Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-01-14

Creston Gazette: Now don't throw
this paper down or turn it over to read
something else for if you are a Creston
business man We want to converse with
you just q moment on a matter OF vital
importance and mutually interesting both
TO the business men and the newspaper
publisher. AS n text for a short disserta-
ton we will refer to the prevalent habit
that merchants have of ordering out
their advertisements after the HOLIDAYS
and doing nothing in that line for a couple
of months. This is not only y wrong to
yourself and your business. but it is a
great injustice to the publisher, who must
continue to issue his paper, with a short
income and added expense, because the
vacancy made by the ads withdrawn
must be filed.
There is not n merchant here who in
hiring a clerk or solicitor TO work for
him, does not calculate what the person
will be worth to him the year around,
through brisk and dull times alike, and if
~ 'N''i - ScoN tii,t = "a AA 1Nl y lt
engages him by the year at a fixed sti-
pend. He cannot or would not say to
that man as soon as holiday trade was
over, Here trade is going to be dull
now and you will have to lay around
until the first of March" The same rule
should apply to the newspaper in a com
munity, in its connection with the busi-
ness men. The newspaper IS expected to
be a ~tireless and constaut worker for the
interests Of the town; Il is constantly
talking up the towns advantages and
drawing trade from which the merchants
derive the benefits, while the publisher
gets nothing except what may come to
him through the channel of advertising
compensation. For fifty two weeks in
the year the newspaper is u ~tireless sales
man and solicitor, directly or indirectly,
for every business man in town, and we
ask i'll all candor, is it just and honorable
in those who reap all the benefits to put
the publisher, metaphorically speaking,
on half rations for one-third Of the year.
just because there are brief ccssations in
the rush of trade that his earnest work
has caused?
Then again. the so-called dull season is
largely caused by the inactivity of the
merchant and his failure to stimulate de-
mand for his goods by advertising them
judiciously. Many a judicious man will
tell you that while his less cnterprising
ncighbors were resting on their oars
waiting for spring Or fall trade to open,
he has done "a thriving trade the year
around by judiciously advertising special
sales and leaders during the mythical dull
season.
Rns tho rn1ryNnSo re thtc tall 10 NOT IN
tell YOU how to run your business but
simply to lay before you some points
which may not have occurred to you and
to state the case briefly it is about this
way: The Advertiser is your solicitor, it
is drumming trade for you all the year
around. and the better it is supported the
better it can work for your interest. Fur
thermore, it must live between the first of
January and the first of March the same
as at any other time of the year. and
every merchant who has a desire TO have
his town and business represented by Il
live we'll supported paper, and
who appreciates the value of
such an institution, will arrange
at the opening of the year forsuch adver-
Using space as he can use and he feels his
business will warrant him in paving for
tlt wal dloNiii dili III " tldb, ~
that the publisher may know on what he
may depend for the year and adjust his
business accordingly. No daily paper
can pay in Creston and yield a proper re-
turn upon money invested unless it re-
ccives a permanent patronage of this
character.
Our merchants cannot plead hard
times for cause Of cutting down their
advertising at this time for it is the boast
Of one and all that their fall and winter
trade has been the best in the annals of
our history. Now, this is not a plea for
charity, but is a plain statement of fact;
you know the value of the paper to the
town and to your business; will you do
your share towards maintaining it and
enabling ii to continue the work Of adj
vertising our town?