The Billboard 1902-07-26: Vol 14 Iss 30 (1902-07-26)

THE BILLBGAPBP.D a Oey, DBL AO (iif MERCMLADIRITILR. VERY EFFICIENT Is the Pedley-Burch Plant at Owens boro, Ky. The Owensboro (Ky.) bill posting plant, owned and controlled by Messrs. T. A. Pedtey and J. G. Burch, was established in 1894, and has enjoyed a phenomenal growth, increasing in business from 150 to 200 per cent. each year. The company has seventy-two bill boards with over 5,000 lineal feet of surface. The boards are scattered all over the city in the most conspicuous positions, while the company is now engaged in establishing a new rural route throughout Daviess county. Every road in the county off the railroads will be covered and will be divided into routes, which will be in charge of experienced men with wagons built for the business. Specially attractive hoardings will be erected at all the crossroads and public ylaces, . Another enterprise on which Messrs. Pedley & Burch are about to embark is the establishment of bill posting plants in all the small towns of Western Kentucky. A representative of the company will be sta tioned in every town of over 2,000 inhabitants, while the whole system will be known as the Owensboro Bill Posting Company and the central office will be located at Owensboro. Mr. Burch is also president of the Kenoa Bill Posters’ and Distributors’ Association, MILLER MACED. « Miamisburg Man Mighty Mad. Cc, O. Miller, of Miamisburg, attended the convention in Milwaukee, and while he had a good time, it proved rather expensive. Before leaving he laid out a country route from Miamisburg to Glendale, 0O., along the C., H. & D. Railroad and back along the. Big Four te Miamisburg. The paper and signs were carefully loaded with brushes, -paste, ete., in the wagon, and the work was intrusted to Chas. Brisinger, a bill poster who has been in Mr. Miller’s employ for some three years. He started off, and that was the last heard of him until Miller arrived home and took up the chase. He traced him to Glendale, where he recovered the paper and signs in an abandoned stable. Pressing on to Cincinnati, he found that Brisinger had sold the horse and wagon for $20. Miller recovered it in a Fifth street auction stable. Two of Brisinger’s accomplices were arrested, but he managed to escape. Miller was much elated over getting the horse back, as he was much attached to it. He vows he will send Brisinger over the road if be can find him. He says Brisinger is now probably on some circus advance ear, and that he is likely going by the name of Barrington. Miller would like to receive information which would aid him in locating the miscreant. “HIGH JINKS” Given in Honor of Visiting Circus Bill Posters in Denver, Col. Unique in the history of outdoor advertising in the West was the delightful evening of entertainment afforded the members of the advance brigade of Ringling Bros.’ Circus, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and the Gentry Dog and Pony Show by the Bill Posters and Billers’ Union, Iocal No. 1, of oe Col., A. F. of L. 9517, Monday, uly 7. The smoker, or ‘high tea,’’ was pulled off in the large bill room of the Curran Company. Over fifty were in attendance. Bountiful refreshments were supplied to all. Cigars were galore. Four members were taken into the union —Walter Nessen and Phil McKinn, of the Ringling Bros., and John J. Sullivan and Steven J. Dwyer, the former of Fall River, Mass., and the latter of New York City, both with Car No. 1 of the Buffalo Bill Show. The affair was graced by the presence of Mr. A. G. Ringling and Mr. Louis E. Cooke, the Napoleons of circus publicity. The program of the evening was as follows: Music, Gardener and Sutton; speech, by Bro. Pierce, A. F. of L. organizer; song, by Sutton, accompanied by Gardener; bag punching, Prof. J. A. Matthews; music, Gardener and Sutton; three-round-go, Ryan and Huston; speech, by Bro. A. G. Ringling; music, Gardener and Sutton; speech, by Lewis E. Cooke; four-round glove contest, Young Schmacker and ‘“‘Kid’’ Hanna; song, by Willie Cain; four-round go, ‘Birdlegs’’ Collins vs. ‘‘Do-see-lo’’ Ellis; duet, Frank Estes and Chas. Snowhill; battle royal, A. H. Searles, W. S. Hall, L. S. Barrett and A. Allison; music, “Home, Sweet Home.”’ The following were in attendance from Advance Car No. 1 of the Ringling Bros. world’s greaest shows: A. G. Ringling, W. H. Hoskins, Frank Estes, Bert Wheeler, Ed. Bluskie, James Miller, Chas. Snowhill, Sam Hammant, Robt. Frye, Wm. Hauter, Jos. Dahlen, Philip McKinn, C. C. Hutch ins, Walt. Nessen, J. Cavanau h, Ben. Deachane, Ed. Wanseidier, Geo. Maxbam, Wm. Delly, Tom Boylan, C. Henry, Nick Pettit, Dave Condon, Chas. Sellers and Willie Cain. The following were from Advance Car No. 1, Buffalo Bill Show: Louis E. Cooke, L. 8S. Barrett, New York; Henry Hedges, New York; John J. Sullivan, New York; Steve J. Dwyer, New York; Wm. Dupont, Detroit; W. H. Creighton, New York; Edw. Goslyn, Chicago, and Geo. J. Secore, New York. Chas. A. Koster had a date with a young lady to take her to Elitch Gardens, so could not attend. The young lady works in a Chinese laundry and says she does not care a thing about matinees, just so she can go out with Charlie in the ———. The Bill Posters and Billers’ Union No. 1 was organized Sept. 23, 1901, and in this short time has twenty-six members. The entire smoker was voted a huge success. The opposition forces were brought together, and the spirit of good fellowship prevailed over all. NOT BAD. Apropos of the bill board ‘‘nuisance,”’ the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the following to say: “Pollowing the example set by other reformers who have entered upon a crusade against bill boards, who declare they mar the beauty of the city and should be torn down—well, let’s take a peep behind the boards and see what there is on the other side, and then consider which would be the most pleasant to look upon, the view as presented behind the bill boards, or the varied decorations with which the artist ornaments their street sides. “Before the bill board business was modernized, persons passing along the street where required to view various scenery, consisting of piles of coal, wood, beer bottles, tin cans, etc. The bill board covers a multitude of things that are not pleasant to look upon. It is one cheap way of covering up nuisances, such as mentioned, as well as unsightly cellars, abandoned buildings, back yards, etc. “The boards do not cost the city anything, and the men who own them and change their appearance often enough to make them interesting, pay a licence fee into the city. “Let the bill board alone—he is not bad.”’ LEVYNE’S LETTER. Louisville, Ky., July 17, 1902. To the Editor of ‘“‘The Billboard:” Dear Sir—Here is a city that has had its shackels knocked off, and having no restraint upon its progress, find that I can now say something good for Louisville, but that has only been for the past sixty days. This city has a population of 225,000. It has 280 locations, the smallest of which will take a 20-sheet. Besides eighty distinct 8-sheet boards. In regard to daubs, this city is peculiarly situated. It can very easily put up 1,000 2-sheets, and give a first-class showing on the same. Mr. Adams, the manager, showed me a beautiful wagon, just fresh from the makers, that for convenience and up to date contrivance beats anything I have ever seen. In regard to the center showing, they haven't many, but what they have is strictly first class. I notice that all boards are well blanked with 9-inch ox-blood paper. Col. John Whallen, president, is a man of strong individuality, and financially stands with the highest in Louisville ( should have also said politically), and with his wholesale liquors and his Spring Bank Water, his theatrical interests and his bill posting a} makes him far from being a ‘* Weary Willie.’ The Consolidated has also the plants in New Albany and Jeffersonville, Ind., whose population is 15,000 and 25,000, respectively, and their plant in those cities are equal to the demands made upon it. Of all the visits I have made in this city in the past three years, it is only now that I could conscientiously say a kind word for this plant, and being such a personal friend to all concerned, I have ever refrained from mentioning it in my letters, but when I see them digging post holes, getting new locations, ordering lumber, almost building a new house for their headquarters, and using all the energy that an ‘“‘Eddy Donnelly” would use, I am compelled to give vent to my pent-up ‘‘blarney.”’ Col. Jim Whallen just came in as I am writing this letter, and told me that they were going to make a representative bill posting plant out of Louisville; a plant that the fraternity could point to with pride, and knowing the determination of this man, I am positive that he will keep his word. Mr. Editor, it has been my good fortune in the past to have spoken about pretty women on two occasions, and on those oceasions was about my “Cincinnati girl’ and the lady that Busby Bros. have in their office at Cli on, Ia., and on the third oceasion is at the Consolidated, who has a lady in charge that ,is admired by all for her beauty and ladylike deportment, and she is ever ready to give a kind smile to all the business callers. NAT GOODWIN When he reaches Cincinnati, always dines at Nougaret’s Cafe, 229 East Fourth street. Most theatrical epicures visit this celebrated establishment, where they are sure to find the best. RE-DISTRIBUTING. The fellowing very able paper on a timely and interesting topic was read at the convention of the Associated Bill Posters and Lisirib.ters by Mr. Donald G. Ross, of the Protective Company, and is published with’ his permission: Mr. President and Members of the Convention: . Any opportunity that is accorded me to bring about a better understanding between the advertiser sending out distributing matter and the. member of this association receiving the same is appreciated by me, and while I do not want to appear in an advisory capacity, still if my remarks bring about any discussion that will tend to the betterment of service—really the most important factor to consider—the chances are that new ideas will spring up with mutual benefit. Undoubtedly present is every person | aware of the conditions that led up to the formation of this association; how successful the efforts have proven is best demonstrated by the attendance at this convention. The remarks I am about to make should be qualified here by saying that it will be necessary to give a short, retrospective history of the formation of the association, as it bears directly on the point I wish to ) illustrate. The average bill poster of the past was not graduated from any big college, nor was his business experience in many cases of the best, and consequently bill posting, which in old times needed little if any capital, was at the mercy of anyone merely adopting the name, and the service given was at about a par. The seller, recognizing the value of poster advertising, used it until his patience gave out, and then, figuring that he could not reconcile his laid-down business principles with continued loss and more trouble, switched back to his older, but more experienced acquaintance—the newspaper. This awakened the bill poster with a bi and costly plant, to effect a system o handling work and secure responsible men, such as would give the advertiser the service he paid for and was entitled to, and by such means keep him on the boards. The old idea that a new advertiser (sometimes called another name) was born every minute did not seem to hold, or was worn out. These big bill posters figured that an order given for 100 towns, where ninety gave efficient service and according to contract, could easily be killed when it came to renewal, by the remaining ten, who merely sent in a list of imaginary locations and in some cases the sending of a Dill alone was considered sufficient and quite enough trouble and expense to incur. How these organizers have succeeded in the work of improvement you all know, and I am glad to say they are not only entitled to, but I know have the great thanks of the association at large. The advertiser now recognizes the ~ al tem and credit developed, and the ability used in handling their orders, and in place of the number of national advertisers in the whole country, that it used to be stated could be counted on the fingers of both hands, you are getting into fields at one time held tight and fast by newspapers, magazines and other independent methods —people who at one time laughed at the idea that anything such as a poster could sell goods or make a market for a new article. Witness to-day on the boards, billiard tables, locomotives, high-class perfumes, sealskin garments, town sites, new books, and even the disavowing newspaper and magazine does not hesitate taking periodical turns at the game. Contrast this showing against the time when a tobacco or an oatmeal was about the limit. However, with all this progress it came to be known in course of time that there was still a missing link to make the work complete and smooth, The advertiser, under the influence of eloquent editorials appearing in the dailies, and knowing that his labors were much jightened by a complete advertisement in one medium, began to complain, and rightly so, that the poster as a drawing power had but one side—namely, to make a name well-known; it would reproduce a package or a figure beautiful in colors, and would throw out an 18-inch letter so that it could not be overlooked, but it lacked the power of explanation. The argument in behalf of the advertised article, say a medicine, was lacking on the poster itself, and the newspaper, by using sufficient space, could throw out a big display head and print underneath an illustration a letter of testimony, which would go far toward ee the reader and eventually sell the goods. The cost, to be sure, was far greater, but even at that it was economy, as the printed testimonial completed the argument and clinched the result. To offset this, one of the largest painted display advertising firms planned a joint method of painted displays to make the trade-mark known and use in connection smaller newspaper space for the argument. This proved a success, and the opening so well demonstrated was adopted by poster solicitors and posting bore a share of the new business thus created. So far so good —you had accomplished two important objects; the first, the fact of the association itself, and the second that you could score as a part in a newspaper campaign, but the newspaje" * = still an easy, but by no means tule. ‘cader, The poster was bitterly fought at every turn by the press, who sought to discredit it on the plea of defacing the landscape, danger to pedestrians from falling boards offending the aesthetic taste of municipal art leagues, who found a convenient attack under a common cause on a subject they at last knew something about, because they could see the posters all around —and various other real or imaginary objections, excepting the real and only par tially concealed selfish motive, viz., that posting was cutting into their trade. In order to make a clean break from the hewspapers, ete., a plan had to be devised and adopted that would make posting the head of an independent advertising method by securing an assisting medium (the missing link), which would give the lacking argument in detail, and then cut out the hewspapers, etc., excepting in such cases as Where they would be used for reinfore ing and secondary purposes only, Distributing was considered—to be sure, a distribution of booklets was excellent and just what would fill the bill, but the seryice was so bad that even the able men that brought about the Associated Bill Posters hesitated at the task. Every evidence of the value of distribution and what the advertisers thought of it was around them. Some of the individual medical houses, placing as high as thiriy million pieces in a single year. But each house had a different plan of work. The best and surest was to send out their men. It was costly but produced the results, On the subject of reducing this heavy expense the advertiser was invariably interested and always willing to talk on any suggestion that gave evidence of abating the cost and would look into thr: same very carefully. Then these organizers before mentionet! took up the hard task and at the last annual meeting held in Buffalo they made announcement of their plan of bettering the distributing servic eand establishing it with posting as a combined method of the systems, Considerable what reason atagonism was offered for I could find no foundation, but to-day, gentlemen, the Associate Bill Posters and Distributors of the United States and Canada is an undisputable fact and the advertisers so recognizes and Indorses it. In this manner you have freed posting and distributing from any dependency upon other media and you can in a spirit of perfect freedom, as well as reason, offer to the advertiser as clean and effective a proposition as offered by and _ other claimed exclusive method, and yours has the advantage by being cheaper—a fact which can easily be proven when comparative estimates are made. So far I have been rather general but I hope the point I have endeavored to make does not influence you so that you feel that perfection has been reached at last and all that is now necessary is to shake hands. As a matter of fact the hardest part is to come. The new association is a substantial reality, but what about the service given in distributing? The organization is complete in name and annoucement only. We still find the 90 good men and the 10 who are either dishonest, or at least careless. The ninety must get after the balance. If the ten are lax in any manner they should be made to do better or get out, and the work become satisfactory to the advertiser, who only buys your goods when you have what he wants. There is no reason why the member who gives honest service should lose future work through the odium of the careless one, With the endorsements of some of the largest bill posters, who were distributors as well, I obtained several contracts from some of the biggest medical houses in the ccuntry, and since the meeting last summer the Protective Company has placed many millions of pieces, and on the whole with fair success. I can not say the success has been all that could be wished for, as in some instances the work done by the individual distributor could be much improved on, but each succeeding distribution proves better, excepting in certain cases now being investigated. Your assistant secretary is probably better experienced in the technical handling of distributing matter than any other person connected with the Association, and his work is, as appears to me, to be of gradual and augmential success, as the uniform handling of the matter is one that he strongly and persistently enforces on all distributors alike. This very important feature is not fully appreciated y all members, I think, and five times the present effort would not be amiss in laying out directions and establishing a uniform system as to how the work should be per formed. The big advertisers are watching you, and every step forward is at once noticed. Every time an advertiser ac. knowledges you it is so much for trade, and that is what you are after, because every distributor is a possible poster as well. The question of price, next to service is most important. You have in some manner accepted $2 as a flat rate, but why I do not know. Conditions favorable to making money on the work vary; for instance, one thousand books can be placed house-tohouse in Philadelphia in less time than you can place five hundred in Duluth or Buffalo. The reason is obvious. Still, with all the uncertainties of a $2 rate, I have been informed when trying to get $2 from a general advertiser that many of the Assoclation members will contract for $1.50 when work is placed direct, while in some cases a $1 rate has been made. Of course, you know what doing the impossible means, and some of the national distributors who are paying at least $10 to have the work done by their own men prefer to keep on at that price, as they have but one opinion of the dollar man. They figure that no man can honestly place over 1,000 books a day on an average, and how the employing distributor gets square is a question, On the other hand, right at this moment one of the biggest medical firms in the United States 1 sending out printed contract forms to every distributor, association and all FS ya on alike, and these firms have $1.50 printed In. Sometimes the $1.50 is scratched and $2.50 filled In. This bid is not accepted unless it be the lowest. Again, the $1.50 is often erased and $1.25 ll re