The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-02-26
Rn Expert Talks Interesting
 u Of Id Writing
RND OF VERTISlN6
Theory and Methods Which R. E. Murphy Has Followed With Marked suceess--The Good
 Ad. Joint Production.
BY JOHN SPARROW.

BY JOHN SPARROW.
 sT want to know something of the art and mystery of writing advertisements
 The request was addressed to MT. Rob- ert E. Murphy. who Is widely known as a writer of advertisements and promoter of publicity in all it's forms.
 The story of success from the lips of a successful man Is always notable but in this instance I was compelled to seek out MT Murphy on account of the wide spread interest in the writing of advertise ments. an interest which has almost as- sumed the phase of a craze. There are few ambitious young men and women, forced to earn their daily bread. who have not more or less serious designs upon ad-writing. It is regarded as tho magical key which will unlock the gate barring the way to advancement. or even wealth. The rewards of an ad-writer of ability are large in comparison with those in similar lines of endeayor. The masters of the business-or rather. the profession, as it is coming to be reeogniz- ed-command salaries of $5OOO and s10,OO a year, and some of the past-masters reckon their annual incomes at double those figures. Ind so runs the scale downward, unti s25 a week is regarded as moderate compensation for one who is able to design and write advertisements for a business of no great proportions.
 What Schools Call Supply.
 It is strange then. that schools and institutes for instruction in this work are springing ur all over the land. Some of these are of mushroom growth and their pupils find sooner or later that they have been gulled.. Others are re- sponsible concerns. conducted by those who are competent to teach the theory and practice of using printers ink to the bes advantage. But there Is no one of them which can provide the pupil with the first essential of ad-writing
 And that is brains
 Generously supplied with grey matter one can push his way to fame and for tune as an ad-writer. He needs no tools but sheet of paper and a pencil, and a twelve-inch rule, perhaps. He should of course, be industrious and plueky and persevering, but none of these qualities will avail him unless he has brain power The man who earns $10000 of $20.000 a year by conducting an advertising cam paign to yctory is as great strategist as any marshal who ever waved a baton Indeed. anyone who directs an advertis- ing campaign of the smallest propor tions must have some of the tacticians instinct. Moreover by the very nature of his calling he must be dramatist.
 ncy muSt mdke 9Oou.
 The hopeful graduates of these adver- tising schools who set out to line their pockets with gold and compel the world to come and buy at their bidding, soon find themselves facing the hardest thing in life-"making good" it is called in the expressive slang of the day. They learn that there is a wide span be- tween theory and practice, which can be crossed only by that bridge of signs known as experience. It is not surprising, therefore. that so many become discour- aged and quit, or that the percentage of the successful is pitifully small com pared with the number of beginners.
 1t is not the purpose of this article however, to throw cold water on the aspirations of the bright and ambitious Of both sexes. On the contrary it to encourage. The field is inviting. The use- fitness of publicity is constantly widen ing. Today there is scarcely thing needful to the human race which may not be advertised with profit. That will be truer tomorrow.
 Looking for an Expert.
 Bearing in mind that here is a tide " whieh runs over shoals and rocks, but leads on to fortune if taken at the flood by adventurous spirits, l determined to go in search of man who had followed the channel with safety and profit, and draw from him such hints as might prove pilot wisdom to those who would fol- low.
 Murphy Is the Man"
 l was told by not few that MT. Murphy was my man. His clients in this city they said number above a score of the most representative and progress sive merchants in the various lines of business, and he serves manw patrons in other cities. He not only writes and designs advertisements, but attends to the placing of the min the press of the south, making contracts, checking inser- tons, auditing bills-in fact relieving his clients of everything but attending to the results which his labors bring about. He, I was assured. could inform me wisely and well as to the advertising In all it's features
 Accordingly I went to the office of MT. Murphy, which is in a pleasant, we'll lighted room in the Allen building, the windows whereof overlook First avenue.
 MT. Murphy was out, so the young woman who was playing a medley on the typewriter paused long enough to tell me. He would return in few minutes, though Would l have a seat?
 l would have a seat. 1t was near MT. Murp5y's desk which was open.
 A mans characteristics are invariably bctrayed by the still life of his sur roundings As my eye fell upon this open desk, l said to myself, Murphy has a good big bump of order on his cranium. He has a system" Everything about the desk b ,tokened neatness and precision. The pigeon holes were not stuffed and crammed, but the papers In them lay in an orderly way.
 They seemed to say. "We are in our places; don't disturb us please"
 Ready For the Hand.
 Then my vision wandered to the big case against the wall. every compart- ment of which was fielled with news papers-advertisig exchanges, undoubt- edly.
 Truly" I thought. Murphy believes in putting things where they may be found on the instant
 MT. Murphy came in as I was making will devise ways and means for axtapd