The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-20

ri
TIN against you. II you think you
can 70 around this town prinunt
scandals about respectable pe0pio
and respectable firms ana get a"Ay
with It: and I'm going K. see that AL
my friends are against you. You'll
last about six months. and NOBODY
will be sorry when you quit. Tnc
people here won't stand Tor sen.
sational yellow newspaper. can 'eh
you that"
won't be sensational and yellow un-
less the facts are sensational ana
yellow. And the fact Will be prlhteo'
whatever their color ana whoever
they hit. Incidentally the people
will read those facts. our circula-
ton will increase, and ulumately
you'll come here and ask us to print
your advertising"
6amuels went away angry through
and through. I had failed TO convey
to him the faintest glimmer OF UNDER
standing Of our Newspaper principles.
and our advertising revenues tnat
year were Just four thousand 0oi-
iars less than they might have been.
But without realizing why. he knew
that we couldn't be purchased. reit
that was something. ! turned TO see
how Austin took the loss.
"Old man." he said, gripping my
hand hard. I'm willing TO lose that
business. We can stand II. ! aSee
to every word you said and l am
with you"
within a few days an examiner APP
pointed by the court began taklne
testimony in the Longman case. ana
/ had Kite attend tho sessions ana
report them fully for the sun. we
printed pictures Of the girl ana her
little boy and carried the story on
the first pare for two weeks. Neither
the Star nor the Leader ever printed
a. word about tho case. The puohc
became intensely interested ana our
circulation jumped TO ten thouano.
Practically everybody In town aus
covered that the Sun was the Only
paper printing anything about the
suit and everybody guessed why.
The case was still pending when
our contract with the Longman Fur
niturs Company expired. on June
nrst. On that day / blocked on the
haif-page that the Longmans mao
been using and IN the center o. H.
in large type. printed ths follow
ing declaration:
Attezapecd Brfbery!
Fer q year this space has beer
used every other day by the Long
man Furniture Company.
Yesterday that companys centrao'
wieh tho St James Sun expired.
The manager OF the company OF.
fered to renew II three weeks agt
provided the Sun would publish moth
Ing about the suit azainss Chafns
I.ongman.
The sun refused and a. conse'
ouence has lost the LonGman bu6i
ness
The Sun wishes to announce hcr'
and now that It's silence cannot b
purchased.
IL had thrown q dynamite boual
into the center Of the retail distric
Of st. James could hardly hsv'
produced 4 bigger explosion than
produced with this announcement
The Retail Merchants Association
held a hurried meeting and sent |
committee To SEQ Austin Jim re
ferrcd the genuemen to me and
made them the same speech hA'
made Samuels Not being person
ally concerned In what they terme'
my attack on the Lonsmans. the.
were able TO gather faint impres
sion OF my Newspaper theory po
they pleaded with mo to change m
ways. Join hands with them. os
good fellow. and reap the psneut
OF their friendship. They sertousi
believed that would never. never
never succeed BY abusing the peopt
from whom tho paper must derry
the bulk OF it, revenues. and the
left "a q very dubious frame OF mind
somewhat mystifled and = little re
sentful that their good Offices ha
been declined
The announcement had 4 mos
etfmuistfnr effect In our circulation
derartment. received from sub
scribers scores Of letters Commend
ting US for our courage. and thes
promptly printed. using the OIL
Longman space for their pubucauo
and for further explanation OF GU
reasons for refusing the I,onSma!
advertising. In another week an
other two thousand readers nad pee
added to our subscription lise. max
inR . net gain Of four thousand -
direct result Of our stand In IN
Lonxman case. / felt sAtisnsd. an
my conviction that tho way to =
tablish Z newspAper wAs to prin
the truth became stronger than evc'
-Four miles south OF St James An
tvo miles below South ST. James an
the stooiyards district was Riversid
Pnrk. q pleasure resort that ma
Frequently eeou mentioned In Storae
turned IN b. my reporters
Uptown q Fifth and Phillip street
the busiest corner In the city
was the store OF the Street Brother
Clothing Company. tho big1est 81
tablishm ent OF it, kind In town.
Ton wouldn't expect TO md Pr
limo running between these two U
st1tutions. would you? ! didn't ethel
buf there was one. and stumble
over II one day and thereby kicke
soma moro advertising out ~ "a
SUM- ',s..' '-'s'..t.'z n ~
The f,rst Sunday on which foun
time for . little recreation viate
Rivarside Park with my wlfe.
was beautiful spot The resort VI
located In = big grove OF elms sione
side pretty little lake. which ~
separated from tho river ny = stri
OF land only about, nifty feet wid
The usual summer park atfractior
were there. and probably ten thonl
and people were stroliing throu9
the grounds. rowing ON the lake. d
ting under the trees. or enjoying II
roller coaster. the mill. tho circuls
swing, tho sho0ting galleries and II
other amusements offered tor publ
patronage
Toward evening I noticed goo
many intoxicated men and wome
Half 4 dozen drunken men rot In,
u fight on the roar Of tho car
which we rode homo, and the q
was stopped while the mutsrman N
onmAuctOr nut them OF. They 9WoI