The Evening post. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1888-1889, 1889-01-05
ONE WAY FAME is MADE.
WORK OF THE HOTEL LITERARY
BUREAU.
An Institution That Has Become II
Power in New York City-How Men
Achieve n National Many
Well-Known Instances.

NN-'NN-N-~N''
He who is thlrslng for fame let him
come to New York, says the Mail md
Express. put up at one of the leading
hotels, and then get on good terms with
the clerk who has charge of its literary
department When say fame reckon
that newspaper notoriety counts for
such, That being the case the literary
bureaus Of the hotels have system by
which fame is easily manufactured.
These bureaus are new attachments to
the machinery of well regulated hotels,
and, considering the time they have
been in operation, they have done re-
markable work. Many n man has gained
them, especially politicians, and con
spicuous example among the latter class
Is Postmaster-G General Don M. Dickinson.
What does hotel want with literary
bureauY you will probably ask. Because
it is the best means possible Of advertis-
ing the hotel. One hotel having adopted
1t, the others were compelled to do so.
The genius who invented this system Is
p. r. Wall, himself one of the best adj
vertised men in New York, He is con
nected with the Hoffman House, and the
system has become known among hotel
men rs "Wall's perfect system" So far
as known this is the only city in which
it is in operation, The circumstances
existing here are peculiarly favorable TO
it. In tho first place, the New York
papers have great partially for news of
the character usually picked up about
hotel corridors, Besides, this is the news
center of the country, and correspon-
dents of out,of-town papers make
speciality Of this matter.
The system had got in full working
order about the time of the Inauguration
Of President Cleveland; Don NJ. DiclSin
son was then little known outside his
State, except among the leading politi-
clans. For years he had been coming to
New York almost every month without
attracting passing notice in the news
papers. All of n sudden he began to
loom up as national character. Every
time he came to New York some in
gepious story was worked up so as to
give 1t news color which would act as
an excuse for highly complimentary
sketch of the Michigan statesman. 1t
was owing to the efforts Of this bureau
that Mr.. Dickinson name was men
toned for Vice-President.
The most notable case is that Of Myron
Bangs, whose name has recently APP
peared in every Democratic newspaper
in the land as the bosom friend of the
late Roscoe Conkling, who had given
$4,000 to the Democratic campaign
fund. Two years ago Mr.. Bangs name
was hardly known outside the little vii
lage in which he lives In Central New
York. The literary bureau took hold Of
him and to-day he is one Of the most
conspicuous figures about New York,
Nearly every newspaper has contained
something of Col, w. III. Wilson of
Denver as one of the leaders of the
American party and the owner Of the
birch rod which bent beneath Stonewall
Jacksons weight as he fell to the ground
MORALLY wounded, He was astonished
when he returned home and found that
his visit to New York had made him
famous. "The people of my own town."
said the Colonel, laughingly, didn't
know l was a great man until they
learned it by way of New York" "Col."
| William H. Wade of st. Louis, now one
here, is seldom mentioned by the papers
| VI iio ONi Siuy OANNpb WlCh oiiOJ WY
what the New York papers say about him,
Here he is known as double millionaire
and the man who took the last drink with
Jesse James.
Francis, the Democratic candidate for
Governor Of Missouri, in one visit here
last winter, achieved more newspaper
notoriety than he ever did before, and he
is now receiving the benefit of 1t. Gen
eral VIM. p. Walsh, ex-mayor of Hot
Springs, now lives here, and not week
passes that two or three paragraphs do
not appear in the paper about him. Il
left Arkansas because / was a plain,
everyday citizen" he says; "but by liv-
ing here at leading hotel l can be one
of the leading men of the metropolis Of
the country" And so it goes,
ut is likely to become general" said
the father of the system, repeating my
question. eyes, in all the large cities,
for it pays the hotels here. The average
man is fond Of newspaper notoriety, only
he may differ as to the kind. Ii he is
much of politician it is a necessity to
him. Of course we can only have men
written up that have some standing at
home, even if he is from small city and
is mayor of it, Every man has had some
interesting event in life. A paragraph
about it in New York paper is sure to
be copied in the local paper at his
home"