Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-10
ANECD0TAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL BUREAU.
Foreign Correspondence Supplied.
J. P. Marteau, Manager.


Foreign Correspondence Supplied.
J. P, Marteau, Manager.
What is an ''AnecdOtal" Agency? a
small printed sign directed visitors to the
third floor. Going up, L Knocked and
asked tor Mr.. Marteau.
THAT is nv NAME" answered a quick,
wiry, rather bald little man who opened
the door. 'tCan I do anything for YOuF'
''YOur sign excited my curiOslty-but,
pardon me, | see / interrupt you"
Not at ALL" he answered pleasantly,
closing a volume of the Encyclopedia
Britannica" that lay before him. Il see
YOU wish to know what my anecdOte and
biographical bureau means. Mr.. Smith,
turning to one of several men busily writ
ing at different tables, surrounded by
Encyclopedias and biographies, ''Mr.
Smith, hunt up few more medical terms
and points in regard to cancerOus affec-
tons and gei down the records containing
Mr.. Hips course in the Senate. You viii
find them on the second shelf third and
fourth volumes to the left. You find us
pretty busy" again addressing himself to
me. "Our business is constantly increas-
ing, particularly just at this time, when
probably Presidential candidates loom up
every day or two"
"What have Presidential candidates to
> Z
actly cOmprehending.
''Eyerything in the world, sir. 1t is one
OF the most important factors in our bust
ness. Why here, for six weeks, we had
from the Sun a standing order for an an
ecdote per day on Bill Holman. Holman
retired and the order is changed to his
successor and so on. When a man is
nominated, business is of course good,
but nothing to compare with the months
Immediately preceding the nomination.
Before the June conventions each of the
leading papers Will have put forward at
least dozen candidates and we will get
large anecdOte contracts for every one Of
them"
''Your business, then, is simply to sit
down and grind out jokes Of any kind and
anybOdy?7
by no means. We always observe the
incest discrimination. | will try to give
you an idea of the laws that govern the
selection of anecdotes. Take for instance,
the Suns late candidate, Holman. We
had contract to supply so many anec-
d0tes illustrating his trugality and econo-
mic habits. BY looking through old files
of indianapolis papers we learned where
Holman was at a given time, and then
constructed an anecdote Of him at that
place. OF course, you know it wouldn't
/ do to have an anecdOte of him at a certain
time, when he was not there at that time.
Oh, yes, we never get up an article with
out first knowing that, if it lcdS not, it q
least might have been true"
''DO your anecdotes pay well?'
''Only t0lerable; nOtas wellas biOgraph-
les and obituaries. 4 good biographical
sketch sometimes brings as much as $50.
This one Pm engaged on now of the late
/ Senator Ben. Hill for a Georgia paper,
will bring $40. 1t comes high because of
the trouble IN preparing the detail of his
sickness and the cancer that caused his
death. An average biography you might
put down at $40. On the death of any
prominent man our orders in this depart
ment are always very brisk. Business
took quite boom when Jerre Black died.
The greatest boom in our line, though.
was the election Of Carlisle. We have
been fairly flooded with orders in both
our departments, and anecdotes and
sketches of the new Speaker have been
made by the dozen almost every day since
his election"
''DOes not this supplying of several
papers with the same sketch cause trOu-
bIe:D
NO. No one would dream they were
written in the same office. True, the
same substance material is used in ALL
but the style Of no two sketches is alike.
Look, tor instance, at this batch of
Carlisle Anecdotes | am constructing
The first one, compose, then Mr.. Smith
uses the same frame but clothes it in his
style; another assistant takes Mr.. SDith's
copy and thus again forms another style,
and so on, with each new dressing a new
style IS conveyed, and the same anecdOte
goes out Ito half a dozen papers as orig
NAL with each. But, besides Presiden-
tlal elections and similar events Of current
interest, there is always a considerable
stock OF standing matter on hand mean
anecdotes OF such men as Andrew Jack
son, Washington, etc, for which there is
a quiet but steady demand. We fire.
quendy receive orders for new duels bv
Andrew jackson, and stories of Stone
wall jackson praying in the heat Of battle,
used at one time to be very popular. Who
patronizes us? Why, the newspapers, of
course. A paper wishes a certain man
written up; they have but to give us his
name and we aAecdOte him in any style
or manner desired"
what of your foreign correspondents?
Are they abrOad?"
YES" answered Mr.. Marteau, with a
twinkle in his eye, ''we have large corps
of correspondents abroad. some as far as
Elghtleth street and Central Park. One
OF my men here now is writing Paris
letter for Cincinnati paper. But l must
ask you to excuse me, as this biography
OF senator Hill is pressing. Mr.. Smith, |
have you found all the points on enceph- |
alOid and epithelial cancers T''
Waiting to hear no more, l descended |
into underwater street, wondering how
many of the bright anecdotes and sketches
one finds IN the papers as original come
from his New York AnecdOtal and Bio |
graphical Bureau.
An italian on RismarcIx