The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-08-28
POSSIBILITIES OF
COUNTRY NEWSPAPERS
ILLUSTRATED
Its Close Relation 10 the People Of the Village
and the Countryside Makes II a
Medium For Merchants

Every town Of any pretenslOns
whatever has at least one country
paper, published at home and dealing
with home affairs. Is that paper
worthy of patronage? Should you
place advertisements in it? Will it
benefit YOU TO secure its favor
through advertisements on it's pages ?
These are questions which many
a country merchant has asked him
self when approached by the solicl-
tor, usually the editor and proprie-
tor, with an advertising proposition.
Let us consider. When spread out
beside the great city daily which
comes on the train from the metro
polls it looks small and Of no ac-
count. It is dwarfed and insignifi-
cant. The pages are smaller and
there are not so many Of them; the
wording Of the reading may not be
equal TO that of the city paper; the
typographical work may be deficient;
It's errors will seem more glaring
when you compare the two.
If Theodore Roosevelt wrote you
a letter, saying that he had taken
his stand against wrong because he
believed 1t was the proper thing 10
do, and If at the same time. while
you were reading the letter. your
little son should come in and tell you
that he had broken n window pane
and was sorry for it, TO which would
you pay the most instant attention,
L.,
that you would look on your son and
heir with pride that he had the cour-
age and manhood to tell you what
he had done. The letter from the
President would interest and please
you, too, perhaps, but little Johnny
low, and he Is right beside you.
doing what you would have him do.
Johnny Is not possessed Of the
stature and years of the President;
he has not the physical energy or the
teeth OF our chief executive. He
may never be as we'll known or great.
The fact that he broke n window is
reprehensible, and the mere fact that
he came and told you was but proper
and reditable-nothing wonderful
In It at all. But Johnny Is bone Of
your bone and flesh of your flesh. In
est to you than even the President of
this nation.
So with the country paper and the
city publication. The people may
take both. They peruse columns on
columns Of reading. skipping from
page to page with interest. They
tike to know what is going on in the
great world. But the little p1per
holds for them n nearer interest. In
1t are chronicled the little homely
details OF their neighbors and them
selves. II may not be so powerful.
so large, so important to the world;
1t may not be so wise. so skilled in
augmentation. But 1t is a chronicle
OF things at home and 1t holds a
closer relation to the people OF the
village and countryside than the big
city paper can ever obtain.
This being the case, 1t behooves
the country merchant to recognize
the possibilities of the country paper.
One man may differ from his grocer s
opinion OF the President. and still
come to the store for groceries. But
tf one man smites the merchants
son carelessly, he and the merchant
are not as general thing on ami
cable terms. The boy and his welfare
are of vital interest to the parents.
AS to the President, there Is always
COON for argument in calm and
dispassionate way. Your opinion of
the city paper may not be the same
as that of your best customer, but
you do not find fault with one an
other about that; but the country
paper is right with you. and when
one espouses its cause II becomes
more of a personal matter. 1t is a
part OF the town family.
Now, what is the attitude OF the
little paper on your business? How
does 1t stand on the matter OF the
parcels post. the catalogue house
trade and similar matters of impor-
tance to you? Have you ever talked
1t over with the man at the head
Perhaps he does not understand the
matter clearly. Possibly his back
bone is weak. Once in a while he
may get an advertisement from out
of town while you do not patronize
his columns.
We believe that advertising is vi
cal and that the merchant should use
the means and instruments within
his reach for his own benefit The
advertisement in your home paper
serves a double purpose-it gives you
che support OF the paper in a bust.
ness way and II brings your business
to the attention of the people who
may be customers of yours.
Too many merchants consider only
che first of these two purposes. and
the result is that their advertise.
ments are poorly displayed and poor.
iy written, too.
"Oh. put in John Smith, Fancy
nj L. .