COLUMBIA LIBRARIES OFFSITE AVERY FINE ARTS RESTRICTED AR01414356 AMERICA'S OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER itx Htbrts SEYMOUR DURST 'i ' 'Tort nieuiu i^im/ierdam. of Je Manhatan^ IVhen you leave, please leave this book Because it has been said "Ever'ihing comes t' him who waits £:<cept a loaned book." AVI.KY Al<( HI I I.C TUKAl, AND FiNI-. AK IS 1,1HRARN (ill ! oi Si;ym()UR B. Dursi Oi d York I.ihr \R^ I.%pf'i AMERICA'S OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER AMERICA'S OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER. THE NEW YORK GLOBE Founded December 9, 1793, by Noah Webster, as the ^'American Minerva." Renamed ''The Commercial Advertiser" October 7, 1797. Renamed ''The Globe and Commercial Advertiser" February 1, 1904. ©fe^^^Jll?''^ The Oldest Continuous Daily Newspaper on the American Continent. AMERICA'S OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER reprinting the historical and institutional matter contained IN in the 125th Anniversary Number of the New York Globe for more permanent preservation than its publication in the newspaper, it is hoped that we have produced a little book which may be a pleasing addition to the libraries of our friends. The Globe seeks to be more than a mere newspaper. With its historical background, reaching to the earliest days of our country as a nation, it is almost as firmly founded as the Unites States itself as an institution for sound, accurate, and independent con- sideration and treatment of the news and affairs of the day. The Globe is justly proud of its long years of successful oper- ation, and, as will be seen by reference to the contents of this book, is to-day a greater and more influential institution than at any time in its long career. We will leave it to the documents to tell their own story. New York, December 9, 1918. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/americasoldestdaOOglob . CONTENTS Announcement of the 125th Anniversary Book Page v. Congratulatory Cablegram from the London Globe, London's oldest Evening newspaper Page xvii Editorial from the 125th Anniversary Number Page xv. Editorial from the Commercial Advertiser of January 29, 1904, announc- ing The Globe Page xiii. America's Oldest Newspaper—a historical sketch by James Melvin Lee, Director of Department of Journalism, New Yoik University, ahd Author of "History of American Journalism." Page 3 Reproduction—Vol. 1., No. 1., American Minerva Page 12 Reproduction—Vol. 1., No. 1., Commercial Advertiser Page 15 New York Only a Little Brick Village in 1793—a historical sketch show- ing New York when The Minerva made its first appearance Page 21 Noah Webster, founder of The Globe—a historical sketch of the great author of Webster's Dictionary Page 31 The Streets of New York in 1793—a brief historical sketch Page 35 City Government 125 Years Ago Page 40 The New York Globe at the age of 125—an institutional sketch showing how the New York Globe has been built to its present proportions . Page 44 An Independent Newspaper Page 44 Stanch for Victory Leading to Peace Page 46 Confidence Won by Sincerity Page 48 War News Service Page 51 Impartial News Reports Page 51 Circulation and Business Page 54 A Significant Preference Page 56 Associated Newspaper Features Page 57 The Globe's Pure Food Campaign Page 59 Financial ahd Commercial Page 63 Real Estate, School News and Sports Page 64 Fashions Page 67 The Truth About Merchandise Page 69 Children's Features Page 69 Family News Page Page 70 Automobiles Page 70 Religion and Churches Page 73 Health Talks Page 73 Books Page 73 Theatre, Music and Art Page 75 Business Side of the Paper Page 77 Advertising the Advertiser Page 77 Advertising Contest Page 77 Graphic Commercial Survey Page 78 Relation With Ad\ ertisers Page 78 Mechanical Equipment Page 78 Reproduction "The Globe" on its 125th Birthday, Dec. 9, 1918 Page 80 Tributes From Newspapers, Advertisers, Ministers, Business Men and others on The Globe's 125th Birthday Page 97 The Personnel of The Globe on December 9, 1918, with the Length of Service of Each Individual Page 143 vii. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS The Van Cortlandt Mansion Page 5 Noah Webster Page 7 New York City in 1793, from the North River Page 20 The Junction of Park Row and Nassau Street in 1793 Page 22 The First Brick Church, Beekman and Nassau Streets; Erected 1767 Page 24 Where Governor Clinton Lived in 1793 Page 26 The Bank of New York's Home in 1797 Page 28 Plan of New York City in 1791 Page 34 Broad Street as It Appeared in 1793 Page 36 Wall and Water Streets in 1793 Page 38 Richard Varick Page 41 Old City Hall, New York, where Washington was Inaugurated Page 43 EDITORIAL FROM COMMERCIAL ADVERTISER JANUARY 29, 1904 The Change From the Small to the Large Newspaper Reproduction of the Editorial from The Commercial Advertiser, Saturday, Jan. 29, 1904, Announcing the First Issue of The Globe on Monday, Feb. 1, 1904. IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT The Commercial Advertiser, the oldest daily journal in New York, has decided to make two important departures beginning on Feb. 1. Its price will be reduced to one cent, so as to bring it within the reach of all. For the sake of brevity and in order to avoid misapprenhension as to its scope as a newspaper, an alternative name, The Globe, has been adopted and will be used in association with the old. Hereafter the title of the paper will be The Globe and Commercial Advertiser. The majority of people are inclined to buy the lowest-priced news- papers, a fact of which the sensational press, especially in the evening field, has been quicker to take advantage than that part of the press which adheres to the old standards of accuracy and inteUigence. The Commercial Advertiser purposes now to make accessible to every one a thoroughly comprehensive newspaper, which, enterprising and fearless as the so-called yellow press is wanton and reckless, is at the same time truthful, enlightened, and invariably interesting—which reUes on intelli- gence and brightness rather than mere frivolity to win and hold the attention of readers. It believes that in accomplishing this it will do much to aid in removing from metropolitan journalism the reproach that its most popular newspapers are those that corrupt and debase the people by pandering to their lowest tastes. Its historic name, which has served for more than a century, is subordinated, however reluctantly, because it is too cumbrous for use among the newsboys, who to a greater extent than heretofore will dis- tribute the paper, and because in these days of technical journalism the words "Commercial Advertiser" have a narrow and misleading meaning for those who are not familiar with its columns. In choosing The Globe as an alternative name, therefore, all-embracing significance has been consulted as well as convenience of utterance. Under the new name The Commercial Advertiser, controlled by no consideration save that of public duty, will aim to publish all the news and to promote good causes, unhampered by private influences. Convinced that there is no substitute for brains, it will make no de- parture from methods of legitimate journalism, though it will not hesitate to adopt and introduce such modern ideas as appeal to intelligent readers. xiu. EDITORIAL FROM THE GLOBE OF DECEMBER 9, 1918 THE OLDEST DAILY NEWSPAPER. The Globe completes to-day its 125th year. Other newspapers in America were established earlier. No other that survives has been issued without break as a daily newspaper for so long a time. All of them of equal or greater age were begun as weeklies or semi-weeklies and con- tinued as such subsequent to Dec. 9, 1793. Upon this fact rests the Globe's title to be known as the oldest daily newspaper in America. Younger than the republic by only seventeen years, the paper is a living monument to the persistence of the founders of the nation and their successors through many generations. In to-day's commemoration supplement a competent historian gives a brief account of the paper's life from its establishment by Noah Webster. For New Yorkers this history possesses a peculiar interest, covering as it does the period of the city's growth from a population of little more than 30,000 to nearly 6,000,000. Mr. Webster's first issues were taken by about one-thirtieth of the city's residents and read probably by one in six. One-thirtieth part of the present residents of New York buy The Globe, which means, if the proportion of five readers to every subscriber holds good, that the paper is still read by one in six, an example of simultaneous development that is unusual considering the radical change in character as well as in size of the city's population. How marked the change that has come over newspapers since Mr. Webster's day is shown by the contrast between his first number, repro- duced to-day in facsimile, and the paper in which that facsimile appears. Like the city of to-day, the newspaper of to-day has grown from small beginnings to proportions undreamed of by the fathers. Many of the in- ventions that have greatly expanded human activities have come to us during the life of this newspaper and are reflected alike in the city's transformation within that period from a small settlement to a vast metropolis, and the Minerva's from a small double sheet of belated news to the 16- to 24-page Globe full of news almost of the moment.