The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-01

Campbell hastily turned back to Illinois
street and found that Mr.. Chandler lived in
the other direction.
what do you suppose that gang would
have done to me If 1 had gone down there
asking for Mr.. Chandler asked Mr..
Campbell at the conclusion of the story.
Broke" in a large city is a condition
that a few people have experienced and a
way to solve such a distressing circum-
stance has many times proved a puzzle
and fruitless efforts have resulted through
many schemes that have been tried by the
unfortunate. The reporter tells
story Of his own experience from which it
would be we'll for travellers on small purses
to take pointer. He was in St. Louis and
without position. He took an inventory
OF his wealth and found that with pennies
and other small change he had lacking
few cents OF having a big dollar. He had
worked his confidence on a restaurant man
and believed that for few days he could
have his meal checks placed on ice, so TO
speak. He needed smoking tobacco and he
invested the larger part CT his wealth in
that commodity and then he took the re-
mainder and placed an advertisement in
one of the daily papers asking for a stenog-
rapher. He requested the. applicants to
give the names of the parties where they
were last employed and also to state the
dates of leaving their last position. He
received many answers and taking a few
where the applicants had just left posi-
tons, the police reporter hustled around
and managed to secure place long enough
to raise money to lay in a fresh supply Of
tobacco and get out of town.
Two old time newspaper men sat at
table in the Denison House bar annex.
They were talking of the newspaper situa-
ton in Indianapolis and the conversation
70 he hoip
to increase the subscription list. Said one:
There's nothing in it for the paper that
can see The people that are attracted by
the schemes are usually those who take the
paper for the sole purpose of securing
something for nothing. Those who are
able and do take the paper usually care
nothing for such things"
"I'll tell you," said the other, II don't
think much of the prize scheme, either.
I'll never forget an experience had In
st. Louis when / was in the circulation
department of an afternoon paper, which
issued a Sunday morning edition. The
paper offered prizes each week to adver-
tisers and subscribers guessing the certain
advertisement in a specified class in the
want columns receiving the most answers.
The names of winners were published each
week in large letters running clear across
a page. The first two weeks passed and
each time two young men employed in rail-
way offices won first and second prizes
in both subscribers and advertisers
test. 1t seemed iatheI strange put little
was thought of 1t until the fourth week
had passed and one or both of these names
appeared at the head of the lists OF WIN
ners. Subscribers were making complaints
that the thing was not on the square. So
far as the paper was concerned l knew 1t
was, but it looked bad. The thing went
for about two months. The young meh
continued to get frsts and seconds with
regularity. New Years morning 1 was in
the Office. Ten minutes after the paper
was off the press three or four messenger
boys came in and left envelopes marked
for the two contests. / marked these and
put them on the hook. The messengers
had our receipt and the guesses which
proved to be correct were the first In the
Office. Wednesday the papers came out
with list of winners and the names or the
two young men did not appear. A day or
two later they came to the Office and
wanted to know why they had not been
awarded one of the prizes. They had
guessed on the right advertisements and
were positive no others had been received
| before theirs They were right Every
envelope was stamped with the time 1t
had been received and also placed on the
hooks in the order received. They demand
ed the money. We would not pay II. They
returned several times but we would not
give in. That Sunday was the last one III
which the prize offers appeared. The fell
| lows went TO a rival newspaper and ex-
posed the scheme they had worked and
| made complaint that they had won ana
| the paper refused to pay the prizes The
men were also connected with night
school and after reading the conditions for
| the next contest would write cleverly
| worded advertisements coming within the
requirements, pay for their insertion and
| then guess on them. They had many stu
dents in the night school and for practice
work they were given clippings Of the ads
| on which their guess had been made and
| told to write letters answering then
MANY times a student made errors in his
reply and they had to be rewritten. All
| of these letters, good and bad, were IN
closed in envelopes and at different times
during the week, before the close OF the
| contests, would be brought to the ONCE
| and deposited in the want-ad. mall pox:
Their scheme Melted them about $780, and
| the disrepute into which the paper was
| brought, through no fault of its own, dis
| gusted me with ali prize schemes.