The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-10-03

fire eXtingu1SherS happened TO notiee u newspaper report of fatal motor boat explosion at a lake resort. It was only very brief prosaic report, the kind he usually overlooked. Yet this little 1o-line. obscurely placed item suddenly inspired an idea for direct application to his own business
 ''rhere must be hundred or more other motor boats at that resort" he figured, as he formed a quick mental picture of the excitement and uneasiness among owners over this calamity brought so closely home to them. Now is the time to sell them fire extinguishers: they're frightened'
 So he acted. He sent a salesman The salesman found ripe and ready field. He came back with his pockets full of orders And all because his boss had happened to read that obscure little news item.
 A newspaper report of certain legislative action--a newly made building law-sani- tary. fire, highway or commercial rul- ings and immediately the manufacturer or dealer whose goods are in any way re- lated to these subjects has before him a live basis of fact from which to work to increased business in that territory.
 Notices of local or national importance, the awarding of contracts, social and mer- cantile activities, new undertakings sue cesses, failure, scores of other happen ings, all present field equally prolific In sales suggestion.
 And so it goes to an almost indefinite extent. Just as readers and writers can pick out stories-vigorous and sometimes bizarre in suggested drama and heart in terest, from among the most apparently everyday happenings as reported in their newspapers, so the busiest business man has a steady mine of useful information at his disposal in the same source. These news items, daily, are giving him tips" that will help him sell his goods or serv- ices. And he seldom if ever can get the same timely information, first hand, from any other source.
 But the fact is that most of us who can and should benefit by these freely pre- sented business helps neglect our oppor- tunity. We do not read our newspapers! Not carefully or thoughtfully enough. Those of us who are anxious to take advantage of every possible business opening, and yet seldom travel much be- yond the headlines in our morning or evening paper dive into the news-are let ting something of steady intrinsic value slip by us News of nature that will help us individually in commercial way-and there is lots of it-seldom announces It. self under headlines. It makes no appeal to the masses. You will find it tucked away in the body of your paper perhaps only a short. pithy statement of fact. But it is advance information The news papers always get it first. And 1t usually is sufficient to point the way to a new and resultful line of solicitation and selling ef- fort-if you read.
 Most of the largest successful advertis- ing and merchandising interests in the country have grown to realize the live practical value to be derived from sys- tematic digestion of the days news. In the course of their regular business they receive newspapers from all over the country While the initial purpose of these copies is the provision of a means for checking up their own advertising space and also that of their competitors the balance of each sheet comes in for its share of careful persusual. Every item of pertinent interest Is clipped or noted In this manner more active touch is maintained with the territory in which their advertising is being done Local conditions are understood more thoroughly. Mailing lists are added to. And, in many instances, glowing possi- bilities are opened up in new territory or existing selling plans altered to more and profitably conform with the development of local conditions in old territory-as learned from the various To- cal newspapers.
 This free business aid service rendered by every newspaper in the country is as useful to the small concern as to the large. It is of particular benefit to the man who advertises or sells by mail.
 Every day there are new formed build ing projects reported in the news col umns of your local papers. Somebody is about to erect a store, an apartment or office building. MT. Rich Is going to build a house. Suppose you are a con- tractor, sanitary engineer, decorator fur niture dealer or interested in the sale of or services that could in anyway be used in this work. What do these notices suggest to you?
 What does a newspaper report of a bad connagration suggest to the manu- facturer or fireproof roofing and ma terials. extinguishers, fire escapes. to the Insurance salesman, or to the financial institutions with safe deposit facilities to dispose of?
 A small town or village has just in- stalled an electric lighting plant. Prob ably you never heard of the place before you saw the newspaper notice. You are 2 manufacturer or dealer in electrical fixtures and appliances. What does it