Evening star., 1896-08-14
4 Warrington Success.

Every one recognizes Washington as the
center Of the best advertising in the coun-
try, but not every one is prepared for the
number of unusual announcements that
appear in the columns Of the papers there
daily. One hardly expects to find, for in
stance, BARRIERS card In prominent po-
sition. with a change Of matter two or
three times q week. or a Iveryman adver-
tising a special bridal coach. or a laundry
occupying position side by side with that
Of the big dry goods stores, and on even
terms with all but one or two of the very
largest in the amount of space used. Yet
such is the case. and it was this latter fact
which first attracted my attention to the
Yale laundry-the laundry of Washington
and finally led me to seek an interview
with Mr.. Frank H. Walker. the proprietor
and manager.
The YALE occupies a fine three-story
brick building of its own on G street.
equipped with all the newest devices III
laundry machinery. and is the very pcrfec-
tion of neatness and cleanliness inside and
out. Here l found Mr.. Walker at very
early hour the other morning. He Is
short, thin, wiry little man. brlinful of en-
ergy, and was bustling about In his shirt
sleeves when 1 entered. keeping watchful
eye On everything that aas gong on IN MS
''bee hive" He was busy-he always Is.
Tor that matter-but he spared me few
minutes to tell me about his advertising
success.
"How long have you been an advertiser,
Mr.. Walker?' l asked.
about two years."
Il am told you didn't believe in adver-
tising when you began?'
mo. l didn't. I did not see just how !
was goirg to get any actual results"
What led you to begin, then?'
well, we had just put up our new build
ing. and had twice our former capacity,
but didn't have the work. We had the best
equipped laundry in the city. That was
something to advertise. and thought
would try it,
How long did it take you to see diff
ference in your business?"
Not SO very long. In the first year we
increased our income over 500 a week"
How much did you spend to get this?''
Twelve hundred dollars"
THAT is to say, you made about 5000 on
an expenditure of $1.2OO?"
"Yes"
''It didn't need much more to convert you
to pretty strong faith in the value OF
printers ink, did it?''
well, hardly" said Mr.. Walker, laugh
ing.
HAS this increase stayed with you?"
Yes, indeed. Not only stayed. but our
business is increasing in about the same
proportion right along. 1t has nearly
doubled since December L.
Have you spent any more in advertising
this past year than you did the first?
mo, just the same"
'Then the same amount Of advertising
done the second year brought you greater
returns than the first?'
"Ies. l suppose the increase is the in
terest on the first years investment"
What mediums do you user
1.-The STAR
"only?"
'Yes"
why not the .others?"
Because 1 get the worth of my money
in The Star. Because The Star goes every
where In Washington. and l don't see any
sense III doubling my expenditure to reach
field that I'm covering thoroughly now"
How much space do you use daily?"
1T varies / have contract with The
Star TO use 1900 lines during the year, and
l use it as see fit.''
"Well. how do you use it? More in sum
mer or in winter"
I'm summer
asked this question because, while look
ing over The Stars file of last year, l had
found the Yale using pretty generous
This is entirely contrary to the code of
Washington advertising, which falls off to
an unreasonable extent during the sum
mer time. 1 suppose l looked little sur
prised at finding this his regular plan, for
Mr.. Walker continued:
Yes, 1 know that is not regular in
Washington. But we have had to be from
the beginning sort of law unto our
selves on the advertising question, and
with the extra laundering to be done in
the summer time-white suits. fiannels.
outing shirts, etc.-it seemed that extra ad-
vertising at that time ought to pay, and 1t
has"
do you use display ads. only?"
"Ies, we have until very recently, and
changed them every day.
you regard the daily change as import
anti"
Yes. A change is attractive, and then.
when there are so many things one can
say about good laundry, do not believe
standing cards have any more place i'll
han in ho nd fiSiv inc
of a dry goods store. We have almost as
many advantages as dry goods store has
bargains SO we speak of them a few at a
time"
You say you have done this until re-
Gently What changes have you made in
your metfods7'
"Oh, nothing very radical. We still use
the display ads, and shall continue to do
so. Only since we put in lot more new
machinery we have had two or three in
terviews' Of a half column or more, and
once or twice have put in number Of four
or five-line ads. in plea in one ISSUE"
I remembered the latter innovation. for l
was in Washington at the time. and could
hardly rest my eye anywhere on The Star 8
columns without meeting few terse words
about the advantages Of the Yale laundry.
I counted sixty-four Of these persistent
little reminders in one issue.
by the way, Mr.. Walker. do you write
all this advertising yourselfT'
mo, indeed. I have enough to do to look
dlteT the WOTh the advertising II
is done by The Star Ad-Writing Bureau.
I give them the points and they write it
up and look after 1t for me-"
asked Mr.. Walker il he read Printers
Ink.
Yes, indeed" he replied. every week,
and l get ideas and suggestions from it
right along. To tell you the truth, Print
ers Ink was in great measure the mission
ary that converted me to advertising. 1
read in 1t about the success of others until
could not help thinking that perhaps
after all advertising would help me- 1
tried it, as have told you, and it has not
disappointed me-rather pleasurably sur
prised me with it's effectiveness"
DO you use anything besides the news
papers?"
mo- nothing but good work."
There 1t Is in nutshell-the secret of
one Of the cleanest advertising successes in
Washington-.good advertising, backed up
by good work.
EXCURSIONS.
Today and tomorrow will be family days