Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-09-26

q says that news is nothing
~ fttaraR than the samc Old
thing happening 10 different pco-
pie
That adagc. after centuries ef
repetition stH pretty wci covers
the situation But even so, the
general public has had am insa-
table thirst 70 Know what's hap
pening TO whom and what and
where ever since the first cave
man editor Clipped his initial
edition out Of stone.
In this day and age, however.
we can read the big news IN our
papers within IN hour after u
happens or hear it over the radio
within a few minutes. That's
why il is hard tGreaiize that less
than 100 years ago there was no
systematic gathering Of informa-
ton, and that people were
mighty lucky II they even kept
abreast Of events IN their own
Ha1trwiJK.
Wars were fought kings
crowned and dcthroucd. import
ant discoveries made. and his
tory written centuries ago wst
as Il IS to-day Ifl---rt-ir--vz-rrr fJst
as interested in the latest" then
rs now but, with nothing moro
To 20 on than word Of mouth.
this news got little circulation.
The old Autographs on this
page, some Of which were made
within the last 100 years. give a
rough idea Of what people had TO
20 through 10 keep up to date.
Back in the DAYS Of medieval
Europe, editors were nothing
more than street singers who
went about yodsling their jrfor-
nation ~ The public market
Since most Of their public
couldn't read the sinCing-rcport-
ers carried charts ON which were
pictured the events that they
were chanting The happenings
which they Pcddlcd IN ths man-
nor were invariably months and
moro often than not. years old
As the old copper engraving re-
produced on this page shows. the
war correspondents 81 medieval
days did their singing prompted
by netrs. AS one might guess
little crcdonce could bc put in
the accuracy Of what some of
them broadcast.
Word OF mouth AS illustrated
by the old Autograph Of the boy
on horseback bringing exciting
reports Of the Battle of Lcxine-
ton was the principal method
Of spreading the news down
through the years.
As our towns grew bigger. tho
practice Of putting mp outdoor
posters with the latest events
Jottcd down on them became pop
ular. An old ISIS wood ,ucrav-
lne also reproduced here. shows
how eagerly tho local coutrv
gathered around 10 scan the lat
est bulletins.
II was the old Romans with
their Acta Dmrua .DaiIv
Events who first hat ON the idea
Of putting up in public places
short bulletins on battles. fires
and election results.
The Roman method underwent
little change until comparatively
recent times. That's because
nearly all the great strides IN
newspapcr-maNng have come IN
the last 100 years.
II wasn't until James Gordon
Bennett began putting ont his
New York Herald in 1883 that
accounts Of important happen
inss were gathered systematical-
ly The development of the rail-
road and the telegraph helped
put the papers on their own. and
the Civil War started the first
real competitive news gathering
Today when war news is heard
a few minutes after the event
takes place, even though it be
thousands Of miles away it is
hard TO realize that news moved
so slowly 129 years ago that
General Andrew Jackson waged
the battle OF New Orleans
month after the treaty Of peace
had been signed between the Bri-
tish and the United states
Just how the word news"
ever got its start is mystery.
Popular etymoloEy derives it