Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-28
CAN WRITE ENGLISH.
The Men WhoCaptured 1.-The Stars
Prizes for Short Advertisements.
THEY WON WITH FEW WORDS.
Results of an Interesting Contest n
Determined by the Committee OF Busi-
ness men-Sketches OF the Prize Win.
ners and Their Work.

ing the writing of bright pithy advertisements,
made an offer of three prizes in money, s1OO,
$50 and S25, for the best three series of sdver-
tisements each to consist of six articles. not ex-
ceeding $50 words in length, presenting the
advantages of the EVENING STAR as an adver-
Using Medium. Six points were given as sug-
gestions and the articles we're expected to cover
them all either singly in combinations.
The SIX points given were, in brief, Q), the
average circulation OF The STAR is moro than
treble that of any other Washington news
paper; (2), the unexampled fuilness of THE
STARS home circulation; (9), the cheapness Of
advertising in The STAR when the extent and
character Of its circulation considered; a.,
the fact that advertisements running three
months cost less than one-seventh of a cent
per line for each thousand papers; 90, the pub
betty given, by sworn statements and other
wise, to all facts concerning The Stars cir
culation, and (6), the recog nized fact that The
STAR is the grea: Want medium of the city.
Naturally enough such generous offer as
that made by The STAR aroused great deal of
interest in the contest and bright. clever peo-
pie ali over the city set to work to see what
they could do toward winning one of the tidy
sums of money. Every one realized the many
advantages of The. STAR advertising
medium. The main item to consider was what
must be left ont in stating the in a limited
number of words. and then came the necessity
OF wording it all in bright, catchy way.
When the contest closed June 20 it was found
that nearly three hundred writer's had entered
the lists, and out of SO much good material as
was handed in one can readily understand the
difficulty Of selecting the best. There was
very little chat in the lot; almost all was good
firm grain, with sound kernels.
The DECISION OF THE JUDGES.
Believing that business men who have them
selves been extensive advertisers would be the
most competent judges of the value of such
work The STAR requested Messrs. s. ". Wood
ward, Washington Danenhower. Isadore Saks
and A. Lisner to act as judges and TO make the
award of prizes. All the advertisements were
submitted to them, each one having been num-
bered in the order of its arrival in the hands of
the editor of the advertising contest The
names of the writers were not made known to
the judges, but were kept carefully filed away
in THE STAR office along with their respective
numbers.
Lart Wednesday the judges sent the follow
ing letter to The EVENING STAR Newspaper
Company:
GENTLEMEN:
AT; T a careful and thorough examination Of
the several hundred papers submitted to us by
contestants for the prizes offered by The STAR
IN Its advertising contest, We have to announce
that we have awarded the prizes to Nos. 30, 203
aud 2c1 respectively, in the order given. and
desire to give honorable mention to Nos. 232
and 90.
So many of the articles submitted had decided
merit that the choice of three OF them was ex-
uemely difficult. but taking all things in con-
slderatlon We have unanimously decided upon
the numbers gwen above.
Very respectfully,
S. W. WOODWARD,
WASHINGTON DANENHowER,
lsADoRE SAkS,
A. LISSER.
FINDING THE wINSERs
The question of course at once arose Who ia
No. 80? Who is 203? and so on through the list
By referring to the lists of names it was at
once learned that No. 203 was NJ. T. Adkins.
531 l0th street southeast; No. POI was Court F.
Wood. i07 East Capitol street; No. 232 the first
To receive honorable mention, was j. Adam
Bede. Anacostia. ID. c., and No. 9S, the second
hOnorably mentioned. was VI. Alexander 1745
street northwest But the personality of No. /
35. entitled to the first prize of $780, remained |
unknown The writer had simply signed him.
self ''l62S." Who he was might have remained |
mystery indefinitely had not recourse been
taken to the always satisfactory method of adj |
vertsinS, and an insertion in the columns of |
IHE STAR " Wednesday evening of a request that |
the owner of the nom dc plume '.IS2S" should |
come forth and disclose himself brought the |
desired information. II was then found that |
the successful competitor was Mr.. Julian L. |
Wright, and a curious fact connected with the !
case IL that Mr.. Wright employed in the !
composing room of The STAR Office. he did |
not know that he had won prize and it was |
not known that he was a competitor until he !
answered the notice in The STAR calling for !
the name and address OF ''l62S."
In accordance with the award of the Judges |
checks for Sl0O, $50 and S25 respectively will |
be sent Monday by TIE EVENING STAR Com
Pany to Msesrs, Wright, Adkins and Wood.