Birmingham age-herald., 1895-07-03
REcKI.rss CLAIMS.

Readers of newspapers and advertis- ing patrons have long ago learned that among the last resorts of a struggling newborn journalistic venture to force recognition and obtain business from merchants is to boastingly claim Fthe largest circulation" Makers of circu- lation afiidavits can be had for a song. and it is always cheap and easy for a newspaper to blow it's own horn. as the "cheap John" merchant does the shoddy auction goods he cries from his ''hole in the wall"
 Birminghams morning venture, grow ing weary and restless of trying to gain foothold, few days ago made the agon- izing cry. The Age-Herald paid no at tention to the boast for it has too much confidence in the judgment of a reading public to suppose for a moment that any such claim would lead business men to believe that a paper carrying a cur tailed Western Press report. supple mented with pot metal telegrams from an Atlanta mill. and about one-half the amount of general matter presented by each of the three Alabama morning pa pers, could ever gain a foothold in this field.
 Referring to the claim of the free silver organ the Montgomery Advertiser aptly remarks:
 The Alliance Herald landed in the grave Wnlle making such claims, and it's Bir- mingham imtator uses plate telegraph on it's first page while indulging in such ridicu- lous boasts If it is so great and rich and to that plan of cutting down expenses? It's actions belle it's words.
 . But there is plenty of other evidence of nT fG ploig Tho Al ffe,a,, called on three of the leading newsdealers Of this city yesterday and found that all three received only ten copies of the State per day. One of these in the most con Spieuous place in the city says he does not copies week T2e Advertisers % sw9 travene Hr Fee men bring in similar reports from every town of any size in Alabama When a are the first to find out the fact
 The same sort of information comes in reference to it's getting subscribers. It's travelling men have been going everywhere and staying for days in many places and yet come 9t away with most discouraging lists. The Advertiser knows very well that 1t can count on the fingers of one hand the subscribers it has lost by reason of the whence it's big list comes The people want the news first in daily paper and as a newspaper. It is a reflection upon the intelligence of the public to assert that it would prefer that paper to such superior Register or the Advertiser
 With all its boastng the Birmingham silverloon claims an issue of only 3026 op Sunday.
 In running up that figure there is no tell ing how many free copies 1t includes. Our travelling agent was accosted by man in a neighboring town recently who had large bundle of States distributing them free. It is also said that the paper is thrown into the yards of many people in Birmingham who have never ordered the paper and will of course not pay for it. With such methods of running up circula- tion, it is wonder that it does not claim 1O,00o. Doubtless it would if it was willing to blow in the money necessary for the ad- ditional raw paper.
 All we have to say is that the Advertiser has not printed so small an issue as 5000 for years past. We haven't a doubt that our bona lide circulation today doubles that of the Birmingham mushroom. And we have no doubt, too, that the latter will keep on bragging and bluffing until like the Alliance Herald it is dead and buried.