New-York tribune., 1896-10-20
THE RECKLESS PRESS AGENT.
HOW He Is GOING TO GET INTO TROUBLE
IF HE DOESN'T TAKE CARE

There IL press agent In this town who Will some
day put his foot in IT, II he does not form more care
full habits to where he steps. He has been won-
dcrfully successful far. but that Is just the
reason why he should be careful now. He is en-
gagged in making the fortunes of the managers OF a
theatrical performer from abroad. This performer
is a woman. She was wholly unknown here TIL a
few weeks before she came. She said oy the
press agent be great favorite in the city OF ner
home, and she had 10 pay good deal OF money 10
a manager there who had her under contrac' 10
induce him to let her come to America. This fact
became known to the people OF New-fork through
the press agent.
Somewhere outside New-York there Is another
press agent who is wonderfully frank-for press
agent lie sent to the Office Of this paper yesterday
a thing that looked little like newspaper. ana
1t was headed. 1.-The Puff Positive Under the
heading explanation that this thins was II
journal devoted to hypnozinS dramatic critics 10
mention occasionally and frequently that So-and-
So will appear In 'such.and-Such.' This must be
the secret regard to the press agent oil the io'S"
performer In question. Somehow or other oy hyp-
notism or something else, he got pages OF matter
into the papers about the performer peiorc sr So
10 this country at all. and as soon AS she lahded
there were floods OF literary productions about ner.
There a little excuse for the papers, pvcaus. M
town that there was doubt some genuine curlos-
iy the part OF readers to know Wnat M s,'t n h
really like But there was great faliinS Oh III % W.,
public discussion OF the performer a. soon as She
really appeared In public 80, - ho
The press agent was not ddunted by TINS ana ne
adopted new methods Long ago press agents
Thought that IL was necessary 10 ge, artlcies III
praise OF their stars into the papers, but the scieli
tnc press agent got past that long ago. Ib hno~S
now that IL makes difference whether Wnat tne
paper says about the star Is praise or piaihe or
merely narrative This press agent saw that praise
and blame were both about over ior ms star ana
that the resource was narrative. lie disseminaled
a report that she would not pay a bill for certain
goods because the goods were unsatisfactory
few papers did not recognize the news value OF this
statement. but the hypnotic influence acted on the
Others and the story written with all the iorce
and brancy that were due to It's momehto"s
consequence. .,. -, 1000
When the public excitement over this had some
what abated, the press agent had what ne probabiy
regarded as a real inspiration. He declared ina
the performer. while riding on u bicycle, nad cdught
the rein of a runaway horse and brought him ny on
his launches. saving the life OF the man IN ,ne
carriage. That was whore he made MS mi5tahe
In order to off any demand for witnesses ne han
the incident happen on the road from BrooKlyn 10
Coney Island. at about sunrise on SUNDAY morn
ing The performer lives near Fifty -ninth,st When
TO that fact s added the memory that sunday morn
ing was particularly raw and dreary the reader
can Judge for himself whether performer from
abroad was likely get so far on "A bicycle at such
an hour The readers intelligence shall not be IN
suited however. by any remark as to whether the
rest OF the story IL probable or not.
The suggestion ia merely added. Tor inc press
agent himself alone, that II he goes mncn iurther
i'm his present course he will stumble on some story
that will look improbable on its face. such as tha
his star held up corner OF an diminished twenty
story building while the workmen went to dinner