Page:Editor and Publisher, November 27, 1909.djvu/4



“I see you write for the paper now,” half sneered a near-reporter to me the other day. “I thought you sold rope for a living.”

“If I had any rope I’d stake you to a few yards and show you how it could be put to excellent use,” said I. This same fellow always wears a stick and a dirty shirt. Whenever he can graft the price of a fifty-cent table d'hote he tops it off with an ignited demi-tasse. He boasts of a pal-like friendship with every newspaper man of note, but it wouldn’t require a Herlock Sholmes to discover that all any of them ever say to him is “Get out of my way!”

A figure which looms up big as a battleship about this time every year is that of Cy. E. Cooper, who looks after the business end of the World Almanac. Work on this book progresses quietly and earnestly, and each year better results are attained. The Almanac goes to press in a short while and is on the newsstands the first day of January. Alfred Zimmerman, who travels over the United States for the Almanac, hardly needs any introduction. He is known in almost every city and his genial and jocular disposition never fails to put his company in good spirits. “Zimmy” breezed into town from a long trip yesterday.

The United Sunday Newspaper Magazines have opened a branch office in Philadelphia, and appointed George E. Kilpatrick manager. Mr. Kilpatrick is as well liked as he is known in the City of Brotherly Love. He spent five years with the Philadelphia Press and ten years with the Philadelphia Evening Telegraph. His many friends in the advertising business wish him all kinds of success.

Walter W. Burch, manager of the Bridgeport News Company, dropped in the other day. He is looking hale and hearty and says that eggs cost as much in Connecticut as they do here.

Victor Ridder, treasurer of the New York Staats-Zeitung, and the son of Herman Ridder, recently made a trip to Albany to attend the New York State Conference of Charities. Mr. Ridder represented the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He is especially interested in the

movement to establish clubs for poor boys.

For the best newsstand displays, Leslies Weekly and Judge will give as prizes original drawings, the valuation of which range from five to twenty-five dollars. This applies only to the holiday issues.

Marlen Pew, formerly of the Hearst service and now managing editor of the Newspaper Enterprise Association of Cleveland, Ohio, is in New York for a short time. Mr. Pew is probably the first newspaper man to whom John D Rockefeller gave an extended interview on general topics.

Fred L. Goddard, circulation manager of Scribner's Magazine, says that he has had only smooth sailing to procure business since the publication of the Roosevelt stories.

I overheard Henry George, the writer and lecturer, son of the author of “Progress and Poverty,” and Charles Henry George, the New York correspondent of the Baltimore .American, pass a bit of repartee the other day. “The Georges.” said the Single Taxer, “are at last coming into their own. Lloyd George is the most hated man in England among the owners of special privilege.” “Yes,” retorted the correspondent. “and T sec that another member of our family has just been hanged in Nebraska for horse stealing.”

Charles J. Flanagan, an old-timer in the circulation business and now chief clerk of the Myrtle Avenue Police Court, Brooklyn, had a stroke of apoplexy a couple of weeks ago, and for a time his life was despaired of. He is now out of danger, although thirty-five pounds less in weight. Mr. Flanagan is secretary of the Board of Magistrates of Kings. Queens and Richmond Counties.

Jesse Barker is making himself valuable to the circulation department of the Brooklyn Eagle. We thought Jess would not show in the limelight hidden away in Brooklyn, but apparently he took a few rays with him.

Herbert Htingerford. circulation man¬ ager of the Metropolitan Magazine, has a bright young man in Judson H. Little, who represents the magazine amongst the newsdealers.

The very unasuming manager of the New York World’s photograph department. Walter C. Harris, is the son of former Governor of Ohio A. T,. Harris, predecessor of Governor Judson Harmon. Mr. Harris has filled his present position for almost seven years.

Some time ago .Attorney Moses J Sachs had a divorce case come up before Supreme Court Justice Blanchard. Mr. Sach’s client being unable to appear, he had a physician’s certificate tucked away in one of his vest pockets, and as the case was called it was this naper that he thoueht he drew forth. Instead, he held in his hand a greenback which he had drawn from the wrong pocket. ‘Woiir Honor.” he hegan. “T have here a certificate.” when discovering the mis¬ take. he produced the proper paper. “Your Honor.” he continued, “the first certificate T showed yon is the one which cures our ills—this one shows them.”

“Have von a conv of the Scran Book, vonnir man?” “Yessir. here it is. hv Hattline Nelson!”

Fred Dowd, circulation manaeer of the National Maeazine. ran in to shake hands. He looks happy.

Walter Cox has purch.'ised the Fairfax fS D.J .Advertiser.

THE LAFFAN FUNERAL.

Simple Rites Mark Service Held Over Late Publisher of Sun.

.\ quiet simplicity marked the funeral of William M. Laffan, proprietor of the New York Sun, which took place at the Laffan home, at Lawrence, L. L, last Mondaj'. Many friends and associates of Mr. Laffan attended the services, go¬ ing from New York by special train.

.-Xmong tliem were members of the editorial staffs of the city newspapers, J. Pierixint Morgan, Henry Walters. Suydam Grant, J. Maury Dove, J. Sell¬ ers Bancroft, Judge Willard Bartlett, Charles Lanier, George E. Cortelyou, J. M. Woodbury, Robert W. de Forest, John H. Finley, J. Alden Weir, Joseph H. Choate. Thomas F. Ryan and Colonel G. B. Harvey.

The service was conducted by the Rev. Thomas R. Slicer, of All Souls’ Unitarian Church, a lifelong friend.

Mr. Laffan, so far as known, was not a communicant in any church, and the service as conducted by Rev. Sheer was such as he believed Mr. Laffan would like.

Dr. Sheer opened the services by reading selections from the Psalms and Scriptural passages. From Buddha he read a passage including the sentence, “Man never dies; the soul inh<abits the body for a time, and leaves it again”; from the Hindu Ramayana, “We have given what we ought to grief. Now let us do what is becoming.” and from Confucius. “He who in the morning has seen the right way may in the eve¬ ning die without regret.”

Plato’s passage on immortality was read, as was also Seneca’s disquisition on the value of a friend. Then were read Browning’s Paracelsus and Walt Whitman’s Confession of Faith in Im¬ mortality. The Lord’s prayer closed the service.

Interment was made at Hempstead.

NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING.

Brooklyn Furnishes a Remarkable Exposition of Its Value.

.\ remarkable exposition of the value of newspaper advertising oc¬ curred in Brooklyn recently.

On November 7 the John R. Corbin Company, builders of homes, placed an advertisement in the Brooklyn Eagle only, using a quarter page. As a result the Corbin Company sold within the next few days forty-five houses to forty-five different people —$220,000 worth of property, through one advertisement that cost them about one hundred dollars.

William Hoster at Lakewood.

William Hoster and Mrs. Hoster arc at Oak Court Hotel, Lakewood, N. J. Mr. Hoster was with President Taft on the entire 13,000 mile trip, repre¬ senting the Hearst News Service. He admits it was work as strenuous as in the old Roosevelt days. He is just resting at Lakewood.

Dr. Peters in Philadelphia,

Rev. Dr. Madison C. Peters, of New York, for several years past one of the most constant and forceful contributors to New York papers among the minis¬ ters of the metropolis, last Sunday began his ministry in charge of the Greenhill Presbyterian Church, in Philadelphia.

H. C. Craig, formerly editor of the Boscobel (Wis.) Sentinel, has pur¬ chased a half interest in the Muscoda (Wis.) Democrat.

1

November 27, 1909.

THE ORIGINAL BOOK WORM.

Insect Plays Havoc with Print Paper in Park Row.

The destruction of 160 pounds of paper by a bug in one of the newspa¬ per offices in Park Row has brought to light the fact, after an investigation by authorities at the Museum of Nat¬ ural History, that the insect in ques¬ tion is probably what is popularly known as the “drug store” beetle. This beetle is as fond of marshmallow root as he is of old books, says the New York Tribune.

The destruction caused by this hardy- little insect was first noticed a year ago. The beetle cut a laceworklike design in rolls to the depth of an inch or more, and from an inch to a foot in length.

The destructiveness of this beetle, which is dark brown in color and hard bodied and the size of a small fly, is sho-wn at the Museum of Natural His¬ tory by e.xamples of old books which have been cut to pieces by it. Some persons refer to it as a “bookworm.”

Speaking of the possibilities for ex¬ terminating it, the entomologist who had seen the larv.-e and specimens of the paper perforated by it, said;

“This is not a common beetle, and I don’t think it is numerous in this city; but the paper it has cut into should be destroyed and the place where the rolls are stored thoroughly cleansed- It feeds on all sorts of roots or rags, but is known best as a destroyer of old books. By getting rid of the in¬ fected paper as soon as possible there will he less chance for the insect to breed. If in a cellar, a good coat of whitewash will help to destroy the pest.”

The “drug store” beetle is a mem¬ ber of the same family as the “cigar¬ ette beetle.” which, unlike its kins¬ man. expends all its energies on to¬ bacco. .According to data at the nni- seiini, the “drug store” beetle in great numbers was bred from the cover of a 1336 edition of Dante’s “Divine Comedy.”

COLLIN ARMSTRONG CO.

New Agency Opens Offices in Broad Exchange Building.

The Collin .Armstrong Advertising Co. has opened a handsome suite of offices on the tenth floor of the Broad Ex¬ change Building, New York City. As¬ sociated with Mr. Armstrong is Mr. Harry L. Cnhen and Charles Hartner, well known advertising men.

Mr. Armstrong enjoys an extensive acquaintance with general advertisers and is a thoroughly capable man. The new agency will no doubt be very successful.

The Sheboygan (Wis.) Journal has been incorporated.