The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-01

newspaper advertising done by the
railroads was for the purpose of get
ting the good will of the newspapers.
Il am safe in saying that this is
the great reason for much of the
newspaper Advertising said the Off
cial. +Of course, there are advertiS-
ing contracts taken out in the larger
towns where the roads could not af-
ford to miss-but when 1 make my
statement that the good will adver-
Using is done in the smaller towns,
cover the field
1t seems that the railroads carry on
their ads in the smaller towns be-
cause it is to their benefit that the
papers refrain from any prejudice
against the road. Public disfavor is
poison to the average railroad man
and he attempts in many ways to steer
clear of it.
For instance, few years ago, when
the Missouri Pacific and the Central
Branch in Kansas was receiving it's
first general criticism a certain well
known division superintendent spent
half of his time running from town
to town with his private car, stopping
in to call on the editor" shake his
hand and congratulate him on his
sheet and his town-leave few cigars
behind and brush on to the next viii
lage.
For time this scheme worked
with great success. The promise made
by the superintendent started the
country papers to whooping it up for
the Missouri Pacific and it was but a
short time until the general public
was believing that the poor train SER
vice was caused by certain important
improvements which were being con-
templated at that time.
In the larger towns and terminals
the railroads make their advertising
pay. 1t is absolutely necessary that
a local agent tell the people where
} NV
time than the competitive road, why
/ it is safer and the advantages of his
equipment. 1t is along this line that
the railroads strengthen their adver-
Using, base their main points and
bring out the trade.
There are very few railroads in the
! country that do not use trade marks
Almost every road paints upon it's
/ cars, its depots, and prints in its PAM
phlets and its advertising matter a
| trade mark of some kind. The Santa
! Fe squared circle, the scutcheons of
! the Union Pacific and the Rock Island
are familiar with everyone. They are
seen everywhere and their outline
bring to mind the name of the road.
some roads nave made their trade
marks represent the extent and the
| outline of their lines. For instance
| the Chicago Great Western once used
| a huge maple leaf and it was known
as the Maple Leaf road. The Southern
set Route scene and it tells the tale
Other roads simply take some un-
usual figure, include the name of the
road therein and stick to it as adver-
1 Using.
| The first advertising of this kind
was done by the Rock Island road
back in the early seventies. A pas
senger department advertising man
| by the name of E. st. John conceived
the idea of picture of a man carry
| ing grip upon which wass given the
name of the railroad and 4 map Be
meath the following words were
printed: "A man unacquainted with
the geography of his country will see
that the Chicago. Rock Island & Pa
cific is the most direct line to all prin-
cipal cities in the West" This was
used in newspaper advertising alto
| gether.
/ One interesting feature of the ad-
| vertising of the railroads is the man.
| ner in which the names of the roads
have been cut down. To use the Rock
Island as an example again-it was
not long ago when the Rock Island