JOURNALISTIC GOSSIP.

Otago Witness, Issue 1242, 18 September 1875, Page 6

JOURNALISTIC GOSSIP.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

July Bth. The late Charles Dickens once alleged that the desire that moat generally prevailed in the breasts of the human race was to obtain admission to a theatre as "dead heads." Most journalists will agree with me in thinking that their quondam professional brother forgot, when he made the statement referred to, the avidity with which the public devoura details relating to the personnel and arrangements of newspapers. Bearing in mind this trait of " human natur," I append several items of gossip respecting English papers, beginning with the leading journal, as is proper. Things have not been going smoothly with the Times for about a year past, and 'there have been rumors afloat of various radioal ohangw in its management. The principal one of these has been contradicted, out in a manner to lead to the belief that it is only premature, not untrue : it is, that the proprietors have been so dissatisfied with the editor, Mr Delano, and have badgered him co much with their interference ever since the Sampson-Grant disclosures, that he is going to resign the post he has so long and onourably filled. It is added that Mr Delane is to be succeeded by Mr Leonard H. Courtney, who has been one of the leaderwriters of the Times for a considerable period, and is one of the ablest contributors to that journal. Possibly his pen and ink duel with Mr Horatnan, M.P., a few months ago in the columns of the Times, when the veteran was decidedly worsted, will be remembered by some of your readers. A department in which a radical change is much more needed is the City article, which has been strangely wayward and indiscreet ever since it was deprived of Mr Sampson's «c« perienoed direction. It is now the usual thing for pome rfrong and ajrao^e WWrtWB

to be made in this article one day, and for statements to be made from day to day af-' terwards to bolster up the queer financial doctrine previously enunciated. Conduct such as this is simply ruinous to a newspaper of any reputation, and the prestige of the Titrt«s in monetary matters is rapidly vanishing into thin air in consequence. It must be mentioned, however, that the Times has lately introduced one beneficial change in its monetary department, by establishing a black list, in which, are placed all dividend defaulters, whether Governments, municipalities, railways, banks, or any of the thousand and one miscellaneous jointstock companies whose shares are quoted on the Stock .Exchange. In this way, the investing public can see at a glance whtther any concern or loan is a stable and honest one or not.

The Echo, the well known London halfpenny evening paper, and the best journalistic bargain for the ordinary reader to be obt lined anywhere, has changed hands, having been bought from Messrs Gassell and Co. by the arch speculator, Baron Grant. The price paid for it is said to be £40,000, and if so, the purchaser has not got the worst of the bargain. Biron Grant took over the paper on the 30bh June, and on the same day Mr Arthur Arnold, its editor since it was started in 1868, retired from the editorial chair. Mr Gladstone, in a letter to Mr Arnold, has expressed his sense of the loss which the Liberal cause has sustained by these changes Miss Frances Power Cobbe, who has likewise been connected with the Echo as a contributor si^ce its establishment, has followed Mr Arnold's example. It is nofc |piown what "the Baron" wants with the paper, but it is imagined that he has on foot some little scheme, for the success of which ifc is deemed desirable that the masses should undergo a preliminary "education." Mr Sampson, Baron Grant's co-defendant in the celebrated diamond fields libel case, is to occupy a leading position on the staff of the Echo as reconstituted, which locks ominous.

Speaking of Mr Gladstone's regret at Mr Arthur Arnold's retirement as being a serious blow to Liberal journalism, reminds one of the fact, which has been attracting some attention, thabe'a great revolution has been effected in the politics of the London flaily papers within the last year or two. Previous to that period, the Standard and the Globle were the only advocates of the Conservative cause (the Times being left out as representing whichever party is in power, and therefore being identified with neither). At the present time the Daily Telegraph and Daily News are the sole representatives of the Liberal cause, tbe Morning Post, Morning Advertiser, and now the Echo having changed their coats, and the Pall Mall Gazette being neutral. Dr Moran will doubt less see in this an additional evidence of "the bankruptcy of Liberalism."

Mr William Black, the well known novelist, has resigned the literary editorship of the Daily News, for the purpose of devoting his whole time to the writing of fiction. As he has just disposed of the copy-right of a story for i.2000, Mr Black will doubtless find he has made a change for the better, from a pecuniary point of view. At the same time he will have to look after his reputation as an author, which ha 3 certainly suffered by the evidently hasty composition of his last work, " Three Feathers." In the matter of illustrated papers, the most noteworthy points are the increase in popularity of the Pictorial World and the decline of the Graphic in favour. The former, though only half the price of its two great predecessors, has from the first maintained a high standard of artistic excellence, while it has been at greater pains than either of its rivals to procure gpod original contributions. The (Graphic, on the contrary, haa fallen off lamentably during the past year, and has allowed the Illustrated London News to regain its former lead. The World, which seems to have a special animus against the Graphic, spitefully announced the other day that the contributors to the latter journal had been informed that in consequence of the great falling off in its circulation the remuneration for leaderettes would in future be 7s per article, a sum for which no really good journalist in London would trouble himself to contribute articles of the kind in question. Eaergyand enterprise, not false economy, are required to restore the Graphic to its former honourable position as a first- class newspaper.

At a time when the public mind is much exercised oa the subjects ot the conduct of funerals, the mode of disposing of the dead, and the description of coffin, if any, to be employed, the announcement of the issue of a new weekly journal, called The Obituary, seemß appropriate. The second number of this "special organ of information and intercommunication at home and abroad," as it styles itself in its sub-heading, is now lying before me. Each pageis surrounded by a broad " Oxford" mourning border, and the paper contains several illustrations, via., as a frontispiece, a cut representing the tomb of Lorenzo di Medici ; a full page illustration entitled, "At the Grave," representing a mother and daughter sitting on a flat tombstone in a churchyard j some reproductions of memorial windows 5 and a view of the graves of William Perm and his family. The chief feature of the contents is a full alphabetical list, in large type, of the deaths announced during the week, and there are also articles on "Nature's Proof of the Besurreotion," by the Rev. D. W. Paunoe, and "Ancient Burial," by Mrs Stone, besides a leader on " Statues and Obituary Noticeß to the Living." There are likewise two pieces of "poetry," one of which, entitled "Erie's Funeral" Ansists of 31 verses in the metre of Lockeley Hall. There is also the first part of a story called "A Meeting at Sea," which is the least sepulchral of the contents of the paper. In the editor's introduction he observes that "we ought to go more gaily to the grave with the remains of our dearest friends than to fche baptismal font or to the altar," and towards the close he oaya that " the national tone for generations may be traced on the tombstones." The advertisements, which occupy a page aud a half only, are, with a single exception, in keeping with the literary contents. The editor of The Obituary w Colonel Muter, late Blafc .Foot, who, having anenli his better days in »!ayi 8g th« living <m propped, «* wy r*te), is ww 4ewt|»g

his declining years to slaying the slain. He expresses himself in very sanguine terms regarding his new venture, but as -the price per copy is 4d, it is not likely to find many readers outside the ranks of the undertaking profession.

Another, and leas ambitious publication was launched a day before the Obituary. This is the Domestic Servants' Journal,* edited by Mrs Stannard, and consisting of four demy pages, the first of which is wholly taken up with a very poor illustration, called "Toilers by the sea," representing a lifeboat's crew pulling in a storm. The contents of the first nqniber may be briefly recapitulated : The first instalment of "Tim Twinkleton's Twins," a story; an extract from a book by Mrs. Beeton on the dutiea of the general servant ; an extract from the Queen on "The Parisian Fashions :" particulars regarding six recent "fashionable marriages;" five recipes for jtHiet, fee: an article on "Dress at the Last Days or the Ascot Races ;" reports of an action-for breach of prnmise of marriage, and of% Great Divorce Suit" • some "Funny Paragraphs of a painful kind ; and a number of advertisements of situations wanted and vacant. Such is the reading provided for the modern domestic servant, fiction dress, and " shady" low reports forming its prominent features, while the editress announces it to be her intention "to give the fullest particulars of all matters in which domestic servants are engaged, such as Police and County Court cases, &c. " On the whole I think that this publication is a more truly mournful one than The Obituary. • From the Domestic Servants' Journal, the step down to Tichborne publications is not very great. Tbe ribaldry, ruffianism, and blasphemy of The Englishman have at length overborne the patience of the more respectable members of the deluded Orton faction, and the more completely co as they see Kenealy daily wallowing in the literary mire with greater and greater relish, seeking nothing but his own gratification and aggrandisement. They have accordingly resuscitated the defunct Tichborne Gazette, which haa been placed under the management of a committee which includes among its members Lord Rivers and Mr Anthony Biddulpb, bub excludes the idiot Whalley and the blockhead Onalow. It will be curious to note how Kenealy will conduct himself to. wards this rival of his claim to be considered the champion of " the unfortunate nobleman now languishing at Dartmoor." I may conclude with the following remarkj able erratum, taken from the Daily News of the day before yesterday:— "ln the report of the speech of the Astronomer-Royal at |» the Mansion House on Saturday, the words, 'within the breadth of a match-box,' shonld |, be "almost within the breadth of the Mansion House.'" If bad writing be the sign of genius that some aeem to consider it to be. ! the Daily News may be congratulated upon possessing at least one genius upon its report-