The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-12-07
THE PAPERS INTIMATE TOUCH

| Aitei pOuucllu : ONcI Tue QueS
tion for many years, the Commercial
organizations of Florida are com
ing to the conclusion that their pub
licity money will bring far greater
returns if expended in sending out
copies of their local weekly news
papers than in any other manner
they can spend it. AS a result, one
after another town where there is 8
good weekly paper, has set aside q
fund for sending that paper to pros
pective citizens and investors
throu ehout the north.
The local newspaper brings the
northern prospector into intimate
touch with the section of Florida il
represents. No other literature is
like il. All the pamphlets or ornate
books he has received before it,
were DIRECTED towards him alone.
Reading it was like being among a
crowd of strangers who were clam
oring for his attention, each insist
ing upon presenting his particular
line of interest as being paramount.
When the prospector gets the To-
cal paper for month or two he has
begun to get acquainted with it's
home section. He reads about what
the neighbors are doing. He learns
of the progress that is being made
at the moment and he gets a glimpse
as well at what has been done be-
fore He learns what interests are
paramount in that section, provided
the PAPER reflects the spirit and the
conditions that surround it. He is
not fed with few of the choicest
morsels from the pantry but is in
vited to put his feet under the table
and take pot luck with the family
If there is disagreement in the
family, he hears it discussed with
more or less heat and he discovers
what each member of the family
wants. The ambitions are laid bare
and the manner of expression tells
him Just how much hope there is for
each to retlize him aim.
Some of the most commonplace
items in the home paper are revela-
lions tc the northern prospector-
and they come upon him in such a
way that they impress him. Things
he has been taking with grain of
salt when brought out on a fancy
lowered plate he realizes are every
day fare when he strikes them on
the table at his "pot luck" meal
and sees the entire family eating
them as a mere matter of everyday
bread and butter provender.
AS an instance Of this Is an Incl
dent which had much to do with the
present editor of the Commercial
coming to Florida nearly nine years
ago. He was wavering between TAX
ing the position of Sunday feature
editor of the Detroit News-Tribune.
or going to Tampa and becoming
managing editor nf THE Tribune.
Col Stovall sent him sample copy
of the Trimune, dated sometime late
in December, 1906. 1t wasn't much
of a sheet then compared to the Tri-
bune of today 1t had eight pages,
eight columns wide with depth suit
able only for a seven column paper
carried a little poney press report
and had ads on the front page.
Bat on one of the inside pages was
an item Of three or four lines with
a little black face machine head.
1t said the boys of fire station No.
! had been given treat the night
before-the first strawberries of the
season. This editor looked up at
the sizzling radiator Git was in
northern Indiana) then out at the
snow which lay several inches thick
on the ground, and remarked to him
self:
Strawberries for mine
Just that one little intimate touch
"a picture of those men sitting
around with the doors open and eat
ing luscious berries that represent
everything dainty in the weather
line--was enough to cause one man
to decide upon Florida. And it is
just such an intimate little touch as
this that advertising men who draw
their tens of thousands of dollars a
year because of their ability, strive
for in the matter they send out, but
such a touch is rare in literature
that is strictly advertising.-L ees-
burg Commercial