Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-11-22
rup y.eARIEs OF ADvERrIsIRa.


some men in business who think they
know the intrinsic value OF printers
;nk ss we'll as the price Of their own
goods 90 through life without ever dis
covering that there are as many grades
ofink as qualities of merchandise The
lowest grade Of ink in which merchant
svar invests is that which he has used
in printing dodgers, hand bills, circulars
or posters, under the delusion that peo-
nile read and are influenced by sueh
things The flimsy hand bill is always
treated as rubbish or used as waste
paper The most Verdant backWoods-
man was never known to preserve one
for reference He would sooner stop and
read the gorgeous letters on plank
fences which continually remind mortal
mankind that &C. G. R. is life
"Dabbs' cough drops cure consump,
ton" "Ledbetter' tonic will save you'
etc There are other grades of printing
resorted to occasionally which are
almost as improbable. of which 1t rs
unnecessary to speak here. But the
highest order Of printers ink, most
notent for reaching and influencing the
great body of the people, is that used
through the daily and weekly news
napers. The press has become neees-
sitv with all classes. The dailies contain
a brief history of what is going on all
over the country, and gives budget oil
local news and gossip which could not
possibly be obtained from any other
aource. The morning paper IS read
at the breakfast table by the banker, the
merchant, mechanic, lawyer. minister
physician, laborer, stranger at the hotel
and by all classes, in word. The at
terpoon paper reaches the same people;
II goes into the workshops and the Sa-
looms; il is picked up by the banber or
professional man who has finished his
davis work; it is called for at the close
Of the day by the man who takes late
dinner at Gaston's over a bottle OF VINE
and who reads for entertainment as well
as business: it goes into the homes OF
the people and is read in the family cir
Gle for its compact news. local and gen.
eral and its choice selections OF Literary
matter. The afternoon paper, like its
morning contemporaries, goes out on the
afternoon trains, although printed many
hours later, and the afternoon packets
order II by the hundred for their patrons
at the landings up and down the river.
1t is safe to say, then, that all the sub
stantial people read the papers and that
they look to the papers for Information
unon all secular matters. They expect
to see all respectable, enterprising hrus
advertised to some extent. and hardly
ever turn aside from the columns Of the
daily press to a gratuitous bit Of hand
bill to find out who buys or sells
the articles in which they are inter
ested. The newspaper is incompar'
ably the best advertising medium yet
known. We read OF travelling
agent not long since who stopped
at a small city where but one paper was
puAsished and not supported any too
we'll. The agent placed large Their
mometer ia 9 frame at the postothce,
and induced a good many business men
TO nut their cards in the frame at the low
figure of ten dollars a piece, aWong the
number a merchant who only supported
his town paper by reading it for nothing
at the book store. The panic came, and
the merchant, to offset dangerous com
petition, determined to sell out bis con
siderable stock ct panic prices. SO he
called on the editor TO write an announce
ment of the fact, which was done in
glowing style. Now" said the mer'
chant, 81 suppose you want something
interesting to fill up your paper, and will
not charge me anything. I've always
stood by your paper and been a reg lar
reader, you know" The editorial bosom
heaVed slightly as the man Of inky
fingers clasped his hands across an
empty stomach. He paused a mement
to suppress a strong emotional insanity
which had prompted him to throw the
man out at the window, and then replied
sternly; do you think we would take
advantage Of a contemporary by cutting
down rates2 No, siri Go and put this
in your own organ, the Thermometer at
the postofice" We have seen such
merchants ia cities where there we're
several daily papers, although but few
such can make living in Memphis.