The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
YARNS OF A PRESS AGENT.
THEY ARE NECESSARY AND HARM
, LESS, 81 rs An OLD SNOWMAN.

Some OF the Many Inventions OF Two
Versatile Members OF the Graft In Boston.
A Snowman who has had a good many sea-
sons on the road, and a portion OF the summer
each year on tho rialto of upper Broadway,
grew communicative the other day on tho sub
jcct of theatrical press agents. Some one had
| remarkcdson tho aSsurdity of a yarn sent out
by the representative of q certain actress, which
had found its way into the columns Of not only
a majority of the out.of-town papers. but also
several New York dailies. The Snowman took
up.the cudgel in behalf OF his friend, the press
agent. He said:
ITO nut II bluntly, you want TO know why
press agents occasionally lie. You arc sur
prised that men who arc otherwise strictly
honest will depart from the truth for the sake
of obtaining notices in the newspapers for the
stars or companies they represent. I'll tell
you why. The most popular press agents
have ever known, and by that I mean the most
valuable to their employers. were men of news
paper training, with "a gift in a large degree Of
invcnting interesting situations, entertaining
stories, and bald yarns for publication.
"One of these men / have in mind now. Tho
attraction he represented was always:assurcd
of liberal notices in the newspapers on II tour
through the country. Io never rcsortcd to
cheap oxpedicnts in tho hope Of obtaining what
is called "a puff. He didn't climb the stairs Of
newspaper offices and ask for favorable c1ti-
cisms. His method was to let the reporters
tho ,hoa,r, 80 a., A., ,,a,.,.ra =, 49,
,n5 e., o,, .. ,,I....-, 60,
bc to,p ,ho tr,rh,o !, ;ntor,, =. ron,aaau,.,i.a
~ oaoh rorsnanor &, n,dou ,ho, ~ n,i.,, na..
=, ...., ,as.i.- H. - 49,,
news item.
Charlie NJ. was one of the first expert press
agents TO awaken the Boston newspapers eight
=, -, :, -. ~ 90 Wv y" w
-, 49, -, $50 -" ho W.
pn.,on 7, maa na,,i, y ,.,,t " "
ror w., ai.In ~ ,,.,, ''" w.. "
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NJ o.a"1' 'uneio4"reu NY II par'" assigned
W. NV i" ~ 81! ".Np.tt rvs "e."' "o"i"
'"I Nv" -" :! e'',' p"i'' 1" io9'oh
iau from n quarter OF II column 10 haif a col
uInn about the attempted suicide Of Miss So
and. So tho beautiful chorus 1ir, NJ .Xcc,lon,
1T '"o noIs N.'i"
fanny IL EraiuhIe ol one Oh the New England
institutions of learning. and so on. Scare
80 - va. 10, ~. ''ie ia.
taken crcosote with suicidal intent because her
mother would not allow her to wear tights. OF
course. the younp lady did mt Al, Sbc Iiv.d
- 49,
10 iurhlsh more news LOT the papers, ana she got
her picture in the papers as well. and between
Won and me. She never took amy creosotc and
don't believe her fond mother objected to
tights, either. She had been on the stage in
burlcsoue herself.
CO.. .
'h hho'her occasion IL leaKcd out, as the
provincial newspapers say. that an attempt to
abduct "A certain Young lady of tho chorus had
hn,r norr.,rn,od nnS naJ 80 taIas anr.
neen p'tpe'fu.eu, ana mao peeh loileu only
| the Park Theatre. There was n brief rrnnor to
| this effect in one of the afternoon naucrs, The
press agent could not be found. The doorkCcpcr
| refused to talk, and the rumor spread with
was found late at night, and finally consented
to give the details of the alleged ATTEMPT AT alb.
drn,ior Tno story tiIIod oon1iSauahh
uu'''oh' ih' SUIT! H'icu coisiucraoie space
in each OF the papers the next day, the stage
| doorkcopcr exhibited tnc length nj pns nine
,ri,h ,,hi,h ha sniJ ha - -" nMS prr
wan winch nc s''o III "''acAcu inc young swell
who was about to throw the pretty chorus girl
| into a convenient closed carriage. and The Young
girl told i'm rr.ail the several ch,utcrs nj her nd,
Ventures win An unknown al inirrr SnrirIr a..
scribrd ms n wei known ynnm, man ahHui i2wn
You may say that my fricnd, the press agent.
was not Justified in using sun means TO obtain
publicity for the show, Won't ar.r,,e I'M
point, The box Office rcccipts lowed that his
work told on tho right Silk Of thn "tn1"mant
sheet. And those stories were moi SNOWMAN
us thcy would be to-day
Charlie was the authnr of In. thcotrc c,,fcb,
warn. which since thnt time Inns d"nc Guiy in
many newspaper offices from Bostnn TO New
Orleans. For want of suInrthinr hcttcr IN ID
one night. he told his frirni. ill., rcnnrH,-s that
the manager Ind decided for ihr r"nycniri"n
of mothers attending tho mutinccs IN rhnrk
their babies. lie painted ont th" nd yonIoyesn NJ
The scheme said Thai N Inr,r r"n,n nr,, yhn
auditorium had been tlticd MI costly lar he nse
OF infant patrons of the house: Thai nursc, had
been proyiIcd: Thai s,rriiilrG ,,iIii vnr,.l'.i To- Inr
BY "A rcpntatI, Musician wSuiI he On hn nh N;
all hours. and that n .nIt,lv of ruhE,r rin~" rn,,