lations of
the operator, made to indicate the required letters by a certain number
of ticks to the right or left.]

CHAPTER XXIV.

_America's Press and England's Censor._

In treating of a free country, the Press must ever be considered as
occupying too important an influence to be passed over in silence. I
therefore propose dedicating a few pages to the subject. The following
Table, arranged from information given in the Census Report of 1850, is
the latest account within my reach:--

_Newspapers Published._

Daily Tri-Weekly Semi-Weekly Weekly
254 115 31 1902

Printed Printed Printed Printed
Annually Annually Annually Annually
235,119,966 11,811,140 5,565,176 153,120,708

Semi-Monthly Monthly Quarterly
95 100 19

Printed Printed Printed
Annually Annually Annually
11,703,480 8,887,803 103,500

_General Classification._

Literary and Neutral and Political Religious Scientific
Miscellaneous Independent
568 88 1630 191 53

Printed Printed Printed Printed Printed
Annually Annually Annually Annually Annually
77,877,276 88,023,953 221,844,133 33,645,484 4,893,932

Total number of newspapers and periodicals, 2526; and copies printed
annually, 426,409,978.

The minute accuracy of the number of copies issued annually is a piece
of startling information: the Republic is most famous for statistics,
but how, without any stamp to test the accuracy of the issues, they have
ascertained the units while dealing with hundreds of millions is a
statistical prodigy that throws the calculating genius of a Babbage and
the miraculous powers of Herr Doebler and Anderson into the shade. I can
therefore no more pretend to explain the method they employ for
statistics, than I can the system adopted by Herr Doebler to mend plates
by firing pistols at them. The exact quantity of reliance that can be
placed upon them, I must leave to my reader's judgment.

As a general rule, it may be said that the literary, religious, and
scientific portions of the Press are printed on good paper, and provided
with useful matter, reflecting credit on the projectors and
contri