New-York tribune., 1901-10-13
C4NP4IGN BUTTONS.
MAKING THEM A UNIQUE BUSINESS
HOW THEIR USE HAS GROwN-THE
EXPERIENCES OF BIN"

IL seems that there is at least one man in the
community TO whom the nominations OF the two
clty conventions were no surprise. He is the man
who furnishes the campaign buttons which have
become prominent feature in all political con-
tests few minutes after II had been decided
tnat Mr Low should be the fusion candidate for
Mayor "Bim, the Button Man" appeared ar the
Fifth Avenue Hotel and distributed handfuIs of
Low buttons. and with every lot he gave away he
Threw In for good measure the remark: II told Won
sor'
When Tammany had its convention called for the
purpose Of indorsing the choice Of Croker BIN
was on hand again. The house resounded with
cheers for Coler. but BIN" passed among the
delegates ard spectators and distributed Shepard
buttons and made the seIf-satiShed remark
with which he had greeted the friends of fusion
at the Fifth Avenue Hotel a few days before.
If could pick the winning horses in Saratoga"
ne said with as much certainty I can local
candidates I'd have money enough TO buy the CITY
haH Last summer, when everybody was making
wild guesses about the nominations I laid in a
stock of Low buttons. and two weeks before Shep-
ara was spoken of had three barrels of Shepard
buttons ready 70 put on the market. OF course
there were several barrels of other buttons ready
IN case the cat jumped the other way but it
couldn't jump any way and get out of nv reach
There is no other business Just like that Of
making campaign buttons. When the button maker
picks the winner his profit is large but when he
gropes in the dark and lays in a stock Of buttons
persons he incurs expense which becomes absolute
loss Coler Mcclellan. Nixon and Guggenheimer
buttons can be used for nothing but SCRAP 4
manufacturer Of ordinary merchandise can dispose
or seconds and thirds poor STYLES at a
loss, and While this may at times be great. he
usually realizes something, but the button with
the wrong picture IL Is worthless and there
Iore' BIN had good reason TO congratulate him
When they were first introduced campaign hut
IONS were worn by men 10 show their political
leaning IN a campaign The sales were compar-
allVeI! small, because the price high. But
improved methods have made the campaign brt-
ton q cheap article and the sales have become
enormous They are packed in boxes Containing
one thousand and cases containing fifty a hun
uIeC OF these boxes are sent TO headquarters and
10 candidates who wish to distribute them.
III buttons were used only by voters" said
BIN, our business would shrink. Thousands
ana tens OF thousands taken home to the
baby, bushels of buttons are used by the bows
and great quantities put away in collections
Candidates know the value of keeping before the
public, and liberal with their campaign but
TONS and when leaders apply for boxes of buttons
make himself known better and at less expense
than by means of the button? When ordered in
lots OF 10000 furnish them at about 20 cents a
thousand. and / suppose that even this low price
might be shaded little when the order is large
enough. I've made buttons for all sorts of men.
and it's a mighty satisfactory job. Many a man
thinks he's in il for months until the convention
lays him Nat. In the time he's been diStrib-
utinE buttons by the thousand. When he finds
himself In the soup his only COnSOlatiO is
he's sorry for every cent he put into the fight
cept what he gave to me They all like to their
picture on buttons and the don't live who
doesn't think he's a good locker a button"