Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-13
NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS.
HELPING FOLKS TO SEE THEMSELVES
AS OTHERS SEE THEM.


other people, which was started in this city
in small way not very long ago, is said to
be In fair way to swamp itself by too rapid
growth. Two concerns are now devoted to
the business, and each claims TO have all it
can attend to to keep pace with It's own
growth. The original clipper, Henry Ro-
meike, who experimental with the idea in
Paris, and then went into the business in
london on larger scale, has made stock
company of his establishment there, and
come to this country to carry out his system
here. The promise, he says, Is OF something
gigantic in the line of scissors and paste pot
manipulation. Seven thousand papers were
read and 1900 notices clipped from Their,
last week for several hundred clients on his
Lists.
CLIENTS AND THEIR WANTS.
A glance at his books gives a curious in
sight into the weaknesses Of men and women
whose names are familiar in widely different
circles Of life. The name Of each client
heads page, and under it is a brief note OF
what particular news or information that
person wants from the papers. Fully half Of
the names have after them but the one word,
Personal" Whatever is said about them
selves they want. 1t would be great salts
faction TO scores of snubbed reporters about
town to see in these books the evidence Of the
anxiety Of great lawyers VINO have nothing to
say to reporters, city officials who have no time
to bother with newspaper men, and society
women who wouldn't have their names in the
paper for anything to see whatever is printed
about them. Everything about the Sharp
case" was an order that drew much money
from the pockets of one lawyer last year.
"Everything about her reception Is under
the name of a leading society woman.
'Everything bearing on fraud at elections"
is the curious order of city official Artists
and literary men are the worst. They all want
to see everything that is printed about
their latest picture or their newest book.
About the time the picture is exhibited, or
the book printed. they send in an order for
ell the paragraphs referring to the work, and
then probably quit work for a week, in order
to revel in the evidence of the tide of popular
ity that they expect will roll over them. Of
ten there is not solicitary clipping charged
to their account. Many times there gre one
or two only. If the picture is a daub or the
book bad the paragraphs may run up into
the hundreds; but statistics OH this point are
incomplete, as the order is always cancelled
after a week of this.
Political men, and especially congressman,
seem to be the steadiest patrons of the insti-
tuition, but they generally mean business and
not vanity. Through it they collect masses
of statistics as to some particular interest for
which they stand sponsor, or get evidence of
the tendency of public sentiment by which
they can trim their sails. They all add 'Per-
sonal' to their order, however. Himself
and the Pacific Railroads" is one order. A
senator wants Himself and the Chinese
question: Himself and Peru" is the order
of well known ex-mayor, Mayor Francis of
st. Louis gets lots of complimentary notices
now on the subject of the convention and st.
Louis, and he wants them all. A common
order limits the clippings to paragraphs at
lacking him only" Lord Randolph Chur-
chill once gave an order Of that sort to the
London institution, and his bill the first
month was for a 600 clippings. " Great
Heavens l can't stand this" he said. Send
me the favorable ones after this for
a change" and his bill fell to nominal
figures.
MEN WHO HAVE HOBBIES
Men with hobbies are steady patrons. All
that is printed about Volapuk goes to one
college professor in this CITY, Paragraphs
on the Nicaraguan canal go to another man,
and French official here gets all the De
Lesseps items. One engineers wants every
reference to the Quaker bridge DAM another
paragraphs of the Harlem bridge, and sew
eral are getting all there is printed about
Hudson river tunnel and bridge schemes.
Several leading firms of architects and engi-
neers want the earliest mentions of the pro-
of lnrc buiIHinpS hri6oas
dams, or other structures. These are clipped
from local papers all over the country, and
whenever the firm sees a prospect Of job it
sends in an application for the work of de-
signing or constructing Usually they are
thus the first applicants, and have proper
tionately better chance for the work. Two
firework manufacturing companies keep
themselves posted in the same way as to the
coming celebrations all over the country, the
nature Of the exercises, amount to be ex-
pended, and similar matters Contractors
and others with an eye out for new lines of
railroad to be constructed, are also patrons
of the paper readers Important events in
business are apt to bring patrons around.
Himself and his failure is a common en-
try. As general thing the patrons are only
those who think they are likely to get COM
plimentrv press notices People whose no
to1.iety is of an unpleasant nature. do not care
to see what the papers say about them. No
body involved in a scandal, a divorce suit or
6 similar affair, has yet asked for clippings.
The growth of the business has necessitated
the Introduction into it of q complicated sys-
TEN and has developed it IN several novel d.
rections. The leading topics Of newspaper
comment, such as art, literate the drama,
politics and similar subjects, are made sepa-
rate divisions of the business ana everything
pertaining to each is clipped by the first read
ers These clippings are then gone over by the
men in charge of each department, and
those which may fit the orders OF any patron
are sorted out at the close Of each days work
end mailed 20 him al once DE has paid IN
advance IS for 100 ''clips, or at de
creasing rates up 10 $40 for l,oO, and
when he has received the number paid for the
service stops until new payment Is made
A mans account may run along for months
without his getting over forty or nifty OF the
900 paragraphs he has paid for, and
then ne NAV kill his mother-in-iaw, or do
some other famous thing and get the balance
OF his clips IL less than week
Clippings are also made on speculation Ii
q well-know man dies, all his obituaries are
collected and aftervvard offered to some scr
rowing relative for a certain amount OF cash
Notices of weddings and other events are
collected and peddled in the same way, ans.
il is said that the ins.ances are comparatively
rare III which sale is not enected-NeT
York Sun
Painter and Pupil
An interesting anecciote of Gerome Is told
in the studios TO point moral that can hardi1
be enforced to often viz the importance OF