The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-07
PRESS AGENTS. sYsTEn
One Advance Nan who Card Indexes
Newspaper Men He Meets.

Here In Washington the press agent
Is but one factor In the success Of a
show. but on the road it's different"
said an advance man to the Washing
ton Post "On the road hitting up
line Of one night stands 1t makes little
difference whether the show is good
or not 30 1t has live man ahead, has
good outfit of paper and has its
bookings in good houses. The COM
pany gets into town any time be-
tween noon and 2 o'clock the day OF
the performance and Is gone again be-
fore morning. Its patronage depends
almost entirely upon what the news
papers have said about it during the
previous week. No one in town, per-
haps, has ever seen the show or has
any idea whether it is good or bad.
In most One-night-stand towns the
city editors or hotel reporters look
after the theatrical news, as they call
1t. For a week before the show is to
appear these dramatic editors each
night fix up for the next mornings
paper a stickful or SO of reading mat
ter. Whether 1t be done in a merely
perfunctory manner, so as to fulfill
the advertising contract, or whether
1t be done with enthusiastic good will.
depends very largely upon the feelings
of the writer toward the advance man.
1.-TWO weeks before we start send
to the managers of the theaters we are
to reach within, say 30 days, a personal
letter inclosing blank form on which
each manager is to fill in the names of
the newspapers In his town and the
names of the city editor and dramatic
editor of each paper. Space is left
in which is put after each editors
name the length of time he has been
with that particular paper, and If he
is a recent acquisition where he came
from and on what paper he worked
last.
when get in bunch of these
blanks begin jollying. may not have
been in any Of these towns for several
years and l may not remember any Of
the newspaper men, but I am not lost.
l used to carry memorandum book,
or rather several of them. i'll which
had the names OF all the editors had
met and few words to refresh my
memory concerning our last meetings.
But that is ani0pated now. Three
years ago had a firm that manufact-
ures card indexes make me, one that
v would just fit iR the end of suit
case.
"1n 1t are cards, each bearing the
name of state and arranged alpha
betically. Between these cards is
sheet of paper, very thin, tough linen.
for each One-night town in that state.
These are also arranged alphabetically.
On these town sheets are the names OF
the editors worth knowing. Opposite
each name is memorandum of the
last time | met him. suggestion OF
what shovel was with. the names aud
occupations OF some of the fellows he
introduced me to, ETC., and most i'm
portant of all, how he looks, 80 that
may be able to recognize him when
we meet.
To each of these newspaper fellows
l send In a plain envelope marked
Personal, a bunch of literature and
note reminiscent of some former meet
ing, If there has been one. Usually
get an advance notice ahead Of the adj
vertising contract on this letter.
"A week before the show is to start
l get out to the first town. put in
a day at each place. make the advertis-
Ing contracts. 60 over and final details
with the theater manager, and. above
all, see the newspaper reporters.
There Is nothing makes. a man
think he amounts to something like
being remembered. On the train GO
Ing to the next town get out my card
index and take from it the slip bearing
data of my last visit to that town.
l find that the newspapers are the