The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1897-05-20
PRESS AGENTS ABOUND.
The Vainc of Publicity Recognized hv
Other Than Theatrical People.


Other Than Theatrical People.
One of the important. outgrowths
of the systematic methods by means
of which the managers of large en-
terprises keep the public informed
about matters in which they are in
terested is the press agent. Although
most people believe that they know
all about the functions of that of
ficer. the business is really much
more widespread than is generally
known. The average man, speaking
OF a press agent, has the one who is
connected with q theater in mind.
He is the man who sends paragraphs
to the theatrical editors, in which
he not only gives the advance pro-
grammes, but works in, or endeavors
to do so, all sorts of views about his
particular actor or singer or the
company in which he may be inter-
ested. With many press agents who
act in keeping with the policy of
their employers the chief end is to
keep the name before the public,
and anything is resorted to, from
description of an elaborate gown OF
a stolen diamond to an imaginary
runaway or an impending divorce
suit. AS rule, the theatrical press
agent is clever man, and to his
good work the success of many an
enterprise may be traced
Other large advertisers were quick
to recognize the worth of press
agent, and the consequence is that
newspaper men have found employ
ment in that capacity recently in
lines which are far removed from
the "show business" but employ
the same methods.
One of the first branches of bust
ness to employ press agent was
that of land booming. The large
syndicates which were organized to
develop certain tracts of land in the
far west found that although ad-
vertising brought them good re-
turns, they needed something more
by means of which their scenery and
climate and country could be made
popular. The press agent was the
solution of the problem. The proper
man was found and departed on his
mission of education to the farawav
places where men with bank &C
counts We're booking for new homes
III pleasant places, and presently the
country newspapers began to bristlc
with descriptions of farm lands in
the domain of the press agent, un-
rivaled for productiveness and home
sites, which in point of climate and
scenery were absolutely perfect and
80 desirable that the reader was
led to helieve that every day spent
away from the place was day
thrown away. The land booming
press agent has come to the east
and rs an important factor in the
development of new summer resorts
and residence annexes to large cit
les.
Another field for his usefulness
was found by the press agent with
railroad corporations. In one in
stance a railroad company had gain
ed the i'll will of many newspapers,
and criticism of it's methods was a
daily occurrence. The directors Gre
ated the place of press agent and in
stalled an experienced newspaper
man, with power to make investiga-
tions on any subject, and instruc-
tons to make public such matters
pertaining to the road as would
counteract the previously circulated
reports. A few months after he as
sunaed control of the place the press
agent said that the adverse criticism
had ceased and that the newspapers
had been won to the roads friend
ship.
but that is not all, :" said press
agent who had served in that ca
pac1fy for years. Even society
needs its press agent, and there are
men in New York. today who receive
pay for keeping the names of men
and women who are or the edge of
society before the public. These
people are partly in the swim them
selves, but are not averse to earning
an honest dollar, and they manage
by hook or by crook to have Mr..
Nobody and Miss Wouldbe mention
ed in connection with society mat
tiers occasionally, and by that means
stimulate their vanity and give them
hope that some day they may be
able to enter the sphere for which
their press agent is preparing
them. New York Tribune.
Mans Superiority.