Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-08-09
A CURIOUS BUSINESS.
A COMPANY WHICH GATHERS "PREs
INTELLIGENCE" FOR EVERYBODY.

New York IRtter.l


At ll27 broadway, two old newspaper
men, William y. q. Shanks and Edward c,
Hancock, are successfully conducting a
curious and novel business, under tho name
OF The National Press Intelligence company,
OF which themselves Gen Thomas l.. James,
president Of the Lincoln or "Vanderbilt'
bank, Gen Frank j. Herron and Algernon y
Sullivan, public administrator OF the city,
are the principal stockholders. Their service
is to subscribers and strangers in the city.
Among tho former may he men
toned as representative mon, Senator
William NJ. Evarts, Hon. Levi p. Morton,
Mr.. Cyrus w. Field, Thomas A. Edison.
Mayors Grace and Low, Charles Francis
Adams, Jr, the secretary Of the navy.
William G. Whitney, William Walter
Phelps, Senior Romero, the Mexican minis.
ter, DIR. Hammond, and scores OF famous
artists, authors, actors and actres sses.
The general manager was asked the
nature Of the business he was con.
ducting ' "We aspire to be the
exchange readers for the universe, y
he replied. "At least that part Of the nation
which is too busy TO search all the papers
Of the country through for the notices, criti
cisms, ideas, facts and fancies, too, concern.
ing themselves and their business. You
tions are interested In having this service
done in complete and yet compact form /,
is chiefly for business reasons that they want
the extracts, which VS. furnish TO all apply.
ing For instance, Secretary Whitney
wants all criticisms Of the navy department.
Mr.. Farchild for Secretary Manning wants
to see what is printed about the conduct Of
the treasury department Mr. Edison want
all that Is published about electric lights
William Seward Webb, president Of the
New York Sleeping Car company, Is inter.
ssted in accounts of all inventions for tho
Improvement Of railway travelling facilities.
So are dozen other railroad officers. Two
railroad companies want to know by tele.
graph the names and addresses OF any per.
sons injured by their cars Whyi That
they may settle with the injured before the
lawyers induce them to bring suit.
Scores OF lawyers are subscribers, but no
two OF them want information on the
same subject. Authors want notices Of their
books which the publisher can not or will not
furnish him. They also want newspaper
comments on topics they arc writing about
We look after the book notices OF numerou,
other publishers with small exchange lists,
and read exchanges for several weekly and
monthly papers or magazines. Artist
Ahoy VI OouISo, tuo SIitiCtSIlS Vi JU6lT
paintings, but also ad vertisenients of exhibi-
tions to come of, and discussions of art
matters generally. We have many hotel
men who went articles on various topics of
importance to them; one. who has a big
hotel in the Adirondacks, wants sent by tel
egraph accounts of the first appearance Of
cholera at the sea shore:resorts. Tho r g.
Dun g. Company Mercantile agency want 5
every failure, embezZlement, libel and
slander suit and legislation on score of
topics But In every instance tho subscriber
wants matter concerning his business We
are also the New York agents for many out
If town newspapers"
"How do you send the material desired 2,
I'VE clip the articles direct from the
papers, attach them to a printed slip, write
in the name and date OF the Journal,
and send by mail We read over
1000 papers every day. There is
another curious demand which we supply.
person wants to buy, or sell, or let, or
lease a house In some particular locality
Instead Of purchasing all the papers an /,
reading the advertisements at loss in time
Of several times the amount we charge, he
sends US 81, and all the advertisements of
the kind desired are sent to him from a
whole weeks publications. We do this in
other matters Of domestic economy, includ-
ing advertisements of furniture, auction
sales, even Of servants wanting places
Then stranger, for instance, is In town,
say for a week, he comes here, pays his fee of
81, and has his home and other papers, for
weeks back, at command; has the luxury Of
handsome reading room, where he has op-
perfumes to mast prominent men in every
profession. and make pleasant and profita-
BILE acQuaintances.
"We sell steamer, railway and sleeping
car tickets, thus enabling travellers to avoid
the annoyance and the danger OF encounter
Ing the runners at the downtown office;
cash drafts for travellers who are
unknown at the city banks; provide
guides who are gentlemen for strangers
who are tfesirous Of seeing the best and most
curious features Of the city, furnish ladies
with lady shoppers who know how to buy
economically; purchase goods for persons at
distance by sample or otherwise, and We
even provide lone ladies with gentlemanly
e,ccrts to balls and theatres whose charac-
ters we guarantee. There are many curious
features about the bu,ines, which are ex-
planned by circulars which we send to those
desiring them.'
very curious business It Il, and con-
Quoted in luxurious apartments for the very
best people in the country.
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ThE COUNTRY -OiISIN AND rHe