The Portland daily press., 1890-08-27
IDEAS RULE THE WORLD,
This Is Exemplified by Certain Jour
nalistIc Successes.
Correspondence Of the Press.

journal in popularity, and OF ITS proprle-
tor in wealth, is almost like fairy tale.
"Guess how much money The World
earned as clear profit last year." said
one of Mr.. Pulitzer's friends to me few
DAYS ago. / hazarded a guess at half
million dollars. "You fall far Short"
said the gentleman "Last year The
World made net profit of 81, 200, 900.
The receipts from The Sunday World
alone are enough to pay the entire ex-
pense of the establishment, leaving the
earnings of the paper on the other six
days and of The Weekly World as clear
profit. There is no other paper in the
world that makes half SO much profit.
Probably The New York Herald is earn
ing three or four hundred thousand dol
lars year. There are other papers in
New York which earn small fortunes
every year. The Chicago Tribune makes
a net yearly profit of 100000 for its
owners, and The News makes half as
much. What The Chicago Herald makes
is not known, for the reason that about
all of its profits, which are very large,
90 into new presses and buildings"
"Does Mr.. Pulitzer keep close eye upon
his journal?" / asked.
HE thinks of nothing else. He de-
votes all his time to the paper. If he is
In Europe an outline of the contents of
the paper is cabled him every morning.
Usually this is done by transmitting the
headlines of the more important articles.
If The World has any exclusive items
of news-news which no other paper has
this is often cabled him in full, and
Mr.. Pulitzer measures the value of O
mans work largely by the number Of
exclusive items he is able to send in
Every exclusive brings complimentary
letter from Mr.. Pulitzer himself, and a
succession of exclusives elicits reward in
the shape of fat check or other hand
some present. Mr.. Pulitzer, like Mr..
Bennett of The Herald, is in constant
communication with his assistants by
cable, and the policy of the paper is
dictated by him from day to day. He
often cables over editorials which he has
himself written anent the news of the
previous day, and nothing could illus
trate better than this the wonderful
facilities there are in this day for man
on one side of the ocean keeping himself
en- rapport with what is happening on
the other side.
''Mr. Pulitzer is q hard worker. He
has built up his paper on ideas, on prof.
ects for attracting the public attention,
on novelties, and he has himself fur
nished many of the most successful plans
of campaign. Though he has an income
Of 81 100000 a year from The World and
100000 from The st, Louis Post Dis
patch, he insists upon keeping right
along at work. His health, as you know,
Is very poor, and his eyesight has almost
failed him, but he shuts himself in
dark room, has the dispatches and the
papers read to him by his secretary, and
dictates his replies and instructions.
Scarcely a day passes in which Col. Cock
Grill and his associates of the staff are
not surprised by the evidences placed
before them of Mr.. Pulitzer's activity
and ingenuity. He is singularly in
ventive man. For instance, the plan of
having voting contests for the most pop
ular school teacher, most popular police
officer and SO on originated with him.
"The World INDUCED In number of
such contests, and reused SO much pub
lie interest that the circulation of the
paper jumped up many thousands. But
it was found that as soon as contest
had been decided tho sales dropped back
again. Mr.. Pulitzers cable dispatches
keep him as closely advised of the prog
ress of affairs in the business Office as of
the editorial department, and when those
enlinous drops in circulation were flashed
across the sea to him he promptly cabled,
What does this meant In reply Col.
Cockerill said he attributed it to cessa-
ton of interest in the voting contests,
whereupon Mr.. Pulitzer returned, No
more voting contests in The World,
Thus it has happened that The World,
which was the first paper to take up the
voting scheme, was the first to drop it,"
One of the most remarkable examples
of the efficacy of novel plan in build
ing up newspaper is that afforded by
the Boston Globe in its voting contest
for the most popular Grand Army man.
In moment of inspiration Col. Taylor,
the proprietor of that wonderfully sue
2essful paper, conceived the idea of
offering thousand dollar sword to be
voted for by the friends of the Grand
Army veterans. 1t was peculiarly APP
propriate plan for attracting attention,
on account of the national Grand Army
reunion held last week n Boston. Its
success must have astonished Col. Tay-
lor himself 1t has increased the circu-
lation of his paper forty or fifty
thousand copies per day, much of
which is likely to be permanent
growth. Orders for extra copies
have poured in from all parts of the
country, and the presses have been
busy for weeks printing two page sheets,
one of them containing the voting
coupon. The Boston Globe is, by the
way, itself an example of what novelty
and daring will do in the way Of win
ming readers for paper. 1t is type,
and Col. Taylor is a representative, of
the new school Of journalism, which
consists of making as good paper as
money can make-as good as any other
paper-and then pushing it upon the
public notice and into the public favor
by a succession of novel projects.
1t was Col, Taylor who first tried the
experiment of Offering prizes for the
best ideas to be used in this manner in a
newspaper Office. That was three or
four years ago, and have heard it said
that the suggestions which came pour
Ing in, and which cost but few hun
dred dollars, have been worth 5000, 900 to
The Globe. Mr.. Pulitzer also tried this
plan short time ago, and astonished
himself, no doubt, and his readers be-
sides with the results. The simple truth
Is that ideas are worth money in the
newspaper world, just as they are in the
field Of invention. The young news
paper man who has a good idea should
not give it away. One idea which may
be made to result III a successful stroke
in New York, Boston or Chicago is worth
as much to man as five years OF pains
taking work Two years ago young
man from a country town came to me in
Washington for letter of introduction
to Col Cockerill, of The World. He
had determined to seek employment in
New York,
81 do not know Col. Cockerill, ;" l said,
''but I'll give you something better than
letter Of introduction" Then 1 sug-
gested an idea which thought might
please the editor. Armed only with this
my young friend went to New York,
where he was stranger, and now he is
one OF the most valued and most pros
porous members of The World staff.
The idea was not very brilliant one,
hut ideae practical workable idaoa ora