The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-30
ECHOES FROM PAST
A USEFUL LESSON
Which May be Studied With Very
satisfactory Bust.
ness Re
suits.
OLD ADVERTISING RATES
In Pioneer Newspaper a. Compared
With the Rates Pre-
vaiIins To-
day.
OLD ADVERTISING RATES

In The Gate City Sunday, mention
was made Of an old Keokuk nswspa-
per, The Argus. dated in April, 1916,
the time of the old Mexican war.
There were points of interest in that
old paper which time and space did
not allow mentioning in the former
talk about it.
1t is a six-column folio sheet, chat
is, six-column page with four pages.
some of the columns being filed or
partly filed with advertising, mostly
OF local nature.
There is no advertising on the
first page, nearly half of which is
taken up with what is called "A
Ghost story and was written in
measured rhymes. Beneath the
heading it is announced that It Is pub
hshed "by particular desire" and tho
statement is made that 1t is from an
old member OF celebrated and
eagerly sought after literary journal
The story bears the date For. Madi-
.ison. April 16. 1872"
On the first page also among other
matter Is this little sQuib. with ref
mot satisfied The Quebec Mer-
curry says that General Taylor's dis
!pa.ches comprise a series OF poorly
written documents. How do they Ike
old Rough and Ready's' fghting?"
Rough and Ready" was General
Taylor's nick name. as old Fuss and
Feathers was General Winfield
SCOTS, beth prominent and success
/, full commanders in the United States
army in that day.
| One fact is particularly striking 10
this old paper and that is the adyer-
ltising rates, when advertising was
not 80 much OF necessity as now
and not then reduced to q business
science. When it has become trl-
ism that no business can be conduct
led successfully or proiitably wftaou.
the careful and persistent use OF
printers ink. The advertising rate
IN this Old paper as given on the frst
column OF the first page. shows that
lone dollar per square inch was charged
for the first insertion and fifty cents
for each subsequent insertion. Think
LOT it. Men who know the value OF
advertising in this advanced day and
age, when newspaper labor and ma
iteyial are high, grumble, wiring their
hands and PULL their hair running
their fingers through it, at the present
day rates, which are in many cases
only about one-third of what they
were then. Newspapers OF today gel
lin some cases about fifteen cents
square for subsequent insertions and
are glad to get It, in a day when
advertising space is really more valu
liable than 1t was then. There wal
more individuality in business Their
than now A mans personality II
most cases brought him his business
To-day, publicity-newspape advertis
ling Is the great factor. That Is dem
lonstrated every day and week, In tbs
metropolitan dailies that come to us
lie is demonstrated every month o.
year right here in Keokuk. A per
feet stranger to Keokuk people or
strange firm drops in and gives pub
licity in a snowy display ad and nj!
business house is Immediately fil,et
with eager anxious patrons who bu!
what be has advertised for sale. Suci
facts demonstrate the increased value
Iof advertising, yet the rates are low
Ter. People nowadays do not confin'
their business to friends but ar
greatly influenced by newspaper pub
licity. and it Is the angle worm. tn
business bait to catch the public