Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-03-25
ABOUT ADVERTISING


!, Fortunes Thrown Away Yearly 81 Wsrth.
less Cheap.Jshn Advertising Dsdaes-.'
The Best Read Newspapers Discarded
for Obscure nandbills and BtWpid Pans.
, phists...The Newspaper sf Ts.Day...As
|. Article Well Worth keadins.
From the Chicago Daily Tims.l
The historian who writes the com.
mercial history of the nineteenth century
must devote q chapter OF his work Ia
the mighty influence Of the modern
newspaper upon the worlds business
affairs. Investigation, we think, will re-
veal the fact that all the ancient methods
of trade have been revolutionized dur
ing the past fifty years, and that the
modern newspaper has done it. "Print-
the successful business man ss his sales.
men are, and the measure Of his success
is exactly equal 10 the extent Of his ad-
merchant can sit in his store and expect
that his signs will suffice to attract bust
ness to his establishment. We do not
need to argue this point with rejecting
men. Illustrations OF the fact may be
found in every city and every village Of
the land.
The successful business man, the
wealthy merchant, in nine cases out Of
ten, is he who has wisely seen the ad-
vantage Of advertising and has adver-
tised judiciously. Stewart, who last year
invested $826, 900 in newspaper adver-
tising, Bonner, Babbitt, Duryea, Orange
Judd, R. v. Pierce, J. O. Aver, who
have amassed princely fortunes, are
notable illustrations. We might men,
ton many others whose names are as fa-
miliar as household words in every
part of the land, or we might
come nearer home, and offer in proof of
this theory the evidence of our leading
Chicago business men. Take the direc-
tory and search out dozen or more OF
our wealthiest merchants, and it will be
found that the most prominent and
wealthiest of them will admit that their
success was due chiefly to judicious ad-
vertising.
AS the reader will doubtless infer, we
make distinction between judicious
and reckless advertising. An important
consideration to the advertiser is the
medium through which he communicates
with the public. Every city, and
especially Chicago, is overrun with
class of men whom we may not inappro-
priately term advertising shark" per
amazing "cheek, who waylay the mer-
chant at every turn with "Cheap John"
schemes and "catch- penny publica-
tions." They are not deferred by re-
bluffs, nor discouraged by being kicked
down stairs, for they parsistently return
to the attack, and often succeed in be-
guiling the merchant into paying large
price for small space On ay-leaf or
outside cover. It is all money thrown
away. The pamphlet into which his
"ad." is placed with fifty others is
glanced at for day, perhaps, and then
stacked up in q closet never to be seen
again. The catch penny publication"
is usually little bill poster sheet, os-
tensibly published in the interest of
some class of business, but really rub-
lished for the purpose of catching ad-
vertisements, and nothing else. They
have little or no circulation, no standing
or responsibility, and are generally edi-
ted by adventurers who cannot make a
living by legitimate newspaper work.
Money paid for such advertisements is
worse than squandered. It is offering
premium for blackmailing, and assisting
to support class of worthless fellows
who prey on the business community.
The best and most substantial medium
that is offered the advertiser is the
family newspaper. Day after day, and ..
week after week, the newspaper enters l
nearly every household in the land, and
is always received as a welcome visitor. I
It is read-news, miscellany, advertise '
ments and all and when it has lost all l
it's power to interest the subscribers 9
family, it often finds its way to the fire. l
side of the next door neighbor, aud not [
to far-off friends, to an l
nounce to those who still cling to the (
Did homestead what thriving towns and 7
mighty industries are rising within the 8
sphere of it's usefulness. In all cases it 4
IS silent messenger of the advertiser,
proclaiming the merits of a
lis wares, until at last it is worn out or
destroyed. As long as it lasts the news r
paper is read. Especially is this true OF
he weekly newspaper-the home coun- u
ry paper which, next to the Bible, in 8
many rural household is looked upon a
With reverence and implicitly relied p
lpon.
The Times is of the opinion that the b
,reat city newspapers are inclined to "
the powerful influence c'
which their country contemporaries sway. o
as we are to deal rapidly W
With current events, with hardly time "
o thoroughly digest the great topics of D
o-day before telegraph flashes other 81
nd perhaps more important events be- sc
ore our eyes, we have not the time nor D
be inclination to read all the matter IL
'hich the great dailies lay before us. re
n the country it is different. The ma
ority of the interior weeklies as now Id
reduced are carefully compiled from u
he city dailies. They are an epitome of ID
as to be quickly read, and the u
are the result of days of de- Ia
beration. sc
The Times believes, also, that the ri
ountry papers have never had justice VI
one them in this respect, and it ex- 10
resses the opinion of those best capa- dy
le of judging, when it says that the I'll
eekly newspapers of the country trib- dc
tary to Chicago have far more influence WI
YER their readers in proportion to their tn
regulation than have the majority of nc
lrge city dailies.
Within the past twelve years there
rs been q vast Improvement made in
le country newspaper-particularly in
,spect to the care with which all the to
ews of the day is gathered and edited, ku
I'd the literary ability displayed in its WI
,lumns, which relieves the provincial be
-ess from the few objections that have
,en heretofore urged against it. and bu
IS accorded to it higher dignity, ex- d,
nded its influence, and greatly aug Iii
ented its power for good. The typo be
'aphical appearance of the country XII
urnal of to-day is perfect; the display su
id classification of its advertisements sol
sty; the quality of the paper used and he
e printing far superior to that of its me
y contemporaries. Gu
WANTED TO BE GooD.-Chinese girls
ought to the United States are gener-
" depraved, but there are many ex- un
ptions. Recently ono of them went -,
Az