Evening star., 1952-01-01
The STAR S Centennial
December Is, 1852, Will Mark the
Tooth Birthday of d Purpose

ME EVENING STAR this year celebrates its Tooth birth
day. The first regular edition appeared December 49,
1857 and on that day in 1852 The Star will writing
the record OF city and its people for exactly century
1t is record that goes back to time when the United
States was shaky coalition of 81 States with population
OF about % million Mllard Fillmore last of the Wing
PRESIDENTS lived in the White House. Napoleon had
just been proclaimed Emperor the French Commodore
Perry was on the high bound for mysterious island
called Japan The main industry of California gold
mining The national debt stood at $66 million.
City Of Mud and Dust.
The Nations Capital object OF worldwide rid-
cue It swrled with dust with mud depending on
the weather 1t impressed most visitors with its untidy
emptinessone of them had acquired reputation for wit
by clubbing city of magnificent distances" Yet among
the 1000 Washngtonians of the day young man who
thought this bit of might be turned to fact with
the help of newspaper
Joseph Borrows Tate had known more about the news
paper business The Evening might never have been
founded Experienced publishers could have told him it was
foohardy to start penny daily in such Journalistic
graveyard Washington where than newspapers
mad already died early deaths Such papers might
other and normal cities only journals considered
suitable here however wentrenched party organs
concentrating partisan politics ignoring news
There were four of these in 1882 The Republic and
National Integencer spoke for the administration
washington Union the traditional organ of the Demo-
cratic Party The Congressional Globe only incidentally
newspaper had taken the job of reporting official
proceedings of Congress Washington residents looked
for general had to rely Baltimore penny daies
Whlch featured Washington correspondence.
Capt Tate (as he liked to be called because of his
connection with the Washington Light Infantry had little
to encourage him in his ambition He "a years. be-
ngn appearing with whiSkerS that circled his chin like
black bib His assets consisted of about $500 left over
an earlier unsuccessful publishing attempt rusty atbed
hand press housed in shedke building at Eighth and
streeS-and wide circle of friends whom thought
ne should stick to his job as practical printer.
Paper for a City.
Capt Tate had stubborn streak, however He also
idea.
"The Star" he proclaimed, sis designed to supply a
desderatum that has long existed at the Metropolis
Naton Free from party trameS and secarian influences
it will preserve strict neutrality and whilst maintaining
fearless spirit of independence will be devoted especial
manner to the local interests of the beautiful city which
bears the honored of Washington welfare
and happiness OF the large and growing population within
its borders
ITO develop the of Metropons-to increase
and facilitate its mercantile operatons-to and en-
courage its industrial pursuto stimulate its business and
tradeo accelerate its in the growth power and
greanesshese shall remain the main objects paper"
Subsequent editors have been able the aims
OF The Star more succnc But of them changed
the papers original principles. Equally enduring was the
publishers determination to welcome visitor
to every family Its columns promised conform
to the sricte rules good taste It's editor would be "a
gentleman of ability and tact"
1000 Copies Distributed.
Capt Tate announced his plans in a sample CODY on
December Twelve days later while in rock coats
and bright shaws along cobbestone stretch of
Pennsylvania avenue, The Star met its first deadline It's
press of 1000 papers than ample That eve
ming forpage tabloidsize paper lay the doorsteps
of about $50 of Washington's red-brick homes
Apart from its high statement ideals that first Star
in 1852 could hardly be described as model of journalistic
enterprise Out of 20 columns of eyesrang type less than
one column was devoted to The bulk the paper
was made up of literary" tensshor Stories poetry and
humorous sayingsand sprinkling of advertisements
Guiding one from Gait Bro the jewelers. advertising in
The Star in the present day.
It noted that recently published works of Daniel
Webster he great statesman previous October
were selling at fast clip Uncle Cabin" first pub
shed in Washington by the aboonist weekly National Era
had been labeled by Nashville critic the
lie OF the 18th century"
German paper reported that Russia was fitting out
strong fleet for the Pacific And in Dayton Ohio BENJAMIN
whitney Kerr age had done his bit for
project incosing Is cents the first money earned
10 hep TO erect monument to George Washington the
rather OF his Country" (The stump of the monument
south of the White House that time risen to height
OF 25 feet Local wags called he height ngratitude
Under column headed '1oca affairs" The Stars only
reporter lad named William Tucker up with four one
paragraph items
Our courts sitting" he confded "but the business
with which they engaged not of very interesting
The ciys competing fire companies were mied
oy recent order OF the city council Said The STAR what
part of the law Objectionable we are unable to saw as
have not seen copy of it,"
Joseph Tate Changes Jobs
Joseph to see the paper take it's first stems
forward but not under his leadership July 1853 less than
SIX months after penning his first editorial The Stars founder
threw in the sponge Convinced he never make 90 of
the project from business standpoint sold out and retired
to the cashiers cage where he worked for salary unt his
death five years later
The were william H. Hope, businessman.
and William Douglass Walach former editor of the
Democratic Washington Union OF Mr. Hope little is known
today Mr. Walach had reputation as shrewd
man. He exciting possibilities The Star and approved
the ldea OF building into politically Independent paper