American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-10-03
Pulling and AnnihiIation!

Newspaper editors have very commonly fallen
into this error, but nowhere more generally
than in this locality. The city of Washington
has always afforded 50 small an amount of ad-
vertising patronage, that publishers have not
thought it worth looking to as a means of sup
port, but have kept their attention fixed on
public sources. The consequence is, that the
duties for which editors elsewhere are best
paid, are performed here gratuitousy A very
large proportion of the '.local articles" upon
examination, will be found the best kind of adj
vertisements, intended to promote private in
terests In charities, free concerts or exhibit
tons, benevolent enterprises, or whatever the
getters-up choose to call by these names, every
thing is paid for but the advertising; and
while marriages and funerals prove profitable
to the parson, the confectioner, the dry goods
man, the undertaken, the sexton, and every
body, the publisher works without recompense
Somebody says, "reform it." That is not Sc
easy; it is easier to observe the wise injunc
ton, "When you are in Turkey, do as the tur
keys dol"
The editor of the Charlestown Free Press refers
to these abuses and says: eve are tired Of
working for nothing-besides, it does not replen-
ish the iarder" This certainly is serious objec-
ton to the practice.
The competition between editors to "giye
the news first, renders them an easy prey to
the knowing ones Thus the two best adyer-
tised objects Except Brandreth's pis) ever
introduced into this country have been Jenny
Lind and Phillips's Fire hnnihilator, and yet the
work has been done grltuitously, and editors have
fancied themselves lucky in receiving articles
ready written. They have probably not re-
pented their praises of the beautiful singer !;
but some seem to doubt the vast utility Of the
great Extinguisherl
The Philadelphia Sun, for example, asks: "Is
it not little singular, that although We hear
of companies being organized, and patent
rights disposed of, for the sale and use of Phil.
'lips's Fire Annihlator, we have heard of no
one instance as yet in which it has been prac-
tically applied to the extinction of fires, ex-
'cepting such as had been purposely kindled
for the trial of the machine, under the most
favorable circumstances ?" And the Balti-
more Sun has a letter from New York cores
pendent, who informs US that " this company is
doing q smashing business-that Barnum has
in this, struck upon a gold mine-the pocket,
of which will not run out until public disap
'pointment shall close them. The amount O
sales and contracts for the Annihator is i'm.
mense, and it has never yet put out any but 0
sham fire, and l fear, never will. The long
deferred exhibition Of the power of the Ami
bilator is again talked of. Let them apply Il
to the real fires Of everyday occurrence. The
attractive toy win soon be cast aside for som,
new plaything, by the gullibe public. Per
haps, however, it may lead to some improve
'ments of substantial Value
This may or may not be SO, but the press i,
editorially responsible for more haphazard puff
ing than it has ever had good motive for per
petrating.