The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-22

chief information of the day is scattered
broadcast in thousands of daily, weekly,
and monthly publications, and 1T can ne
collected only at great expense OF UlIne
and labor or through one OF the cllpppihg
! bureaus.
The literary and scientific man is par
| ticularly helped in his labors by the news
paper clipping bureaus, for he cannon ex-
haust any subject without collecting the
published facts and incidents from the
various periodicals of the day. Ihe trace
journals which essay to keep their read
ers well informed of the news OF their
speciality, patronize the clipping bureau
extensively, and for u nominal sum they
g lther all the news that would cost them
a large salary for an exchange edltor.
Railr ais areR likewise realizing the i'm
portance of keeping abreast of the times
by collecting all tho data possible con-
corning their business, and give perlna-
nent orders for clippings. The lawyer,
called upon TO roSecute corporation or
institution, relies upon the press clipping
bureaus to collect and sift out OF the
news of the day all the items bearing
upon the subject in hand. Ministers,
doctors, and, in short, all professional
men, and many business men, are adopt
| ing the plans of the journalists and liter
| AIRY hacks who for years have conducted
private clipping bureaus of their own.
| Progressive business men avail them
selves of the clipping bureaus to extend
| their business. For instance, manufac-
turer OF artificial legs has a permanent
| order at one of the bureaus TOR all cllp-
Pings about accidents where the victims
lose o leg, and it may be taken for grant
ed that the information gathered in his
way is followed up later by circulars and
unsolicited recommendation" about
Mr.. So and Sos improved wooden or
elastic or metal legs Dealers in building
| materials pay for all items about project
ed and contemplated structures in every
part of the country, and these tips fur-
nish them with lists of names that I'M
doubtedly bring them customers. Any
thing of public nature enough to war
rant publication in a journal is sooner or
| later utilized. Often the patrons of the
| bureaus follow up their hobbies just for
| the pleasure it gives them. There are an
| endless number of amateur and profess
| ional philatelists who have standing
orders for all items about stamps, foreign
and domestic Collectors of old and rare
| books prints, and china keep themselves
abreast of the times by ordering all news
| items about sales of their particular
goods, and in this way they keep track
of the various auctions and dispositions
of valuable collections. The demand for
obituaries of private and public character
| is great, and hundreds of thousands of
these clippings are sent out annually.
Even tho United States government
patronizes the press clipping bureaus to
| an extent and gives limited orders for
all information on subjects that can be
made of use by some of the departments.
The President always runs a private clip
ping bureau and scrap books of his own,
in which are indexed and arranged about
everything of Importance said by the
papers about his administration Besides
| this the regular bureaus are called upon
| occasionally to supplement the work OF
the Presidents three professional readers.
| G. e. W.