The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-04
THE SUN, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4; 1903.

= gentleman employed 70 arouse interest
in noted New York stock company on
It's travels through the country.
The actors Of the company--at least
the leading ones--expected 10 have equal
representation in the announcements and
preliminary talk about the company. But
they found that most OF the fuss was made
about two persons.
Investigation showed, after the patience
Of the others had been taxed to a degree
they could not tolerate, that these two
actors had engaged the press agent OF the
company as their special agent OF notoriety.
This information was conveyed to the
home Office, and there was soon another
press agent in charge Of that company.
Then there Ia the speculative press agent.
who undertakes job en- contingent fee.
II nothing creeps into the newspapers he
receives no compensation. His dealings
are. II is useless to say, chiefly with the
humber members Of the profession who
cannot afford the luxury OF special agent.
Then there is the omnibus press agent.
who issues a weekly sheet Of puffs FOR those
who are his regular subscribers. This w..
Of course. much cheaper method for the
actors and offers only the possible dis
advantage Of grouping in rather hetero-
geneous fashion trsgedians, soubrettes and
variety actors. Press agent work Of that
kind is, OF course, less valuable than the
Efforts OF the genius who can make all the
newspapers In the city print long accounts
Of the actress who takes daily bath In
clam chowder or u carried out to sea in the
grasp Of devil Aeh.
Few Of the great opera singers ever en-
ploy press agents except when they first
arrive. and the greatest never had prefs
agents even during that period. During
the days Of Maurice 0rau's direction every
singer always believed that 1t was in his
power to have tho newspapers say just
what he wanted them to. So when one Of
the singers, after failure or neglect, de-
cided to engage press agent It was usually
with the idea Of defeating Mr. Grau's fell
purpose Of keeping them down.
They could never realize the soundnees
Of the theory that 1t was much better for
him to have all his artists praised and dis
cussed than criticised adversely or ignored.
They were always certain when the latter
fate was theirs that Mr.. Grau had brought
1t about for some sinister motive, usually
to reduce their salaries, il possible. And
there is very little reas on to believe that
under the administration Of Mr.. Conried
there will be any difference In tho charac-
teristice Of these persons.
Possibly tho society press agent is the
latest manifestation Of this functionary.
His business Ia to save his employer trouble
when he il unable to avoid publicity or
acquire publicity for him when he might
otherwise have to struggle along in OBJ
security.
An instance Of the former class was the
press agent who recently distributed the
information given to the public concerning
a certain noted international match.
Shortly before the marriage he went to tho
head Of the BRIDES family
aTher, Is bound to BE- a great deal Of
publicity about this marriage" he said,
and tho newspapers will very naturally
require all kinds Of details, "a public interest
for n Ii very great.
snow I can save you = great deal Of
trouble. win give out Ill the information
you desire, from the list Of the guests to the
printed description Of the brides dresses.
"Leave It all to me. I'll let tho fact be
known in all the Newspaper Offices. the
reporters will come to me and you will not
be troubled particle, and II will cost you
only $780,
This offer was accepted, all the Informs
ton that tho family cared to have made
public was given out correctly. and the
family escaped great deal Of trouble.
Very frequently large events, certain
to create great deal Of public interest. are
handed over in this way to one person.
who relieves the persons interested of all
trouble. An hour day with this kind Of
prees agent saves no end Of trouble for
them.
Another kind Of press agent, and natu-
rally much lees expensive. is usually young
woman. She will 90 to q newspaper Office
and send In the card Of the well known
woman who engages her.
She will explain to the person by whom
she is received that the lady whose card
she bears lie going to give reception or
dance or something that will b. Of interest
to the public. And she has all the details
ready to hand over.
Sometimes the private secretary, who is
now almost an indispensable adjunct Of
every very wealthy household, acts also
~ press agent for her employer. sending
out information as to her entertainments
or, at all events, having it ready for thoee
that want 1t.
Tho activity Of the society press agent
has ever been known to extend TO inauiring
at the newspaper Office as to whether the
names OF certain guests had been included
in the lists sent out by various hostesses,
and to requesting the insertion Of these
names If by chance they were omitted
One young woman last summer at New
port managed to earn fair livelihood by
acting as society press agent. She had
tact, an agreeable personality and other
qualities that made her attractive to the
women with whom she came into contact.
She got from them accounts of all their en-
tertajnments which che prepared for dis
tribution, receiving from them small sum
for her trouble.
The number Of entertainments was large
enough TO make this moderately profitable
Then she sold this information. which was
accurate and official NO the newspapers;
and In that way the work paid her very well
And she served the interests Of her employ
after all, but took one Ia self defeEce, as
q great many persons are compelled to do.
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4 Big Southwestern Farm.
From the Kansas CITY journal
The Oklnhomans claim to have the lar gest
farm In the Southwest. 1t is the ioi ranch
I'm the Ponca rcser walton and In 40 biz that n