The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-04-30
PRESS AGENTS EVERYWHERE.
Value of Publicity Recognized by
Other Than Theatrical People.

Value of Publicity Recognized by
Other Than Theatrical People.
One Of the most important OuJgrOwths
of the systematic methods by means of
which the managers of large enter
prises keep the public informed about
matters in which they are interested
is the press agent. Although most peo-
pie believe that they know all about
the functions of that officer, the bust
ness is really much more widespread
than is generally known. The average
man speaking of a press agent has the
one who is connected with the theater
graphs to the theatrical editors. in
which he not only gives the advance
programmes, but works in, OF endcavOTS
to do so, all sorts of views about i 5 par
ticular actor or singer, or the company
in which he may be interested. 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 q description of an elaborate
gown or a stolen diamond TO an i'm
aginary runaway or an impending di-
vorce suit. AS a rule, the theatrical
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 a press agent
md the consequence is that newspaper
men have found employment 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 business
to employ a press agent was that of
land booming. The large syndicateS
which were organized to develop GER
tain tracts of land in the far west found
that, although advertising brought
them good returns, they needed some-
thing more by means of which their
scenery and climate could be made pop
ular. The press agent was the solution
of the problem. The proper man was
found and departed on his mission of
education to the PARKWAY places with
men with bank accounts who were look
ing for new homes III pleasant places.
and presently the country newspapers
began to bristle with descriptions OF
farm lands in the domain of the press
agent, unrivaled for prcductiveness and
home sites, which, in point of climate
and scenery, were absolutely perfect
and so desirable that the reader was led
to believe that every day spent away
from the place was day thrown away.
The land-booming press agent has come
TO the east and is an important factor
in the development of new simmer re-
sorts and residence anneXes to large
cities.
Another field for his usefulness was
found by the press agent WI th railroad
corporations. In one instance a railroad
company had gained the i'll will of many
newspapers and criticism of It's methods
was daily occurrence TIE directors
created the place of press agent and in
stalled an experienced newspaper man
with power to make Investigations on
any subject and instructions to make
public such matters pertaining to the
road as would counterfeit the previously
circulated reports. A few months after
LIE assumed control of the place the
press agent said that the adverse criti-
cism had ceased and that the newspa-
pers had been won to the roads friend
ship.
"But that is not ALL" said a press
agent who had served in that capacity
for years. Even society needs its
press agents, and there are men in New
York to-day who receive pay for keep
ing the names of men and women who
are on the edge of society before The
public. These people are partly in the
swim themselves, but are not averse to
earning an honest dollar, and they man
age by hook or by crook to have Mr..
Nobody and Miss Wouldbe mentioned
in connection with society matters oc-
casionally. 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. "a
preparing them"-N. Y. Tribune