West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-05-20
VALUE IN ADVERTISING
Methods Adopted by Cities That
Find II Pays.
PRESS AGENTS ARE EMPLOYED
Art OF Publicity Men Has Full SWING
In Booming Demonstrations Devices
Used TO Make Known Municipal Ad.
vantases--New Use For Mail.

Oseo 10 MAKE known Municipal Ad-
vantages--Ne~ Use For Mail.
One of the surest ways TO boom a
town and attract outsiders to It is by
advertising. Let the world at large
know OF its attractions and its value
as business and residential place.
III you read that Seattle. Tacoma,
Springfield, New Orleans, Shreveport
Memphis, Pawtucket, is each and sew.
orally tho pleasantest and the most
profitable place 20 live in: that In
Pittsburg neither stogies nor steel mil.
lionaires are compulsory social habits;
that New York is the only place 90 buy
| stylish clothes: that Greensboro, n. c..
Is half Yankee and half southern ana
money yiclder; that fortunes grow
on apple trees around Spokane; that
| the sun loves TO shine on Kittltas;"
That san Francisco Is better than n
was before; that there are no poor and
consequently no charities TO support
| in-one hesitates TO name it-and II
you continually come across refer
ences 10 the seductions and comforts
of these cities, you will know that
there's n reason.
The reason Is that even cities now
ndnys employ press agents.
Advertising cities Is merely another
| application OF the familiar trulsm that
advertising brings success II what
you advertise bears out your adver-
tisement The Springfield (Mass.) board
OF trade has just awarded prize OF
$500 for a scheme for agentlng the
city which calls for an expenditure OF
$4,000 n year. including n combina-
tion advertlslng-reading notice agent.
This plan is now I'm the hands OF n
special committee. Among the sug-
gested mediums of publicity outside OF
magazines and newspapers. which, OF
course. come first, are personal letters,
buttons, stlckers. billbonrds and n
monthly bulletin.
The Commercial club OF Knoxville,
Tenn, expects 10 spend $4,000 this
year In the advertising columns OF
northern and southern newspapers and
magazines. Spokane, Wash, is repeat
Ing It's last years expenditure Of $GO,-
600 In promotion work. II is circulnt-
Ing, chiefly through It's chamber of
commerce, newspaper clippings, bro
chures, pamphlets, circulars, dodgers,
leaflets and copies OF publications hav-
Ing descriptions OF the city. Every
Inquirer for information Is posted upon
the chambers bulletin board. He i'm
mediately receives letters and rates
and propositions ana pictures from rail-
ways, from land dealers. from bank
crs, etc.
This is one OF the most comprehen-
sive. impressive. eager and Judicious
examples OF the new system. Yet Il is
only I'm the lca1et OF n dealer I'm Spo-
kane's city bonds that you learn that
Power City" owns its own water
works, its own garbage crematory and
much other valuable property and that
Its net general bond indebtedness IL
Sl,51O0OO No city that advertises
tells you what the tax rate is. None
except Houston. Tex, tells what re-
lief you are TO have from the ordinary
or extraordinary burden OF local politl.
cnl grating.
What is spread broadcast as oc-
caslOn serves. is notice that winters
are warm, summers cool (ns II you
wanted TO stay the year round I'm one
spoO, that there are numerous secret
societies, that growth has been rapid
population fancifully estimated for
1920, that I'm the suburbs there Is not
much RAIN and therefore that last
feebieness Of noble minds, the dream
that hens can pay, VIII there come
true. Others declare that within their
borders there is no sunstroke; others
that the town contains "the only daily
newspaper south OF Baltimore that car.
ries full up TO date news service" or
that here Is the only hlppOdrome south
Of New York, or that IL contains many
private sanitariums, or the largest can
dy factory, or an excellent race track.
or hfty through trains for other points,
Boston's long suit, advertised by low
ing friends, Is the circumstance that IL
has n five hour train TO New York.
Greensboro, ~ G.; Seattle, Wash.
and Pawtucket. II. l.. have devices for
advertising Oh every piece Of first class
mail. Envelopes bear either n photo
graphic stamp and patent opener
marked Pull For Greensboro" or can
ceiling stamps saying Worlds Fair,
Seattle, 1902" or attachable stamps
with an arboreal design and the words
"Pawtucket City Beautiful"
One southern city circulates a minia-
ture poster Of portly and portentOus
frock coated person Of the southern
oratorical or political type. one hand
on hip and with the other beckoning
with two fingers to the world at large.
Tic beckOns you to come from the H.
limitable outer darkness. The very
way I'm which he throws his head back
Hnd his waist line forward prepares
you for the announcement that if you
come 20 his town you will come 10 "a
geographical centeS," whatever that
may be. and he offers you various
opportunities of an assured future"
md allows you TO approach and expe.
ricncc the boon OF schools. colleges
art music, health and that happiness
which genuine culture and elevated
associations tend to produce"
Houston, Tex, IS Offering a new I'm
ducement TO visitors and home seek.
ers II has been paying out good
money for the advertisement NJ a.
much per word.
Her city hall r. n business house She
has no wards. no ward politicians. no
graft Her city officials are public srorb
oNperts. growing IN the service and kept
there az Ions as they mako good no
longer.
Not single other city appears TO
have thought Of advertising or press
agenting Itself as n desirable residence
on account OF honest government
Port Arthur, Canada, has been run
ming its own lights, telephones and
railways for municipal instead Of prl-
vate profit and reducing the cost OF
being resident there. Galveston,
Tex, has restored Itself, built bull
warks against the sea foods and start