The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-09-02
GREAT IS KANSAS
Advertising Made 1t So Says Mr..
Houston.
Tells Graphically of Good work
of Pioneers.
COL. JOHNSON FIRST.
Told the Story of Kansas Lands
and Opportunities.
Interesting Session of the Tope-
ka Ad Club.

The meeting of the Topeka Al cluO
held on the roof garden of the National
hotel Tuesday evening was an I'M
qualified success 1t is true that there
was a shortage of chairs and tables for
the members who came in late but this
was easily remedied and is only men
toned to illustrate the interest taken
in the Ad club meetings.
President c. P. Adams presided and
introduced Herbert S. Houston, the
speaker of the evening as master or
the art of advertising and the ease
with which Mr.. Houston handled the
subject from it's varied phases indi-
Gated that the presidents summary
was correct. Mr.. Houston is kansan,
more than that. he is former To-
pekan.
At present he is a member of the
Kansas colony living in New York city
off of the knowledge which they gained
in Kansas and took with them to the
eastern part of the United States as
capital. He is vice president of the
Doubleday-Page publishing house and
connected in various capacities with
other eastern advertising and publish
ing propositions.
Mr. Houston might we'll be classed
among the pioneers of western Kansas
as he preceded the railroads to that
construction train which was being
used in building the Santa Fe railroad,
in Larned. 1875. He remained in that
section of the state for number OF
years and there became infected with
the newspaper microbe from which he
has never freed his system. He is
graduate of the state university, as
well as the Topeka school of journalism
where he served an apprenticeship
with the newspapermen of ten or fif-
teen years ago, afterwards working on
a number of Kansas City papers.
Mr.. Houston we'll deserves the name
of master when the art of advertising
is being discussed for his story is one
of unqualified success from the time he
entered the newspaper profession. He
is different from the average neWSpa-
per man in one way at least, to
marked degree, inasmuch as he is able
to stand up before an audience and
talk indefinitely, and yet not tire his
listeners. At least this would seem to
be the case from the viewpoint of one
who heard him discuss advertising at
length last night.
Mr.. HoustOn's Address.
Starting in on his subject which in
reality was advertising though 1t had
been announced by various high
sounding sentences more rounded, but
meaning the same, he said: Like all
Kansans I left the state with regret
and always return with pleasure. 1t
seems to me that this great state of
Kansas has been one of the largest
beneficiaries of advertising starting
with the early days of Colonel A. S.
Johnson, the first land commissioner of
the Santa Fe railroad.
kansas has been lifted from COM
mon place among the states of the
union to a place among the stars and
for this transformation advertising OF
one class or other is responsible. 1t
began with Colonel A. S. Johnson who
first sang the praises of Kansas
and told in simple story of the beauties
of Kansas land. Then came John A.
Martin, John J. Ingalls, and Noble
Prentis whose stories of Kansas were.
classics read in the homes in the east
and responsible for much of the best
advertising the state has ever re-
ceived from any source.
They were closely followed by Col
onel D. R. Anthony, Marsh Murdoch
and Major J. K. Hudson whose stories
published in Kansas papers command
ed respect wherever read and had a
hearing over the entire world. Follow
Ing in their wake came the advertisers
of the state who are in the harness
today. Among them Charles Gleed,
young Dan Anthony and Victor Muir
dock, Arthur Capper and F. P. Mac
Lehman and our genial philosopher