The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-12
BIG ADYERIIsING.

papers 70 Take the Place Of wall
bills.
Our readers are familiar with the big i'd
refreshments the Professor had in the local
papers for week before the play was pre-
scented here. Every newspaper published in
Cleveland yesterday contained hAlf-page
advertisement Of the company's appearance
ut the Euclid Avenue Opera House the cur
rent week. One leading Sunday paper bad a
tri-cOlored "ad,n the first page being illus
trated in red, and the eighth having half.
page with three large engraYings in blue, and
the whole press Of the city was gigantic
Professor edition, aud no play was prob
ably ever so well announced 10 the deniZens
Of that Sabbatarian seaport, IT was the
greatest feat in newspaper advertising yet
attempted-bold, original and wonderfully
sage The amazement OF all Cleveland on
opening their fayOritG prints yesterday to dis
cover the professors" Dolly Warden saGri-
lege of the pages must have been on q par with
Rip Van Winkle's on awakening from his
famous long sleep.
After looking over copies Of these papers
at the Mcclure House last evening reporter
expressed his surprise TO Mr.. Charles Nc
Geachy the manager, and asked, "What
pextP" to which he sententiously replied,
Chicago" aud added, I'VE hope to crowd
out the news matter altogether in the Ifmel
and Tribune OF the 18th instant. We on
the 10Th there, that being the two hundreth
performance OF the piece. We will have
souvenir programmes and everything else
that can help to make the engagement there
memorable"
The origin OF this plan Of advertising Is
recent yet In response to M inquiry what
the Professors advertising bills amounted to
Mr., Medically said; In the one night
stands Of small towns over $1,000 per week,
in the cities not far from $1,000"
Notwithstanding this large outlay the
managers are more than satisfied, and con-
template doing away with handbills and
posters next season and doing their advertis'
ing through newspapers exclusively. Poster
OF the kind now used are costly, and apt to
be destroyed BY the weather, as our inform
ant put it.
"A fifty.dollar stand OF costly paper |.
smeared against the side Of a shed located
In some obscure alley, md perhaps at once
washed down by fall OF rain. Fifty dollar
gone. Or else, u rival billpOster covers 1t up
for which there Is no remedy by law-wheH
there is, the immediate sufferers have nc
time to institute proceedings for damages Of
injury, They must travel on Bill.posting Il
not wholly without virtue, A show that ca
tiers to the masses or illiterate humanity can
not do without fence announcements, Sucl
an entertainment Us The Professor appeals L
the intelligent, the educated, the newspaper
readers. II Is only proper that the right anC
sole medium Of communication with tina
great percentage OF every community b.
awaited Of; and that medium, to my mind, Ii
the pres"
"But" interrupted the interviewer, ut Il
commended with some truth, that all Of tin
reading classes do not read the advertise
mCntS. Here fence printing scores one.'
"YOu are correct there In that argument
II the advertisement is of the conventions
insignificant prOportlOns-twO or three, wha
you call, squares. The Professors adYer
tisements arc designed with view to b.
seen, II not read y glance Is sufficient To-
most people OF any intelligence"
"The Professor" Mr.. McGeachy vent OH Il
say, was new play, and the question Of TN
real value Of newspaper advertising havinl
always been a mOoted question with mana
gers, 1t was resolved to make test with the
Professor Let me go on TO say that Mr.
Meeker, my associate, and myself, consider
that we have given the matter pretty fall
test, and are Omincntly satisfied with the sue
/
vertising bills have nlbbled largely at thu
box Office but the consolation Of crowded
houses and heavy receipts remain to tell the
tale, say nothing of happy audiences and
publishers. One conspicuous virtue In thl.
movement Is the faCt that we are enabled Il
contribute more literally, rs II were, to the
creators OF dramatic successes The old
fashioned formula Is beggarly, obscure an
nouncemGnt, costing dollar or so each In
sertiOn, In return for generous notice that
only love OF the art can Inspire. lSp0ak by
the card, as | have been newspaper pub
Usher myself, ay also has Mr.. Meeker, Mr..
Gillette, our Professor Mr. Dan Frohm0n,
manager Of tho Madison Square Theater, and
Others connected with the establishment.
Tie theatrical world has yet TO awaken Ia
the fact that the press Is Its only salvation for
substantial success. | CAndldly believe that
critics would deal with theatrical topics
oFeeonsCientiOusly and the footlights look
brighter and cleaner were more money paid
out in advertisements, AS things go nova.
days publishers are under no obligation Ia
curb their editors In the review OF dramatic
aiInirs. A Republican or Democratic news.
paper governs its opinions entirely by the po-
litlCal cause that gives II bread. Tor The
same reason would tho dramatic columns be
Just with reputable shows that patroniZe the
counter literally. contend that managers
do not contribute fairly to the newspaper:
from their receipts but until they curtail In
their fence and other waStCful outdoor print.
ing, as The Professor ia doing by degrees
they cannot afford to be more liberal The
drama Cultlvatcs the press, but Cultlyates II
In the light OF an apologetio dead.head
Money begets money; and Tie Professor.
phenomenal success thus fur attests the
assertion. There Is, Of course, such thing
as reckless advertising. The seed must moi
hesown stony places, Every advertisement
must tell and gowliero It appeals. 0urlarge
advertisements are nothing more than neat
handbills that are circulated by tile magic Of
the mails and tile energy Of the nVwsdeOlers,
where 1t would cost thousands vi dollars to
distribute them with the same certainty, and
place them directly on breakfast tables, IN par.
lOrs, bedrooms, mercantile and other offices,
quarters that are oil imprcgnable to the
human distributor, The hRndbills thus ad-
ycrtised are scattered. far and Wide over the
land, from the suburbs to all parts Of the
world to which the paper may be addressed.
This alone will instance the efficacy and I'm.
portance Of prominent advertisement In q
leading IonrnNlCand more than that-makes
my long story short one. Good night"