New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-04-23

Il. r. HAMILTON.
| rr.Gx Mr. Tie secret Of his rod upon the news
paprr world is the unusual combination ri consinna'
| ability Unfaing good nature. modeNty' 'ho'""7"
Lncvlclge of newspaper Office, ard newspaper S'N">
and truhfIln,ss which his character presents. hu"o'
saws that In days Il yorc when "Iody' was "'i'i".
yn1Ica,e and special matter for the daily papers OF
| New-York and Brooklyn, jurat was not always at
| ,achcd to the news TENS sent forth. Ih'r' j Il
tradition that for months three cock fight stories
4 week ernanating from "Tpdy's' Brooklyn news
bureau. appeared in the New York sun without inc
| police, reporters. or sporting men bcihe "o'' -
| locate a single one OF the mains or suppo'iutou'
| participants. Tut be- that ms 1t may. no newspaper
writer was ever led astray by any statement haue u
| him by Mr. Hamilton. the press agent ana even Inv
Journalistic David. who >omctImS says In his m'''c
all press agents arr liars. makes mental reservation
| for the benefit Of the Hamilton family.
| Ev experience 3r. Hamilton j. both newspaper
writer and broker. EradeirccS Tor 1919 T"'''
the firm of Hamilton Trumbull cotton brokers' Ut
half Million and gave their credit at four as VA
one turn Of IA" marhc the senior partner $1,000 10
win e2iOOoO. but the market turned IN" wrong WY
and wiped lin out Instead When tn" subject OF TINS
sketch was sixteen years old. and wording a' an
office boy In a cotton brokers' Office during IN" war
tines b. originated aud operated n scheme by "h'h
| he Melted - = week from the cotton samples WIN"
the broh,r, gave lin after their sales wer" conp'''u'
The ncwspap,r side Of his experience also began IN
eofiv manhood hen h" ran little advertising Sh'''
FOR Hunting on the music publisher and IN the count
| Ing room Il ~Th. Ncw-lork Herald" How Wei he
understand. H., differing STYLES Of IN" many papers
T. shown Ly IN" fact thai IN the twenty year, hr mas
bccn sending special matter into the Offices OF N'"
York pap.r, hc had only one story rejected l"a'
ono W., returned because IL affected certain heavy
| advertiser
| Mr. Uamllton's experience rs press agent began
1.fff ha
firm ~ Hamilton & Trumbull With 800 assets ana
| IN. svmpathv Of the Exchange tn" N"w-forI
| Nouarinr wa then opened and Tody" was its press
agent for four year,. In l77o he went with coup ;
| circus In I--I be- went with j. \. Eal"y ana the
London circus. which subsequently united with Ear
MINIS show after "Tody'sT newspaper spuils hhd
made the old mans NE miserable for season or
| two since then he has continued 10 publish abrFn
the merits OF the great moral show. Every line OF
| advertising that appears on billboard or hnndiAll.
In newspaper advertising space Is con
coctcd ~ his fertile twain. Last season h' wrote
| icO 900 words which disseminated In millions
OF rcproductions along the circus route. But his
work f. not limited the marshalling OF poySYIlabic
adjective, In portentou, array. Descriptive stories
and new stories about circus life and animals, for
| periodicals and sunday papers. "inanate from MS
workshop and, In fact there are few branches OF the
word sjrin q NJ together profession to which he can
| not and do, not turn his hand.
| The business sid" Of tn" press agents Occupation
| /, best told IN Mr.. lIlmon's words
The work OF getting out the copy for advertising
matter begin, long before the opens -al he. IN
talking over lis work The other evening. Mr. bailey
gives me an outline Of the attractions as they are
engaged and from, that have TO 60 ahead with The
work getting ready TO set them before the public In
proper shape The busincss dealing, with the bust
moss managers OF the thousand and more papers III
which we advertise constitutes the most difficult
| NJ mo
| have been more successful than others In this de
parimcni II i nrt due. 10 Mr. TaIley's far-sight"1
in inStirutIng the plan OF hiring his press agents
by the year instead OF by tn" season That has
enabled me Ia introduce some nXity Of plan. and to
~, Emulate complete set Of records. Other shows
hire tlcir agents for the season. Tie agent keep
no record Of prices and rules, he doesn't know
where he will BE- next season. and consequently he Is
~ the mercy of the rapaciouS country editor
don't mean 10 say that al country editor raise thcil
advertising rates when the crcu, appoIr' but s1m'
uf ihcm do Ia an extent that makes big hole In In,
mo-. wcllc1 treasury II the attempt Is successful.
have complete set OF contracts for each paper for
| each have advertised, 50 | know lust what
| We ought 10 pay In any particular case.
TIP 10 the close OF ~" New York. season OF nvC
weeks | am u course. With the show. While the
show Is on the road keep four week, ahead Of It,
can usually cover enough towns from New York
brooklyn Newark Paterson etc. To get 1,c necessary
twenty seven forms Of advertisements made up ~
copy for, and Illustrations Of the ads wan
printed. The list all sizes from inch e
| four columns. We furnish the cuts. Then hav,
| cigl, little boots. each containing SIN reading
| notices Of the show ana one Of the parade which
are given 10 the editors with the understanding that
Ole favor OF their Will be followed by the favor
of 80 many free passes Ia tlr show Different books
are given diGercnt papers In any town that
the same notice IS duplicated In the town
Nearly everything Is left 10 the discretion OF III,
| agent the amount Of advertising he will do, Glc
| mediums he Will employ and the form he will put II
| in Mr. Bailey does not limit In any way. liz
simply holds all ponsiblc for results. | spend
about $4,000 year In my department. but Mr..
Bailey Il consulted only as to extraordinary matters
! After an hours walk through town an experienced
agent can tell whether Is sleepy ana needs an cxtraor
binary amount az advertising wake Il up, oil
whether II i prosperous and will turn out a crowd
Of circus gocrs on slight provocatlOn: and he ar
! ranges his advertising accordingly. We lay out
! the route OF the parade on the same principles Il
| short one fer - live town, long one for th,
| sleepy village. The advertising space having bee!
contracted for, II Is paid for by check on Iiarnin
4 Bailey. payable AT the ticket wagon on return o.
cuts and copies Of paper containing advertisement
\ coupon attached Is filled out for so many adms
sion tchct,
"On,o In ghc We s,rilr Tartar. There used
To b., a country editor m Se,nlia. No. who was known
To every circus press agent In the country as n rob
Der with a large r. ny awake nights for n week
before my dist encounter with him. thinking how
would down him. Finally ] hit upon The scheme OF
showing up AT his Office early In the morning before
he hid come down. and getting n printed card of
| advertising rates fiom the oiho" boy Armed with
that | bearded the old man IN his den lie figured
| ON nv proposition for about ten minu,cs md nm.
nounced that $50 was the best he could do Then
| | flashed the card rates on him, and proved To him
| that IL coudn't be more than az 80 lie coumr d
Jack on his own published rates. ana | nailed him
| 10 those figures. II was the cheapest advertising
| any circus ever got In that town.
! "Another time the three papers In San Antonio,