The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-02
HOW AN ADVERTISER
MADE HIS FORTUNE

Wallace P. Reed In Atlanta Constitution.
The first advertisement appeared in LdJs
don in 164S 1t made a hit and was the talk
Of the town because nothing like 1t had
ever been seen before.
In these days. however, such an adver-
tisement would attract very little atten-
ton.
Advertising is finer art now than 1t was
two hundred and fifty years ago.
And 1t is more profitable than 1t was
then. 1t is said that the only legacy left
by John Walter to his daughter was one
advertising column in the London Times
during her lifetime Do you know what
that column was worth to Miss Walter?
1t yielded her an income of one hundred
and fifty dollars dayl
The young lady doubtless managed to get
along in some fashion on this amount of
ready pocket money. 1t at least paid her
way until she married and settled down.
But our British cousins have never dis
tinguished themselves by anything brilliant
or startling in the advertising line. The
French are far ahead of them. In Paris
business men employ first-class literateurs
to write their advertisements paying them
higher rates than the magazines offer them
for sketches and stories.
This is enterprisng. but the Americans
have been in the lead for at least fifty
years.
Not quite a half century ago Robert
Burner bought the New York Ledger, and
gradually dropped its commercial features.
turning 1t into a literary weekly
AT first the Ledger's circulation was
small, but its proprietor began pushing it
TO the front by spending money judic-
iously on attractive features. He paid
Fannie Fern one hundred dollars for one
column; then he gave Edward Everett ten
thousand dollars for his short series of
Mount Vernon Papers,"
Mr.. Bonner soon found that 1t was no
use to spend money making a good paper
unless he coold let the people know what
he was doing.
Publicity the thing and the way to
get 1t was to make use of the big dailies.
The Ledger's editor studied the matter
closely. He saw that an ordinary adver-
tisement passed unroticed. The only wav
TO strike the popular mind was to come
to the front with something original and
novel.
One morning good old preacher in New
York opened the Herald at the breakfast
table. He glanced over the headlines. but
the telegraph news was suddenly eclipsed
by something greater.
He turned over the pages rapidly and ut
tered an exclamation of surprise and as
constituent my DEAR" he said to his
wife, Il want you to look at this and then
give me your opinion"
The ar'c
looked at the two columns on each page
pointed out by her husband
Read The Gun-Maker of Moscow nv
Sylvanus Cobb, Jr., in the New York
Ledger"
ms sentence in large display type was
repeated all the way down the column.
Just this one sentence over and over
again, without word changed in it, IT
think" said the good lady, that Mr.. Bon
ner is crazy" IF not crazy, he is losing
his mind" said the preacher, land I feel
1t my duty as his pastor to see him at
once"
The old gentleman hurried through his
breakfast and despite the bad weather nut
ON his overcoat and overshoes and started
out on his mission. At the Ledger Office
the preacher talked on general subjects I'M
I'll he was satisfied that Mr.. Bonner was
calm and rational enough to profit by a few
words of advice.
The matter of the advertisement In the
Herald was brought up ana the editor of
the Ledger heartily laughed.
Give me your idea of an advertisement"
he said.
WELL" replied the pastor, ''if you simply
desired to call attention to Cobbs new story
In your paper, think you could have done
1t very handsomely in ten inches of space
but ten printed lines would have been suf-
ficient."
would it have attracted your atten-
tion?" said the other.
mo- don't think it would"
would such notice disturb your mind
and cause you to talk about jt?"
mo, of course not
'Would it start you out in the inclemcnt
weather to talk it over with me?'
mo sir" answered the preacher, 'it
would have passed unnoticed in my house
nobody would have read it."
Exactly" laughed Mr.. Bonner. 81 knew
what was about. There are thousands of
people in New York today who are talking
about that advertisement and the Ledger.
palu tne herald TWO thousand dollars for
1t and 1t will bring me in two hundred thou
sand dollars"
THAT is great deal of money" said
the visitor, "but 1 believe that you are
right. You have long head, Mr.. Bonner,
and you have taught me lesson in the art
of Advertising
Such methods gave the Ledger an i'm.
mense circulation and its owner accumu-
lated fortune of millions of dollars.
Every successful business man in Amer
lea makes 1t a point to put brains and work
and money into his advertising.
Hack work in this line is no longer toll
Grated. Our merchant princes and man.
ayers of great enterprises give the branch
of their business their personal supervi-
sion and employ first-class writer's.
Here in Atlanta there are dozens of
business houses, big and little, which have
been built up by Their attractive advertls.