The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-03-22
WHO DID N.
Brooklyn Eagle Says It Was a Kan
sas Man-Of Course.

LFrom the Brooklyn Eagle.1
The man who worked up the Sheldon
Daily is a genius. His name is Her
bert S. Houston and he lives at 19l Mo
wood street. While he has achieved IN
paralleled success as a press agent, ne
has kept himself SO completely IN the
background that only a few advertising
agents know that he has had anything
10 do with the Sheldon edition.
Mr.. Houston, who is now sc years old,
IS a Kansas man. After leaving college
he took up newspaper work. For some
years he was city editor of a paper IN
Helena, Mont, and afterward or the
Sioux City, Ia, Journal From 1897 TO
1894 he was employed on the editorial
stan of the Chicago Tribune. He left
the Tribune to accept a more lucrative
position as advertisement writer for the
largest baking powder concern IN the
west. Since 1896 he has been connected
with Outing Magazine as advertising
manager. He is one of the most sue
cessful advertising solicitors in the
country. His services are always In de-
lnand as a writer of advertising book
let's for railroad and steamship compa-
MES and he is a frequent contributor to
the higher class periodicals.
When Mr.POpenOe. the principal own
er Of the Topeka Capital, conceived the
idea, two months ago, of inducing the
Rev Mr.. Sheldon to edit his paper for
Z. week, and was looking for some one
10 put the idea into execution, a. mutual
friend mentioned Mr.. Houston as the
one man capable Of carrying out the
scheme. Mr.. Houston went to Topeka,
where his first task was to induce Mr..
Sheldon to undertake the enterprise.
This was no easy matter, for the preach
er was decidedly averse to the notoriety
and criticism he would necessarily at
tract. He was finally persuaded that
he might find in the undertaking an
opportunity to do good. Mr.. Sheldon
gets no pecuniary consideration what
ever for his labOrs. His sole compen-
sation is the belief that he is doing
some good.
Having secured his editor, his next
step was to give the scheme the neces-
sary publicity. For the benefit of those
who think such an undertaking adver-
tises itself it may be stated here that
Mr. Houston worked out to its most
minute details an elaborate scheme for
obtaining publicity and that some very
shrewd manipulating was required to
set things going without revealing the
hand that pulled the wires Nearly all
is fish that comes to the press agents
net; criticism is more valuable than
1ulsOme praise, for attack inspires
counter attack, all of which keeps the
subject of the controversy before the
public. Religious papers and the met
rOpOlitan yellOws. dailies, weeklies,
monthlies, class papers, every sort Of
periodical that could contribute its
duced to join in the mighty chorus of
free advertising for Mr.. HOuston's
scheme. The ultimate result was that
the Sheldon edition has secured more
voluminOus and more persistent free
advertising than any private undertake
ing ever launched. Ever since Mr..
Houston set the machinery in motion
the papers from Maine to Oregon and
from Minnesota to Texas. from the cross
roads weekly to the great metropolitan
dailies. have teemed with notices of the
Sheldon edition. Many Of the articles
have been very long, often occupying a
full page. Notices have poured in act
ually by tens of thousands. One news
paper clipping bureau has grown rich
shipping out articles about the Sheldon
edition that Mr. Houston might keep
posted on how his plans for publicity
were going.
But this was only the beginning of a
gigantic undertaking. In order to Gre
ate a circulation in so short a time
many elaborate plans had to be laid.
The leading religious papers were in
duced to offer the Sheldon edition as Il
premium for subscribers. One after an
other the great religious organizations,
the Christian EndeaVOrers. the Young
Mems Christian association, the Ep-
worth League, the Baptist Young Peo-
pies union. the WomaH's Christian
Temperance union, were set in motion
as divisions Of a great army of can
Vassers to solicit subscriptions In ev-
cry city, town and village through out
the nation where one or more of these
organizations is represented solicitors
have been at work taking in quarters
for the Sheldon edition and retaining 10
cents of each quarter for local church
purposes Arrangements were also made
with the news companies 50 that
wherever a newsdealer can be found
there will the Sheldon edition be on
sale this week
Having gotten things we'll under way
IN the United States. plans were laid
for an English edition. A man was sent
70 London where acting under instruc-
tions from Mr.. Houston. an arrange
ment was made with Sir George
Newnes, Strand Magazine and a dozen
other periOdicals-in fact, the very best
man in all England for the undertaking
to bring out an English edition OF
Sheldon's paper without risk to the pub
fishers of the Capital and on most ad-
vantageOus terms The people of Eng
land were worked up into a Sheldon
craze just as the people of America
have been, and an organized army has
Tal1ed the island for shillings for Hous-
ton
While all this was going on Mr.. Eous-
ton was selecting the advertisers who