The Daily Times makes its debut

Dec. 4, 1881: This newspaper’s first issue hit the streets under the name “Los Angeles Daily Times.”

“Feeling the responsibility and the importance of our position, we will here state that it will be impossible for us to conduct this journal so that it will give complete satisfaction,” read the editor’s note, “A Policy of Our Own.”

“While we cannot expect, neither do we hope, to please all our readers, still we shall endeavor to give our patrons a newspaper with such broad and liberal views that will make it welcome wherever it may go; advantageous to the country and creditable to the people.”

The first edition featured “The Golden Gate: A Breezy Letter From the Times Correspondent” in San Francisco, who wrote about that city’s prosperity.

In “State and Coast News,” The Times reported that “Dr. Glenn’s crop this year was only 100,000 sacks, against 400,000 sacks last year” -- but did not specify the crop.

And a column called “Business Locals” stated that “Lorillard’s horses, ‘taking them as they run,’ are very valuable,” and that “Susan B. Anthony has been telling a reporter that she wants the name of the Pullman cars altered to Pull-man-and-woman or Pull-irrespective-of-sex car.”