New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-08
RuLPOSTERS, RIVALRY.

A SOURCE OF ANNOYANCE AND COMPLAINT TO
THEATRICAL MANAGERs-CONsTANT WARFARE
AT The EXPENSE OF THE TnEAIERs.
The business of bil-pOstiDg, as it is at
present conducted Is frequent OF complaint and
annoyance managers Of theaters ana all who seek TO
call public attention through advertisements On fences
trees bil-boards, &c. The two principal bposters III
this city are Pauding Moore OF Ann-st, and MahOn
Sen of Ccnre-s these two divide the theatrical work
Each employs from 20 TO 30 men. who know no law but
their employers bidding, and who frequently. when
they meet pumnel each other with their brushes ana
upset the pals of paste on each other PauidAg ics
how he once, several years ago, posted the door Of
Mahons residence after he had IN for tie night
so that in the morning the old could not open ii.
Once one OF Mahon's men caught dwarf, in Paudings
employ and completely enveloped him in covering Of
paste and paper that utterly helpless when aban
doned by them.
1t has been the CUSTOM It is stated for bilpOster 10
follow a rival and eithGy tear the freshlypasted bills
from their place. paste others partly or wholly over
the The illpOsters do not suffer from this wholesale
ruin valuable property in the shape OF costly coiored
ana illustrated posters. II is alleged that some
managers this warfare whenever they are the
gamers. The managers OF Booths Tncatcr Last
had in one night ~ 900 worth of valuable posters
covered in one OF these raids" All the managers in
turn suffer vet all their efforts to Obtain proper l"gisa
ton the subject have been Intellectual u y asserted
from the Lack of unity II compla THAT the punish
,neut for desiTctiOn of poscrsl days imprisonment
or fine OF %lO-- insufficient To deter the bl!-pOsers
from repeat the Ofensr One manager states that he
finds il cheaper Ia take the law into his hands, ho
hires man TO protect his bbOalds by Furnishing those
who dcface the bills.
The hcaer managers complain that they dcfrauded
also In another way They assert That often only half
their bulls posted the Others being sold 10y the posters
rs waste paper One stated that 81 the paper"
he gave Dc posted, he calculates OuthTd VIII be
seen the public, onetbirdviD he bIiden ia me waste
bin and sold for old paper onc-ibll VIII Dc covered
perhaps the night by the rival billposcr several
OF the tbeaors have adopted the plan or OWNING thor
posting between PauldiDg and NabOp, but TINS, u IS
claimed makes little difference The loss through the
bill osters and the great expense Of printing ana post
ing caused the TO entertain the sugges
te plan OF distributing small bills. followed in Lon
don. No organized movement Ia this rccti3n, how
ever has YET been mace The attempt has been made
Ly MIR Boucicault TO dispense with the bp0siets 10y
the painted billboard, but II Is thought that ls
plan would be expensive, except in cases where
nl1y ran for some time The managers OF tie Union
f1uare Theatcr Introducing small board WIN q
neat niOding, which they intrust - cigar ana Other
shops the London plan, the board DelnS ia cnafge OF
the proprietor Of the place. aud taken IN hight the
care being paid for in bl-bOard tIckets These com
pmcnary tickets form another source OF loss To The
managers.
aLon claims 10 have been the first TO syst"matize aud
secure a monopoly of she theatrical posting lie posiei
Jenny Lind when she sang ut Castle Garden ~ posted
for the Old BoweTy, Barnum's, BurtOns the od PARK
WalIacks, tue old Globe and Charley WINES mciodeoh
nixon. who his partner initiated Tine piactcc
Of covering up bills Of rivals Paudlng was once LIS
partner, but they soon disagreed and separated