The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-03-28
ihE
VSPApER

sED THROUGH FIVE
/sTlNcT EPocHs.
FER q Personal Organ, But i
keyor Of the News Of the Whole
srid, Spending Immense sums for
1the Benefit Of It's Rsaders- some
Notable Feats o. Enterprise by Mem.
bers Of the American Press-Ita Re.
ports Of Great Events. e
In the United States the newspaper
has passed through five. distinct
epochs, so far as the nature OF It's
purpose Is concerned. Before the Rev.
lolation the few papers published were
mainly devoted to firing the colonial
heart against the English crown and
70 the formation of a national patriot.
Ism. After the adoption Of the consti.
tuition and the beginning of our pres:
ent government the newspapers were
for a time the mouthpieces Of the pol.
ftfctans Of a day when politics was as
bitter as NORWOOD. But the sub.
seryient editors soon found It was
through them that the politicians, were
enabled to carry on these wars, and
they rebeiled. 4.
Then came the EZRA when the news.
paper was the personal property Of
FITS editor-an editor with an ambition
to rule in politics. This type flourish.
ed for three decades. and during its
continuance the editors nodded the
public thought and shaped the public
policy. well.nigh all.powerful in pol.
tiles, the newspaper was still a thing
which appealed to but few of the mass.
es. Devoted altogether to the sci.
Ience Of government, it printed news
only as a side line, and excluded from
Its collmns nearly all that would in
terest young people or women. Then
the newspaper realized its principal
mission of gathering and publishing
the news. Politics was still most i'm.
portant, however, and each prominent
paper was the Organ Of one Of the
great parties fighting for Its own
saints and its own scoundrels without
let or hindrance. Lastly, comes the
great American newspaper Of to-day,
printing the news, and with 1t some.
thing for every member Of every fam.
FLY. 1t takes a lively interest in poll.
tics at times, but instead of being
tied to any particular party's apron.
strings IS more often entirely indie.
pendent as to men and measures.
VIVA. Changed
The development of the American
newspaper is best shown in the eyolu.
ton Of the handling of news. When
William Henry Harrison ninth presi.
dent OF the United States, died. a
month after he had taken the oath Of
Office, in 1871, and was succeeded by
John Tyler, one of the greatest news.
papers in the country told all II
thought worth while about the death
of the President In quarter of a col.
umn. It didn't mention the fact that
Mr.. Tyler would succeed him, evident.
" assuming that everybody ought to
know who was vice president, "A few
weeks later the editorial columns biaz.
ed with comment about Tyler, but the
news said never a word.
When Lincoln was assassinated the
leading New York newspaper next
morning published four columns about
II. The Herald's display headline was
the single word Important" 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 Pres.
ident and the only illustration was a
diagram Of the railroad station where
the assassin attacked his victim. Az.
ter another 20 years Mckinley was
shot at Buffalo. One New York news.
paper next morning had 70 pages Of
matter concerning the assassination,
including 81 half.tone engravings and
a cartoon depicting the grief of the
stricken nation.
From Lines to Pages.
In December, 1885. there was a
great fire ih New York which destroy.
ed s2o,ooO,oOO worth Of property I'm.
til that time. when fires had been re.
ported at all. it was with mere state.
ment of the number of buildings burn.
ed and their value. James Gordon
Bennett wrote the story of the big
blaze and put in the human interest
features, describing the work of the
firemen, the troubles with broken hose
land incidents among the spectators.
r.