property.
Until that time, when fires had been
reported at all, it was with the mere
statement of the number of buildings
burned and their value. James Cor
den Bennett wrote the story of the big
blaze and out in the human interest"
features. describing the work of the
firemen, the trouble with the broken
hose and incidents among the specta-
tors.
That was the beginning ofthe "story-
In detail" 1t sold $4,000 copies of the
paper and by request was printed again
the next day with additions. In 1871
this same paper devoted a mage to the
beginning of the great Chicago fire,
and a year ago 1t found five pages of
matter to print about the San Fran
cisco confiagration.
When the yacht America won the
cup in 1851, which no European has
ever been able to recapture, the New
York papers disposed Of the race in less
than a fourth of a column. The last
time the race was run Sunday paper
found 10 pages Of news in It.
Progress in News Gathering.
With the growth of the news has
grown the facilities for gathering it.
The Associated Press has become the
greatest news gathering agency in the
world. Before the telegraph came
New York papers employed swift
yachts to meet vessels coming from
Europe; carrier pigeons were sent from
| Halifax where the ocean ships land