Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 225, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1914 — The Horse That Drew the Load. [ARTICLE]

The Horse That Drew the Load.

A. moving van came rolling down the street the other day with a big-spirited Percheron in , the center and two wretched nags on either side. ' The Percheron was doing all the work, and it seemed that he would have got along far better in single harness than he managed with his inferior mates retarding his speed. The advertiser who selects a group of newspapers usually harnesses two lame propositions to every pulling newspaper on his list, and, just as the ▼an driver probably dealt out an equal portion of feed to each of his animals, just so many a merchant Is paying practically the same rate to a weak paper that he is allowing the sturdy, profitable sheet Unfortunately thp accepted custom «* Inserting the same 1 advertisement in

•very paper acts to the distinct disadvantage of the meritorious medium. The advertiser charges the sum total ot his expense against the sum total of his returns, and thereby does himself and the best puller an Injustice by crediting the less .productive sheets with results that they have not earned. There are newspapers In many a town that are, single handed, able to build up business. Their circulation ts solid muscle and sinew— all pull. It -Isn’t the numhflr-of-eopfes~prlnted but the number of copies that reach the hands of buyers—lt isn’t the number of readers but the number of readers with money to spend—it isn’t the bulk of a circulation but the amount of the circulation which is available to the advertiser —It isn’t fat but brawn—that tell in the long run.

There are certain earmarks that in'dicate these strengths and weaknesses. They are as plain to the observing eye as the signs of the woods are significant to the trapper. The news fcolumns tell you what you can expect out of the advertising columns. A newspaper always finds the class of •readers to which it is edited. When Its mental tone is low and its moral tone is careless depend upon it— the readers match the medium. No gun can hit a target outside of its range. No newspaper can aim its policy in one direction and score in another. No advertiser can find a different class of men and women than the publisher has found for himself. He is judged by the company he keeps. If he lies down with dogs he will arise with fleas. ... . *-