Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-22
The Directory
Business.
Things You Want to Know

firm or individual appears upon the trade
horizon of the country, Dun and Brad
street Immediately address some business
man or firm In that community and make
definite inquiries as TO the financial status
Of the new conner This Information is
published in the next issue Of the big
directory.
There are also directories Of the manu-
facturers Of the country II man wishes
to know what firms manufacture any ar
ticle from a steel pen to railway loco
motive. he need only consult one OF these
big volumes. They list articles by the tens
OF thousands, and show that there are
many thousand manufacturers in the United
states.
There are directories Of the lawyers ot
the country, Of the college professors, OF
doctors. OF teachers-directorics OF every
body In addition TO the ordinary business
directory there are many social directories.
familiary known a. blue books These
are prepared with a great deal OF care ana
the lists are made from those receiving IN
vitatlons to certain social functions during
the preceding year. Many an ambitious
society woman studies her blue book more
carefully that her bible.
Another phase Of the directory business
that has developed by leaps and bounds iu
| recent years rs the making Of who's
Who's" The first Who's Who on record
was an English publication brought out i'm
! 1859. The American one is modelled after
this Tho idea OF the Who's Who has been
applied to many localities many trades
and many professions. Sometimes these
publications do really tell who is who. At
other times Who's Who is the fellow having
enough dollars 20 pay for the notice that
makes him such.
The largest book ever made Is a directory.
1t contains COCO pages OF 9Sx32-inch paper
and weighs 555 pounds. 1t requires nine
pieces Of No. trunk-boards for the cover
ami five feet Of Russia leather for the
joints, 1t Is the directory made for regis
terng the visitors at the Alaska-Y Yukon
exposition and had space for $4,000 names
The first directory OF which we have
record was published in London in 1871
under the title "A Collection Of the Names
OF Merchants" The first American direc-
tory was published in New York IN 1ISG
and contained 1000 names. The earliest
work to bear the name was printed In Lon
don in 1882 1t is said that the largest col
lection of directories In the world Is to be
found in the British museum. Not only
does this collection comprise the pubHca-
tons Of this nature for all English cities
but also for all the cities and towns OF
Great Britains numerous colonies.
The publication of city directory is a
distinct business and is done by com
paratvey few firms. The heaviest ex-
pense is in the canvass required in listing
the names. The principal profit lies in the
advertising space sold There is no spot
from cover to cover sacred from the de-
mands OF the advertiser. In some cases
the advertiser who succeeds In proclaming
his wares on the front cover has to pay
thousands of dollars for the privilege Some
of the best solicitors i'm the advertising
business are found in the employ of the
half dozen or more firms who engage
solely in the compilation and printing of
! directories. A Chicago publisher has made
a new departure which will undoubtedly
be popular Instead OF making a book
small dimensions with many pages, he has
enlarged the book and put more names
to the page. In this way he has overcome
unwieldy volumes that one finds In such
cities New York Chicago and Boston.
The Postoffce department In Washing
l ton has printed a directory which supplies
a tlong-felt want 1t is a directory OF the
streets in all the cities and towns of the
3 country. There were so many instance,
2 where letters were addressed To streets IN
] cities that had no street Of such name
I that 1t became necessary to have informa
J uon concerning streets Of the country
e When the department had succeeded II
: getting this information into proper shape
y Il decided to publish 1t for use OF the gen
I eral public. II is a good sized volume anC
S may be consulted at an important libraries
o or purchased from the superintendent o.
{ documents
The government blue book, as the Off
10 cial register OF the United States is known
n is one OF the most representative direc
3 tories published in the world. In II &
4 found the name Of every postmaster, let
, ter carrier star route contractor, United
States marshal, and everybody else on tn
government salary roll.
. By FREDHRIC ]. HAsKTN.
Y Tomorrow-Ths Thsatrioal Season.