Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-12-03
NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING.

A significant action on the part of
the management I the Barnur. &
Bailey and the Ringing circuses is
their agreement, recently announced,
to do away with bill boards, barn side
and window advertising posters,
almost entirely and to depend
upon the newspapers to inform
the people of the coming of their at
fractions. This is notable conces-
sion to the fact, so we'll established
now, that newspaper advertising is the
advertising that pays. The circus Is
one Of the last of the big advertisers
to admit this point but they have fin
ally come to it.
The newspaper with certified cir
culation and with it's subscription
books open for inspection is the news.
paper that can be depended upon to
cover the territory it may claim. 1t
Is the agency through which the adj
vertiser MY reac the thinking ele-
ment Of the population of the city in
which it is located and of the sur
rounding country. The fact that it
offers an affidavit to support It's claims
OF circulation is prima facie eviG ,nce
that 1t is not afraid of investigation
and is proud of the field it gives to adj
vertisers.
The ability given the newspapers
to reach the rural districts by means
of the free mail routes has opened up
a larger field for the newspaper bust
ness in many localities and the daily
papers are now read on the farms
and in the inland villages almost as
quickly as in the larger towns and
cities on the railroad lines. This ia
an advantage which is not overlooked
J by the farmer and consequently the
value of the newspaper as an adver.
Using medium has been increased by
It's added circulation in the farming
localil.es.
These points have not been over.
looked by the circus managers and
they have evolved their present plan
with view to proflting by the new
advantages being offered by the news.
papers and at the SINE time do away
with a big expense incurred in posting
advertising bills along the country
roads, on fences and barns. For
many years everyone who had an
empty window, piece Of fence or a
barn that Would serve as a bill board
has been able to secure free tickets
to the circuses in -eturn for allowing
the posting of the big colored sheets
advertising the /; ttfaction. This was
necessary, perhaps, when the news
papers were in their infancy as re-
garded expansion, but now they have
removed the necessity and the circus
men have not been slow to see the
benefit accruing to them. They are
not by any means the only ones tc
recognize the truth in this regard, at
is attested by the disappearance, az
years go by, of the signs advertising
patei.t medicines, cigars and almos,
every other line of merchandise. These
used to adorn every roadside bridge
every big boulder, farm yard fence and
barn side but they are going the way
OF the other marks Of the backwoods
The newspaper is coming into the
field with a force that Is felt every
where.
The agreement between the manag
ers of the two big circuses includes al
understanding as to routes. Hereto
fore these two big attractions have
fought each other, in a way by doub
| ling territory and showing over con
flicting routes. But their new agree
ment carries with it the arrangement
to exchange route lists year after yea
and to cover different territory.