Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1900-12-06
LOCAL NEWSPAPERS.
PROMOTE INDUSTRY AND EkcouR-
AGE TRADE.

His Townsmen.
The following story Of the reiuvena-
ton Of a moribund newspaper is told
by Z. D. Price in Advertising World:
II wish you well, Mr.. Tuttie. You
can't lose much by your venture, for
you're getting The Sentinel cheap
enough, but this village wont support
a newspaper. It's too near the city.
Every business man In town owes for
advertising, and folks think they ought
to be paid for reading the paper, let
alone buying It"
The speaker was the retiring owner
and editor of the. Salem Sentinel, q
drowsy four page paper published in
q village just too far from the city Of
Blank to be called q suburb, and the
editor was bright looking young fel-
low, with good teeth and a genial smile.
who had just purchased the little down
at the heel newspaper for q song and
was about taking possession
Gosh" said q habitual freQuenter
Of The Sentinel Office two days later ON
dropping in to get acquainted with the
new editor. Well he might say "Goshr
for the dingy place was transformed.
A coat Of paint had frightened up the
outside appearance vastly, and within
clean windows, walls and an immacu-
late floor proclaimed q new order OF
things. Most significant was a parti-
ton, separating the workroom from
the front Office. with q sign, "No Ad-
mittance." on the door, proclaiming to
all who could read that the days of
casing with the compositor' at his
work were over. A new stove and q
lot Of comfortable armchairs gave an
air of invitation to the front Office
which the habitual freQuenter was not
slow to feel.
The first issue Of The Sentinel under
the new management caused a sensa-
ton because Of pungent little notice
to those in arrears which appeared In
the editorial column. In substance II
read. "Pay up or be dropped" Nobody,
advertiser or subscriber, paid much at
tention to the bluff" They had had
such invitations before, II not In such
peppery, yet polished. terms.
The following weeks paper was o
singular looking affair. 1t was got out
by the new editor and the "devil." the
comp" having taken umbrage Mt GER
tain restrictions Of his privileges and
gone Off in q huff. True to the notice
Of the previous week, the parties In ar
rears had been dropped. and the adver-
tising space was q vast e1panse Of
"whitewash." enlivened by this notice:
I'VE have killed the dead ads. Ad-
vertlsers in arrears may settle at half
price. We pay cash and want cash"
An extra 500 copies were given away,
and the queer little paper. full Of local
news, II not Of advertisements, was IA
vorably commented ON by the people,
tired of its dead and alive appearance
under the former regime.
At an Informal meeting Of Salem's In
dignant business men. whose cards had
been dropped by The Sentinel for nom
payment 1t was agreed that they should
ignore the paper. and an opposition
sheet was talked Of.
Editor Tuttle kept his own counsel
A new compositor was hired, and as
week by week The Sentinel appeared 1t
showed the quality Of the young man
behind 1t. A dress Of new type i'm
proved its looks wonderfully, editorials
right to the point were In evidence, the
Salem churches, spurred by the inser-
ton Of pictures Of their church edifices
without charge. sent In bright notices
Of coming services; local lodges were
sure Of free space at any time. and.
last, but not least. the gossip column.
filled with those thousand and one hap
penings Of interest In village life, grew
weekly, and 1t was a "small potato" in
deed who did not see his name In the
paper frequently.
As a newspaper The Sentinel was a
success. AS an advertising sheet it
languist ed. and Editor Tuttle saw,
with certain amount Of apprehension.
the gradual diminution Of his little
store. Still he stuck to his colors.
Then came his opportunity. The
completion of a trolley line to the
neighboring city, cutting the railroad
fare In two and furnishing frequent
service, was the lever which the young
man determined to use on the obsti-
nate boycotters. Filling his pockets
with the last number Of The Sentinel,
he journeyed to the city. When he re-
turned, after an absence Of two days.
his face wore q triumphant smile and
his step was elastic.
The following week saw six page
Sentinel appear. crammed with adver-
tisements, all of them from the neigh
boring city and all Of them Offering
most undeniable bargains and. by spe
cial arrangement with The Sentinel,
free trolley ride both ways to purchas-
ers during the opening week Of trolley
service. A huge edition was printed.
The Sunday aspect Of the business
portion Of Salem during that memora-
Bile week will never be forgotten by
Salem's business mep. In spite OF
stern mandates their very wives and
daughters Joined the rush and made
holiday in the city with money that
rightly belonged to the Salem mer-
chants And 1t was all the doings of
that traitorous Sentinel. taking custom
ers and good money away from them
and running their business.
Then something happened. Inspired
by a common impulse. they casually
dropped into The Sentinel office and.
mumbling something about that old
account slipping their mind. paid up
and inquired about advertising rates
for a good space.
The next weeks Sentinel was IN
eight page paper.
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Gone DRy.