The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-02-09
BUSINESS AND ADVERTISING
EDITOR OF aPRINTER's INKp RE
VIEWS HIS CAREER.
Necessity OF Advertising as an Enter
prise Ranks With Banking
and Insurance.

There is no narrative of the com
mercial world more interesting, more
wonderful, or more nearly approach
ing the incredible, than is the history
OF advertising Fifty years ago this
aid to business building, now esteemed
the prime requisite Of success, was
distrusted as Of little or no value by
many of the foremost men in the
business world The few who expert
mented with il, through the mediums
Of such publications as were Of recOg-
nized standing at that time, seldom
expected any return for the eXpendi-
tlre Of their dollars. Today its i'm
pOrtance, measured in money e1pend-
ed for its certain rewards is next to /
the enterprise Of banking and insur-
ance in this country.
A man who has seen advertising /
grow from infancy to robust maturity, 4
who has done much to change the 4
business from a chaotic state Of IN /
systematic experiment to q carefully I
organized and mighty force Of com
merce, has written a book about his
experiences. The man is George Pres /
berry Rowell, founder Of the George P
ROwelI Advertising agency, OF
RowelTs American Newspaper Direc-
tory and Of Printers Ink, the last a
journal for advertisers. His book is
I
Agent and covers the period Of his
business career, from 1865 to 1905.
The Growth OF Advertising.
Mr.. ROweu apparently set out to
write an autobiography And in this
he succeeded But he has Of necessity
/ Incorporated a history Of the growth
Of advertising in this country, where
/ it has reached its highest develop
ment. With no attempt at connect
] e
| hfty-two chapters, or papers" each
Il relating something OF the events Of
a certain period, outlining the char
/ acters OF men associated in a business
or social way with the author, or tell
/ ing something Of the advertising me-
| thods employed by the house Of
| RoweIl A delightfully."- fresh and read
able chapter on angling follows pa
per offering much serious and yaiu-
able advice on business success to the
under employees in mercantile houses.
Made 100000 in Six Years.
George P. ROweH is OF Vermont
stock. and possessed the hardy quail
ties that make "hustleFs," Starting
into the advertising business in 1865,
with an ambition to accumulate S1O,-
600 and retire as a gentleman far
mer." he found, after six years, that
he was worth 100000. Then he de-
I cided that he would not be really we'll
] TODD until he could write a check for
five times the latter sum But after
the first six years, every day and night
of which had been devoted to labor,
his health became impaired, and he
| decided to devote four months OF each
year TO recreation, and never again,
ne says, was the same enthusiasm
brought to bear on the upbuilding Of
the business" However, the business
grew, and it is highly probable that
the veteran agent, now in the seven
ties, is worth the sum held by him to
be a satisfactory competence.
In 1869 was issued the first volume
of ''RowelTs Newspaper Directory.
Before the Philadelphia centennial in
1876 the ROwel company was known
l to every publisher in America Print
/ ers' Ink was first issued in 1888. 1t
; was the first journal devoted to the
l instruction Of the advertiser, and is
, today the leader Of an army Of imi-
tators that have sprung into being
since its inception.
Mr. Rowell retired from the adver-
Using business last year The occa-
sion was marked by a notable dinner
I given in his honor at the Waldorf
I Astoria hotel, New York, October 81
; last One hundred and sixty business
4 men from all sections Of the country
gathered to attend this dinner and dc
honor to the man who had done SO
much for the American commercial
j ! world