CHAPTER XI

THE WRITING OF HEADLINES

The Function of the Headline. Headlines as developed by the American press during the last half-century have come to be, next to the news itself, the most important part of our newspapers. From mere labels to indicate the kind of reading matter to be found in the columns under them, headlines in this country have developed into bulletins giving the substance of the articles to which they are attached. By presenting conspicuously in large type the important facts of the story which it precedes, the headline serves a double purpose: it makes possible rapid reading of the news thus outlined in the head, and it becomes an advertisement of the news to attract the purchaser.

Heads Promote Rapid Reading. As concise summaries of the facts of the news, headlines fill an important place in contemporary American life, for, by reading only the headlines, the busy man or woman can get in brief outline the news of the whole world. The size of the type and the arrangement of the parts of the headline aid in a marked degree this rapid reading. Well-written heads that give clearly and accurately the information of greatest significance in the stories under them are an integral part of the newspaper, the function of which, as has been said, is to give the readers in a clear and interesting form the news of the day.

How Heads Advertise News. By their form and position, likewise, the headlines act as advertisements for what the paper contains. Like all good advertisements, headlines should create interest and lead to the sale of the paper. By arousing the reader’s curiosity and at the same time partially satisfying it, the head, when skillfully written, attracts the reader’s attention and influences him to read the story.

A newspaper that aims to have large street sales will naturally take advantage of the advertising element in the heads, by making them as attractive as possible. In fact, the efforts of some newspapers of this class to make the most powerful appeal possible, have led to extreme forms of headlines with great black type and with varicolored effects. In general, morning papers and evening papers with regular subscribers are less inclined to employ large heads for advertising their news than are those evening papers with several street editions that seek to have large sales. Large heads extending across several columns and printed in green, red, or black ink set forth the latest phases of the news in a manner well calculated to catch the eye as the paper is displayed on the news stand or in the hands of the newsboy. As in advertising in general there is always a temptation to make alluring statements at the expense of truth, so in headline advertisement there is a tendency to exaggerate and magnify in order to catch the unwary reader.

Large Heads and “Yellow Journalism.” Since the more sensational papers have taken advantage of this advertising element and have yielded at times to the temptation to exaggerate or even to misrepresent, as is not unheard of in advertising generally, large display effects in headlines have come to be associated in the popular mind with so-called “yellow journalism.” The connection between the two is by no means inevitable, however, for large headlines need not be any more sensational or inaccurate than smaller ones, and may legitimately be used to attract attention to the real features of the news. Conservative papers that do not depend to any considerable extent on street sales tend to keep up the smaller headlines long used in American newspapers, which, while giving the substance of the news in outline, do not attempt to advertise prominently the contents.

Clearness and Conciseness. Regarded as a bulletin of the most important facts in the news, the headline should present these facts in a clear and concise manner. To be clear the form should be one that can be taken in by the eye at a glance. The relation of the divisions, or “decks,” of the head should be evident, so that the reader may get a clear idea of the bearing of one statement on another. The statements should be concrete and specific. The limitations of space make it necessary for the headline to be concise so that the maximum number of important facts may be included.

Action in Headlines. As news is largely concerned with activities, headlines should express the action related in the news story. In defining oratory Demosthenes said that the three essential elements are: first, “action”; second, “action”; and third, “action.” The same characteristics may well be ascribed to the most effective headlines. Life and vividness of expression give interest to heads as they do to the news story. Freshness and originality of phrasing are also successful provided the uncommon form is clear. Short, crisp, specific words constituting definite statements that can be readily grasped in rapid reading, generally make the best headlines.

Headlines are Impartial. Headlines, like the news stories of which they are summaries, should be impartial. It is possible to “color” headlines so that they give a false impression of the news in the stories to which they are attached. The reader tends to carry over into the news story the impression which he gets from the headline, and a “colored” head, therefore, tends to “color” even an impartial, accurate news story. Headlines likewise should not comment on the news; comments on the news should be made in the editorial columns.

Divisions of Headlines. The headline is composed of one or more divisions called “lines,” “decks,” or “banks.” These divisions are separated by dashes and are frequently different in form and in size of type. In the following head, each deck has a distinct form and size of type.

In the image above, the top deck is labelled | 3-part drop-line |. It shows three lines of upper-case text in a large font. Each line is of about equal length and are shorter than the width of the column. The start of each line is shifted further to the right. This creates a staircase effect on the right-hand side of the head.

The next deck in the image is labelled | 3-part pyramid “bank” |. It is a three line head, each line graduated in length to produce an inverted pyramid effect. These three lines of mixed-case text are in a font that is smaller than that used in the deck above. The first line of the bank says | She Refuses to Join the Union and |. This line takes up the full width of the column. The second line is shorter than the first and is centered between the column rules. It says | Every Mill Owner is Against |. The third line of the inverted pyramid is shorter again than the previous two lines and is also centered between the column rules. It says | Closed Shop |. Together the three-line head says | She Refuses to Join the Union and Every Mill Owner is Against Closed Shop |.

The third deck in the image is labelled | cross-line |. Its form is a single line of upper-case text. In this instance the line of text spans the full width of the column. It is displayed in a font whose size is midway between the font used in the first deck and that used in the second deck. The line says | WEEKLY LOSS $2,500,000 |.

The fourth and final deck in the image is labelled | 4-part hanging indention |. By that it means there are four lines of text with a hanging indent. That is, the first line of the headline spans the full width of the column while the next three lines are indented by the width of two characters from the left-hand column rule. This deck is in mixed-case whose font size is smaller than that used in the other three decks. Together the four parts of the head says | Says She Quit Organized Labor Because She Does Not Believe In It and Declares She Will Not Return Despite All Threats. |

Headlines are constructed on the basis of the four forms that appear in the above example, which may be called respectively, (1) the drop-line; (2) the pyramid; (3) the cross-line; and (4) the hanging indention. Graphically these forms may be represented thus:

The graphical representation shown in the diagram above is a simpler representation of the previous example. It replaces the lines of headline text with thick lines to more clearly demonstrate the structure of each of the forms. The four forms shown in the image are labelled | (1) Drop-line |, | (2) Pyramid |, | (3) Cross-line | and | (4) Hanging indention |.

Drop-Line Heads. The drop-line head may consist of two, three, or four parts arranged as in the following three heads:

Cross-Line Heads. The cross-line head consists of but one line which may or may not fill the whole space between the column rules. In the following examples, the first head fills the line, and the second only part of the line.

The image above contains two examples of cross-line heads. Example | (1) | says | POSTAL BANK BILL PASSES |. It spans the full width between the column rules.

Example | (2) | says | SEES PERIL IN TARIFF |. It is shorter than the line in the example above so is centered between the column rules.

Pyramid Banks. The pyramid head may consist of two, three, or four parts, graduated in length to produce the inverted pyramid effect. The following “bank” illustrates the pyramid of three parts:

The image above displays a pyramid bank of three parts. The first line reads | Promoters of International Av- | and fills the whole space between the column rules. The last word on the line, which would be | Aviation |, is divided with a hyphen so the rest of the word starts the next line of the pyramid bank. That next line reads | iation Tournament Decide |. This line is shorter than the one above and is centered between the column rules. The third and final line of the pyramid bank reads | to Use Race Track. | and is shorter still. Like the line above, it is centered between the column rules. Together the three lines of the pyramid bank says | Promoters of International Aviation Tournament Decide to Use Race Track. |

Hanging Indention. The hanging indention head consists of several parts, the first of which begins at the column rule on the left, while all the others are indented the width of one or two letters.

The image above is an example of a hanging indention head in four parts. It is in mixed-case as is normal for this type of head. The first line fills the whole space between the column rules. The second, third and fourth lines of the head are indented two characters from the left-hand column rule but each of those line fills the rest of the column width except for the last line which is shorter and ends with a full stop.

The first line reads | Immense Wealth is Stored Up |. The second line reads | in Vaults of Country’s Repos- |, the last word of which should be | Repository |, but it is divided with a hyphen so the rest of the word starts the next line of the head. That next line reads | itories for Coin, Bullion, and |. The last line of the head reads | Other Precious Metals. | Together the four lines of the hanging indention head says | Immense Wealth is Stored Up in Vaults of Country’s Repositories for Coin, Bullion, and Other Precious Metals. |

The drop-line, cross-line, or pyramid may be used in any deck, whereas the hanging indention head is used only for a deck other than the first.

Combinations of Forms. Various combinations of these four forms may be used to give the variety required for all kinds of stories. For large heads a combination of a two part drop-line, a three part pyramid, a cross-line or another drop-line, and a second pyramid, constitutes a frequent form, as is seen in the following example:

The image above contains a head made up of a four-deck combination of forms, each deck separated from the one below with a short horizontal rule.

The first deck is a drop-line head in two parts. Each line is upper-case and displayed in a thin but large font. The first line reads | FRENCH STRIKE ENDS | and the second | AFTER DAY OF CRIME |.

The second deck is a pyramid bank of three parts. It is in mixed-case and displayed in a smaller font size. The parts say | Railroad Men’s Union Orders | Work Resumed on All Tied | Up Lines To-day. | Together the three parts of the head reads as | Railroad Men’s Union Orders Work Resumed on All Tied Up Lines To-day. |

The third deck is a cross-line head in upper-case and displayed in a font slightly larger than the one used in the preceding deck. The line reads | BOMB OUTRAGES CONTINUE |.

The fourth and final deck of this large headline is another pyramid head in three parts. It is in the same case and font size as the second deck which was also a pyramid. The parts of this head say | Attempts to Blow Up Passenger | Trains and Bridges Arouse | Public and Police. | Together the three parts of the head says | Attempts to Blow Up Passenger Trains and Bridges Arouse Public and Police. |

A large three part drop-line head may be followed by a hanging indention line and by a cross-line, as in the following case:

The image above contains three decks separated by short horizontal rules.

The middle deck is a hanging indention head in four parts. It is displayed as mixed-case in a smaller and thinner font. The parts of the head say | Amazing Wealth is Stored Up | in the Vaults of Country’s | Repositories for Coin and | Bullion. | Together the four parts says | Amazing Wealth is Stored Up in the Vaults of Country’s Repositories for Coin and Bullion. |

The third deck is an upper-case cross-line head in a font of medium weight and size which says | WEIGHING MONEY BAGS |.

For smaller heads there are several sizes of two part drop-heads, or of cross-lines combined with pyramids or hanging indentions of two or three parts; for example:

The image above contains two examples of smaller heads. Example | (1) | is constructed of two decks separated by a short horizontal rule. The first deck is a cross-line head in upper-case. It is displayed in a small font, probably of a similar size to that used for column text that would follow. It reads | COLLEGE BOYS TURN WAITERS |.

The second deck of this example is a pyramid head of two parts. It is mixed-case displayed in an even smaller font than that used in the deck above. Its two parts say | Break Strike in Evanston Restaurant | When Girls Walk Out. | Together the lines of the two decks in the example says | COLLEGE BOYS TURN WAITERS Break Strike in Evanston Restaurant When Girls Walk Out. |

Example | (2) | is again constructed of two decks, each separated by a short horizontal rule. The first deck is a cross-line head in upper-case and displayed in a font slightly larger than that used in the example above. It reads | BURGLARS BUSY IN NEWTON |.

The second deck is a hanging indention head of three parts displayed as mixed case in a slightly smaller font. The three parts of the head say | Houses Ransacked by Gang Which Is | Thought to Have Had Rendezvous | In the Old Post Office. | Together the lines of the two decks says | BURGLARS BUSY IN NEWTON | Houses Ransacked by Gang Which Is Thought to Have Had Rendezvous In the Old Post Office. |

The image above contains two more examples of smaller heads. The first example is labelled | (3) | and is constructed of two decks separated by a short horizontal rule. The first deck is a cross-line head in upper-case and displayed in a small font about the size of capital letters in the column text that would follow. It says | AIRSHIP STANDS FINAL TEST |.

The second deck is a pyramid head of three parts. It is in mixed-case displayed in a smaller font than that used in the deck above. Its three parts say | Baldwin Machine Stays Aloft Two Hours | and is Accepted by Signal Corps as | the Most Proficient Of All. | Together the lines of the two decks says | AIRSHIP STANDS FINAL TEST | Baldwin Machine Stays Aloft Two Hours and is Accepted by Signal Corps as the Most Proficient Of All.”

The second example in the image is labelled | (4) | and again is constructed of two decks, each separated by a short horizontal rule. The first deck is a drop-line head in upper-case and displayed in a font about the same size as that used in the example above. Its two lines say | EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY | UPHELD BY OHIO COURT |.

The second deck is a pyramid head of three parts. It is in mixed-case displayed in a smaller font than that used in the deck above it. The three lines of the head say | Act Providing for Benefits in Case of | Death or Injury Is Declared | to Be Constitutional. | Together the lines of the two decks says | EMPLOYERS’ LIABILITY UPHELD BY OHIO COURT | Act Providing for Benefits in Case of Death or Injury Is Declared to Be Constitutional. |

Practically every symmetrical arrangement of the four forms of heads can be found in various newspapers, but the principles underlying the writing of any of the combinations are the same.

Type Limits of Heads. The typographical limitations are the most important considerations governing the writing of headlines. These limitations are determined by the size of type and the form of each deck of the head. The possible variation in the parts of the first deck is not more than a letter or two from the normal form. So small is the variation possible within the column width that the size of the letters used has to be considered. Thus the letters “M” and “W” are one and one-half times the size of all the other letters except “I,” which is only one-half as large as the others. In the counting of unit letters in a headline, the writer must consider “M” and “W” as one and one-half units each, and the letter “I” and the figure “1” as half a unit each. Each space between words is counted as one unit. Since the form and symmetry of a head are marred or entirely destroyed by having too few or too many units in any part, great skill is necessary in the choice and the arrangement of words to secure as nearly as possible the exact number of units required for a perfect head.

The effect produced by having too many units is shown in the following heads for which 18 units is the normal number in each half of the two-line drop head.

The image above contains two examples of heads with too many units on a line. The effect that creates is made worse because the spacing between words has been reduced in order to fit all the words to a line.

Example | (2) | is also constructed of a single deck with a drop-line head of two parts, each line spanning the full width between column rules. The first line consists of 21½ units and says | TWO FIRES IN ONE HOUSE |. The second line consists of 20 units and says | INSIDE OF THREE HOURS |. Together the two parts of the drop-line head says | TWO FIRES IN ONE HOUSE INSIDE OF THREE HOURS |.

When the number of units is less than that required for the best effect, the headline is not so unsatisfactory as when too many units are crowded into it, because the short line is more legible than the long one. In each of the following heads the first half contains only 15 units instead of 18, and as a result there is too much space at the end of each of these halves. Both, however, are much more easily read than the crowded ones given above.

The image above contains the example labelled | (1) |. It is constructed of a single deck with a drop-line head of two parts with slightly expanded inter-word spacing. Both parts are in upper-case text. The first line is of 15 units and says | STATE SECRETARY |. The second line is of 15½ units and says | ON TRIP TO COAST |. The whole drop-line head says | STATE SECRETARY ON TRIP TO COAST |.

The image above contains the example labelled | (2) |. It is also constructed of a single deck with a drop-line head of two parts with slightly expanded inter-word spacing. Both parts are in upper-case text. The first line is of 15 units and says | WEISS REASSURES |. The second line is of 14 units and says | BUSINESS WORLD |. The whole drop-line head says | WEISS REASSURES BUSINESS WORLD |.

That much better results are produced by having each half contain more nearly the required number of units is shown by comparing the next two heads with those preceding.

The image above contains two examples. The first one is labelled | (1) | and is again constructed of a drop-line head in two parts but now there is less space between the end of the first line and the right-hand column rule and before the start of the second line and the left-hand column rule. The first line is of 18 units and says | STORY OF DYING MAN |. The second line is also of 18 units and says | REOPENS GRAFT CASE |. The whole drop-line head says | STORY OF DYING MAN REOPENS GRAFT CASE |.

The second example is labelled | (2) |. It is also constructed of a drop-line head in two parts. Like the example above there is less space between the end of the first line and the right-hand column rule and before the start of the second line and the left-hand column rule. The first line is of 18½ units and says | MAY LOSE EXTRA PAY |. The second line is of 17½ units and says | FOR NIGHT CAR RUNS |. The whole drop-line head says | MAY LOSE EXTRA PAY FOR NIGHT CAR RUNS |.

In headline writing a number of points must be borne in mind. It should be remembered, however, that these are not hard and fast rules but general principles based on newspaper practice.

Why the Head is Based on the “Lead.” As in the normal type of news story all the important facts are given in the lead, the headline, as the bulletin of these facts, is based largely, if not entirely, on the material in the lead. One reason for giving all the essential details in the lead, as has already been pointed out, is that the story may be cut down before or after it is in type. This possibility that the story may be cut down is an additional reason why the headline should be based on the first part of the story, for if the headline contains only the substance of the lead, it need not be rewritten when any part of the story is cut off.

The Tone of the Head. To adapt the character of the headline to the tone of the story is important for the best effect of both. The head should prepare the reader for what is to follow. A humorous or witty headline is well adapted for a story written in a light vein but usually is out of keeping with a plain news story. A suggestion of pathos even may be given in the headline when the story warrants it. Efforts to be funny or tearful, however, ought always to be carefully considered and should not be made unless the circumstances justify them.

Avoiding Repetition. It has come to be a generally recognized point that there should be a minimum amount of repetition of words throughout the head. The same word should not be used more than once either in the same deck or in different decks unless the lack of synonyms makes it absolutely necessary, or unless emphasis is gained by so doing. This, of course, applies in only a limited degree to the necessary connective words, such as conjunctions and prepositions, and parts of the verb “to be.” The writer of heads should have at his command a number of synonymous words and expressions, so that, when he must refer to the same person, object, or action a second or third time, he may be able to vary the expression.

The Interrelation of the Decks. If the grammatical subject remains the same in statements made in two or more decks, it need not be repeated, as it will be understood with the verbs in the following deck or decks. In the head given below, the subject of the verb “stricken” in the first deck, serves as the subject of the verbs “found” in the second deck, “is” in the third, and “will be taken” in the fourth.

The image above is a headline constructed of four decks of various forms which say | GUARD STRICKEN ON PRISON WALL | Found in His Sentry Box at the Penitentiary Helpless From Paralysis | IS A CIVIL WAR VETERAN | Will be Taken to His Meigs County Home Unless He Grows Worse. |

Since the subject, when suppressed in any deck, is understood to be the same as that in the deck just preceding, care must be taken to have the verb agree with it grammatically. There is a not unnatural tendency, for example, to use in one deck a singular verb with a collective noun like “common council,” or “faculty” (of a college), and then, changing the idea to the members of these bodies, to use in the next deck a plural verb with the subject suppressed. Thus, in the following head, “tariff board” should not be made the subject of “reports” and “declare.”

The image above is a head constructed of two decks. They say | TARIFF BOARD REPORTS ON ALL WOOL SCHEDULES | Declare That Many of the Rates are Too High.

Failure to remember that a verb without a subject is assumed to have the same subject as the statement in the deck immediately preceding, not that in any other of the preceding decks, also leads to confusion. The following head, for example, is poor because it is not clear that “president” is the subject of “gives,” since “governor” is the subject of the statement in the preceding deck; nor is it evident that “troops” of the first deck is the subject of “to camp” in the fourth.

The image above is a head constructed of four decks of various forms. They say | PRESIDENT ORDERS TROOPS TO REMAIN | Governor Undecided About Calling Special Legislative Session | GIVES TWELVE DAYS OF GRACE | To Camp Here Three Weeks While State Decides Its Course. |

The subject is sometimes incorrectly suppressed in one deck when there is no subject in the preceding deck that can be understood for that verb; for example, in the following head there is no word in the first deck that can be taken for the subject of “was” in the second.

The image above is a head constructed of two decks. They say | ARREST REVEALS DOUBLE LIFE | Was Both Traveling Man and Burglar at Same Time, Say Police. |

Often it is necessary to repeat in other decks with additional details or in more definite form the statement made in the first deck; for example:

The image above is a head constructed of two decks. They say | TO TIE UP WHOLE OHIO LINE | Shopmen on Strike Threaten to Prevent Running of All Trains. |

When such repetition is necessary for greater clearness, there is no objection to it, but to make several decks merely repetition in other words of the first is a not uncommon fault that should be avoided. If, for example, the foregoing head had been expanded into four decks by mere repetition, the result might have been the following head, in which but one fact is presented.

The image above is a head constructed of four decks. They say | TO TIE UP WHOLE OHIO LINE | Shopmen On Strike Threaten to Prevent Running of All Trains | TRAFFIC TO BE AT A STANDSTILL | Strikers Say That No Freight or Passenger Service Will Be Possible Over the Road Affected. |

Most newspapers prefer to have the statement in each deck grammatically independent of that in the preceding deck; that is, they avoid extending a statement through two decks. How such a continuous statement is sometimes made, however, is shown in the following head from the New York Sun:

The image above is constructed of two decks. The first deck is a cross-line head in upper case which says | MORSE SAYS IT WASN’T FAIR |. The second deck is a pyramid head in two parts. The first line begins with the preposition | TO |. The head says | TO PUT HIS STORY IN THE HANDS OF GOVERNMENT AGENTS |. The full headline says | MORSE SAYS IT WASN’T FAIR TO PUT HIS STORY IN THE HANDS OF GOVERNMENT AGENTS |.

One peculiar form of headline, some of the best examples of which are found in the Cincinnati Enquirer, depends for its effect upon this continuation of a statement through several decks. Only one word is used for the first deck of large heads of this type, and only one or two in the first deck of smaller heads, as is seen in the following examples:

The image above is example | (1) | of this peculiar form of headline. It is a head with six decks. The first deck is cross-line form with the centered word | ENGINEERS | in a large, heavy-weighted, font.

The second deck is also cross-line but is mixed-case in a slightly smaller font of medium weight. It spans the full width of the column and says | Favor Lock Canal |.

The remaining four decks are all pyramid form in mixed-case and displayed in a font of similar size. They say | Work of Goethals Meets Praise of Experts, | Who, With Taft, Inspect the Panama Ditch, | And They Find Gatum Accident Was Trivial. | No Further Trouble With the Dam Is Anticipated—Plans of the President Elect. |

The complete headline reads | ENGINEERS Favor Lock Canal | Work of Goethals Meets Praise of Experts, Who, With Taft, Inspect the Panama Ditch, And They Find Gatum Accident Was Trivial. | No Further Trouble With the Dam Is Anticipated—Plans of the President Elect. |

It should be noted that the final pyramid deck is in four parts and is constructed so that the last line of the pyramid is the single word | Elect. | Visually, this means you have the first and last lines of this six-deck head centered between the column rules. All other lines between these are either centered or are the full width of the column so the overall appearance has a symmetry.

The image above is example | (2) | of a headline that depends for its effect upon the continuation of a statement through several decks. This one has just two decks. The first deck is cross-line form with the single, centered, upper-case word | PANCAKES | in a largish, thin, font.

The second deck is pyramid form in mixed-case and a smaller font and says | Wife Baked Tempted Soldier To Freedom, But Sirup To Put on Them Caused His Arrest. |

The full headlines says | PANCAKES Wife Baked Tempted Soldier To Freedom, But Sirup To Put on Them Caused His Arrest. |

Style in Heads. Rhyme and alliteration may be used to advantage on rare occasions, but generally this similarity of sound produces a jingling result that is not pleasing. Originality and novelty can be given by choice and combination of words much more effectively than by the artificial means of similar sounds.

To make headlines as concise as possible the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are omitted, and auxiliary verbs not absolutely necessary are suppressed. When articles and auxiliaries are convenient to fill out the line to the required number of units, they may be retained, but should not be used at the beginning of a deck.

To give freshness and vividness to the head, the verb is usually put in the present tense even though the action is in the past; for example, “Roosevelt Speaks in Cleveland.” Future action is expressed by the infinitive or by the regular future form with “will”; for example, “Roosevelt to Speak in Cleveland,” or “Roosevelt Will Speak in Cleveland.”

The active voice of the verb is preferred to the passive because the active is more vivid and more concise. “Cornell Wins Intercollegiate Regatta,” is better than “Intercollegiate Regatta Won by Cornell.” When, however, the passive is required to give the more significant part of the statement prominence in the first part of the top deck it should be used in preference to the active. In the following head the important point is that the post office has been robbed, rather than the fact that it was robbed by tramps.

The image above is a drop-line head of two parts that says | POST OFFICE ROBBED | BY BAND OF TRAMPS |.

This head would be less effective with the active verb, since the robbery of the post office would then go into the second part of the deck, thus:

The image above is a drop-line head of two parts that says | BAND OF TRAMPS ROB | POST OFFICE SAFE |.

News value rather than rules must determine in any case whether the active or passive voice is desirable.

The use of abbreviations, likewise, cannot be fixed by rule. In general, only commonly used abbreviations, like “Dr.,” “Prof.,” “Mrs.,” “Mr.,” “St.,” “Co.,” are to be found in headlines. In particular cases, however, others are employed because they are convenient and clear. In Boston, for example, “Tech” as an abbreviation for “Massachusetts Institute of Technology,” is common, and the Boston Herald, therefore, used it to advantage in the head:

The image above is of a single drop-line head that says | 200 TECH MEN SEE YULE LOG BLAZE |.

During a long campaign for “immediate municipal ownership” in Chicago, the newspapers of that city used almost daily the abbreviation “I.M.O.” So “L” for “elevated railroad” is perfectly clear to readers in New York, Boston, and Chicago. The names of states are not usually abbreviated, although “U.S.” is frequent. Abbreviations like “auto,” “taxi,” and “phone” are so general that they are used without question in headlines.

Colloquial contractions like “can’t,” “we’re,” etc., although not common, may give the life and naturalness often well suited to a story, as for example in the following head:

The image above is a head constructed from two decks. The first is a cross-line head that says | ROCKEFELLER, HE’D HELP HER |. The second deck is a pyramid form that says | So Mary Mayogian, Who is 12, Came Here to See Him. |

In the first deck short words are preferred, because in rapid reading they are more easily grasped than long ones, and because two or three words in each part of the line make a better looking, more symmetrical head. To meet the need for short equivalents for long words that are generally accepted terms, new words have been coined and new functions given to old ones. For the long noun “investigation” and the verb “to investigate,” the words “probe” and “quiz” are favorites with the headline writer, and are often used to excess. Long words like “criticize,” “censure,” “rebuke” give way to shorter ones like “hit,” “rap,” and “score.” The concise but inelegant “nab” is a headline substitute for “arrest.” The verb “peril,” rarely used elsewhere, appears in heads as an equivalent for “imperil” or “endanger,” as in “Shipwreck Perils Many.” The verb “wed” is a convenient short form for “marry.” Words condemned by good usage, such as “to suicide” and “to kill self,” have found a place in the headlines of some newspapers because of their clearness and brevity.

Slang, likewise, on account of its conciseness, novelty, and colloquial character, is not infrequently found in heads, although some newspapers have a rule against its use. If the slang word or phrase is put in quotation marks, it is considered by some newspapers as less objectionable. All that may be said for or against slang in newspapers as a whole, applies with equal force to its use in heads. If the question of good taste is involved in the use of a slang word, the safe course is to avoid it.

Some newspapers have a rule that numerical figures should be put into headlines only when they are absolutely necessary, an injunction that implies a very limited use of them, whereas the general practice clearly is to employ figures when they are the most effective means of conveying the important facts. The advantage of figures is seen in the following heads taken from representative newspapers:

The image above has three examples of heads that contain numerical figures. Each example is a single deck with a drop-line head of two or three parts.

Figures for numbers under ten appear less frequently in headlines, particularly at the beginning of a deck, but again the practice in regard to this usage is not uniform. Newspapers, like the New York Evening Post, that have but one line in the top deck of their large headlines, not infrequently use figures below ten at the beginning or anywhere in the first deck. With the greater space of the drop-line head it is easier to avoid small figures.

The division of words in headlines so that one syllable is in one part of the deck and one in another part, is to be avoided. Similarly, hyphenated words, or two words constituting a name or term each word of which is not clear alone, should not be divided between parts of the top deck. The following four heads illustrate these undesirable divisions:

The use of unemphatic words, like “of,” “to,” “for,” “and,” “but,” “if,” “a,” “the,” at the end of parts of the top deck is not desirable, as in this position they are given prominence and emphasis out of all proportion to their importance. Typographical limitations and the exigencies of rapid headline writing, however, result not infrequently in their appearance in these positions. Whenever it is possible, they should be avoided at the end of parts of the top deck.

Punctuation. Punctuation in headlines and subheads follows the accepted rules. When marks are not absolutely necessary for clearness, they should be omitted. In the first deck, and in cross-line heads, independent sentences not connected by conjunctions are separated by semicolons; for example:

In other decks dashes are usually used to separate independent unconnected statements. Care should be taken to avoid a dash at the end of one of the parts of a deck. The use of the dash is shown in the following example:

The image above is a head with two decks separated by a short horizontal rule. The first deck is a cross-line head that reads | TAFT PREPARES FOR YALE POST |.

The second deck is a pyramid head in three parts. It says | President Leases Residence at New | Haven—Expects to Go There | in the Spring. | It demonstrates the careful use of a dash which appears in the middle of the second line of the pyramid. The dash serves to separate the unconnected statements | President Leases Residence at New Haven | and | Expects to Go There in the Spring. |

Headline punctuation in various forms is illustrated in the heads given below:

The image above contains six examples of headline punctuation in heads. They are all single decks and are labelled | (1) | to | (6) |.

Example (1) is a drop-line head in two parts. The first line ends with a question mark. The second line begins with the word “NO” in inverted commas. The head says GIVE UP WAR SPOILS? | “NO”, SHOUT CHINESE.

Example (2) is also a drop-line head in two parts. The first line says | “THEATRE ON FIRE!” | and ends with an exclamation mark. The whole line is enclosed in quotation marks. The second line says | CRY ON BROADWAY |.

Example (4) is a drop-line head in two parts. Its purpose is to quote a statement by a person named Wilson. The statement says | GIVE BAD POLITICS FRESH AIR |. That statement is enclosed in quotation marks and its author's name | WILSON | is appended to the statement by a dash. The two parts of the head as actually displayed say | “GIVE BAD POLITICS | FRESH AIR”—WILSON |.

The image above contains three more examples of headline punctuation in heads. Each example is a single deck and they are labelled | (7) | to | (9) |.

Example (9) is also a drop-line head in three parts. The first line quotes a source who says | “DON’T BUTT IN” |. As it is a quotation, it is correctly enclosed in quotation marks. The other two lines of the head state who that quote is directed at. Those lines says | MEXICO IS TOLD | IN POLITE WAY |. Displayed as a single line, the head says | “DON’T BUTT IN” MEXICO IS TOLD IN POLITE WAY

Methods of Building Headlines. The editor or copy-reader who is constantly writing heads comes to think unconsciously in headline units; that is, his daily practice makes it possible for him to frame readily statements of the essential facts that will fulfill the requirements of each deck of the head. Nevertheless, he always counts the units to be sure that the number is correct. For the beginner the process of building up the several decks of a typical headline is analyzed at some length in the following pages, in order to demonstrate the methods pursued.

The story selected for showing the process of headline writing has been taken from the Chicago Record-Herald, which gave it a headline constructed on the following plan:

The image above is of a headline constructed of four decks, each separated by a short horizontal rule. The font size and weight differs between decks and to the left of each line in a head is the number of headline units that line contains.

The first deck is a drop-line head in two parts and displayed in a large, weighted, font. Each of the two lines contains 18 unit letters and say | FOREST RESERVE ACT | IS DECLARED INVALID |.

The second deck is in a smaller, mixed-case, font of lighter weight. It is a pyramid head in three parts that contains 10 words. Each part contains, respectively, 30, 25 and 15 unit letters. The parts say | State Supreme Court’s Decision | Puts Tax Assessing Depart- | ment In Dilemma. | Displayed as a single line without the division of words, the head says | State Supreme Court’s Decision Puts Tax Assessing Department In Dilemma. |

The third deck is a cross-line head in upper-case displayed in a font of medium weight and smaller than that used in the first deck. It contains 23 unit letters and says | MAY ENJOIN THE OFFICIALS |.

The fourth deck is similar to the second deck being a pyramid in three parts and displayed in the same font. It also contains 10 words. Each part of the head contains, respectively, 30, 25 and 15 unit letters. The parts say | State’s Attorney Wayne Threat- | ens Action if Attempt is Made | to Collect Levy. | Displayed as a single line without the division of words, the head says | State’s Attorney Wayne Threatens Action if Attempt is Made to Collect Levy. |

The story for which the headline is to be written follows:

The city council finance committee last night unanimously agreed to a proposition made by Mayor Harrison to have a committee of experts decide each year how much money shall be spent in each ward for street cleaning and garbage and refuse collection.

The mayor said the plan could not be adopted this year, as the committee was engaged in making up the budget for 1912 and there would not be time.

The suggestion of the mayor came during the annual “squabble” of the committee over the ward appropriations. As usual every member was contending for an increase.

“I’ll tell you, gentlemen,” suddenly broke in Mayor Harrison, “this helter skelter method of making up ward appropriations should be discontinued. It is a system that is out of date and one that works an injustice on many sections of the city. I would suggest that we have a commission or a committee of experts begin next year, about three months before the committee begins making up the budget, and work out a scientific plan for the proper distribution of the street cleaning and garbage removal funds.”

[Pg 296]

“I’m with you there,” declared Aldermen Cermak and Egan in unison, and every alderman around the table enthusiastically endorsed the proposition.

The work of making the ward appropriations was continued after the mayor’s suggestions and raises were granted along the line.

In editing this story of the meeting of the city council finance committee, the copy-reader would get these four main points:

(1) Mayor Harrison’s proposal to the finance committee in regard to the allotment of ward funds was approved.

(2) His plan is to have experts decide the division on a scientific basis.

(3) The new method cannot be put into operation until next year on account of lack of time.

(4) The fight, or “squabble,” among the aldermen on this matter has been an annual one.

As the subject of the story is the “ward funds,” the headline may be constructed around these words. The words “ward fund” contain 9½ units, and the plural “ward funds,” 10½ units, which, on the basis of 18 units to be filled in each half of the first deck, will leave 7½ or 8½ units to be filled, according as the singular or plural form of “fund” is used. If a verb is desired for the first half deck, the “dividing” or “allotting” of the fund expresses the idea involved; and, since the action is in the future, “to divide” or “to allot” (8 units each), or “will divide” or “will allot” (10 units each), are possibilities. The combination of these elements gives “To Allot Ward Fund” (18½ units) and “To Divide Ward Fund” (18½ units), either of which may be used for the first half of the top deck. This deck may be completed in the second half by introducing the second point; namely, that the allotment is to be made “On a Scientific Basis” (19 units), which can be reduced to 17 units by omitting the article “a.” The result will then be as follows:

Or the second point may be used in the form of the allotment’s being made “with the aid of experts” (22½ units), which may be reduced to 18½ units by omitting the article “the.” The resulting combination will be:

If it is desired to emphasize the fact that the mayor has solved the ward fund problem, or has ended the “grab,” or settled the “squabble,” or dispute, or fight, these phrases may be arranged in the following forms:

This image is at the top of the following page and contains two more examples showing how phrases may be arranged in a head to emphasize facts of a story.

Still greater prominence can be given to the mayor by putting the word at the beginning of the first half of the first deck, but by so doing the real subject, that is, the ward fund division or wrangle, must go over into the second half. In this arrangement the forms would be:

If more emphasis is desired for the point that experts are to settle or decide the ward fund division or fight, these statements may be combined as follows, but again the real subject, by going into the second half of the deck, is less conspicuous:

These various forms for the top deck show some of the possibilities of variety of emphasis and tone in the headline. As the first half of the top deck is more conspicuous than the second, the most significant part of the statement should, if possible, be placed in the first half. Consequently those forms in which the idea of the allotting or dividing of the ward funds is placed first, would generally be preferred. The words “squabble,” “scrap,” and “grab,” although colloquial and inelegant, might be admissible to characterize effectively the situation growing out of the efforts of each alderman to get the most for his own ward, if the circumstances of the dispute were undignified.

The other decks of the headline for this story may be constructed to follow any one of these top decks, but, for convenience, only two of the top decks will be used for illustration. If the one chosen is “To Divide Ward Fund On Scientific Basis,” it may be developed by the other points already given ([page 296]); that is, (1) The mayor’s proposal was approved by the finance committee; (2) The division is to be made by experts; (3) The method cannot be put into operation until next year for lack of time; and (4) the fight on the matter has been an annual one. The second deck of ten words should explain the “scientific basis” of division and give the action of the finance committee by which this plan was determined upon, both of which points may be stated in the following forms:

Example | (2) | is also a pyramid head in three parts. It states the same facts as the example above but phrases them in a different way. It is 12 words long and avoids dividing the word | Committee |. The three parts are respectively 30, 25 and 17 unit letters long and say | Plan to Let Experts Fix Amount |, | Given Approval by Council |, Finance Committee. | Displayed as a single line the head says | Plan to Let Experts Fix Amount Given Approval by Council Finance Committee. |

The third deck, which, because of the size of type, is next in prominence to the top deck, should contain the mayor’s part in the solution, and within the limits of 23 unit letters, this may be expressed in the following forms:

If the third or fifth forms are used, they should not be combined with the second form, “Plan To Let Experts, etc.,” suggested for the second deck, because of the repetition of the word “plan.”

For the fourth deck the idea that the dispute is an annual one, and, if not already used, the point that the plan is going into effect next year, may both be expressed within the limits, which are the same as those for the second deck, as follows:

Example | (2) | is also a pyramid head in three parts. This one contains 11 words. It again communicates the idea that the dispute is an annual one and that the plan is going into effect next year. The three parts are respectively 27, 26 and 14 units long and say | Annual Squabble of Aldermen |, | Over Street Cleaning Money |, | Ends Next Year. | Displayed as a single line the head says | Annual Squabble of Aldermen Over Street Cleaning Money Ends Next Year. |

In complete form with one of each of these possibilities chosen to avoid repetition, the head will read:

The image above displays the complete head which is made up of four decks.

Displayed as a single line the head says | TO DIVIDE WARD FUND ON SCIENTIFIC BASIS | City Council Finance Committee Will Let Experts Settle Problem Next Year. MAYOR PROPOSES THE PLAN | New Method Will End Annual Dispute of Aldermen Over Allotment of Money. |

If the first deck chosen is one of the forms in which the part played by the mayor in the solution of the problem is emphasized, the other three decks could be so composed as to include the other points, without repetition, as follows:

Displayed as a single line the head says | WARD FUND PROBLEM IS SOLVED BY MAYOR | Plan to Let Experts Fix Amount Given Approval by Council Finance Committee. | TO TAKE EFFECT NEXT YEAR Allotment on Scientific Basis to Replace Annual Squabble of the Aldermen. |

Subheads. Besides writing headlines for stories, the copy-reader inserts subheads at intervals to break up the solid masses of type which are unrelieved except by paragraph division. These subheads make possible more rapid reading.

The subhead, which is set up either in bold face capitals or in bold face capitals and lower case, is like a cross-line head that does not fill the entire column width. The subhead should be an announcement in three or four words of the most significant point in the section of the story which it precedes. The same limitation as to the number of units exists as in any cross-line head. In a story of some length subheads are placed at intervals of about 200 words, and in shorter stories at intervals of from 100 to 150 words. The insertion of these subheads at comparatively regular intervals makes for symmetry of effect. Significant matter in the story, or an important change of topic, warrants a subhead, regardless of the regularity of the interval. It is generally considered preferable not to place a subhead immediately after a sentence ending with a colon and introducing a quotation, because the subhead interrupts the quotation and appears to be part of it. This difficulty can usually be avoided by placing the subhead just before the introductory sentence, thus:

NEW YORK, Dec. 14.—On the eve of his retirement from the post of British ambassador at Washington, which he has occupied with distinction for six years, James Bryce Saturday night paid an extraordinary tribute to the constitution of the United States. The occasion was the annual dinner of the Pennsylvania society of New York, and he spoke from the topic: “The Commemoration of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the Framing of the Constitution of the United States.”

Work of Men of Genius.

The ambassador said in part:

“The constitution was the work of an extraordinary group of men such as has seldom been seen living at the same time in any country and such as had never been brought together in any other country to undertake the immensely difficult task of framing a fundamental instrument of government for a nation. The nation was then a small one, and it is one of the most striking tributes to the genius and foresight of the men that the frame of government which they designed for 37,000,000 people should have proved fitting to serve the needs of 93,000,000.”

Jump-Heads. When a story is continued from one page to another, a head called a jump-head, or “run-over” head, is placed above the continuation. This jump-head may be either the top deck of the head at the beginning set in the same type or in smaller type, or it may be a new head. Examples of jump-heads follow:

Two examples are provided. Each example is in two sections. The first section displays the head of a story from the first page and the second section displays the jump-head that is placed above the continuation of the story on another page.

Big Heads. In this discussion only one column heads have been considered, but the same general principles apply to the construction of headlines extending over any number of columns. Important news may be given a head of one, two, or three parts extending across the whole front page. Such a head is often called a “banner.”

SUGGESTIONS

Get the important facts of the story clearly and accurately in mind before writing the head.
Study carefully each kind of headline to find out its possibilities and limitations.
Give the story a headline proportionate in size to its importance.
Base the head as far as possible on the facts in the lead.
Have the tone of the head in keeping with that of the story.
Don’t make the head a comment on the news.
Avoid trite, hackneyed words or phrases.
Make the statement in each deck clear, concise, and specific.
Put the most significant fact into the first deck.
Use short, specific words in the first deck.
Count the unit letters and spaces in every deck.
Don’t try to crowd in more units than the space will permit.
Don’t fill out a short line with weak words.
Make clear the relation of the statement of each deck to that in the preceding deck.
Use only such abbreviations as are commonly to be found in heads.
Omit articles and unnecessary auxiliary verbs whenever it is possible.
Punctuate only when clearness requires it.
Use figures when they are the significant facts.
Avoid repetition of words other than connectives.
Use the present tense of the verb for past events and the infinitive or future tense for coming ones.
Keep the tenses uniform throughout the head.
Avoid libelous statements.

PRACTICE WORK

Criticize the following heads and rewrite each, retaining as far as possible the ideas and point of view of the original:

The image above is example (1) of sixteen examples of heads to be criticized. In this example, as in all the examples that follow, the top deck is a drop-line head. In that context it is worth recalling from page 280 that each line of a drop-line head should ideally be 18 unit letters wide.

The image above is example (2). It is a head of three decks. The top deck is a drop-line head of two parts with 17 and 16 unit letters respectively. It says | PARCELS POST PLAN | STARTS TOMORROW |. The second deck is a head in pyramid form which says | New System Makes It Possible | to Mail Packages Weighing | Up to 11 Pounds. | The third decks is a cross-line head which says | REQUIRE SPECIAL STAMPS |

The image above is example (3). It is a head of two decks and is followed by the first paragraph of the story it heads. The top deck is a drop-line head of two parts with 15½ and 15 unit letters respectively. It says | RIVERS IN GOTHAM | FOR CROSS SETTO |. The second deck is a four-part hanging indention head which says | Little Mexican, in Great Condi- | tion, Announces That He Will | Surely Put the Quietus on the | Hard Hitting Dentist. |

The opening paragraph of the story follows the head. It says | NEW YORK, Dec. 28.—Joe Rivers, the Mexican lightweight, accompanied by his manager, Joe Levy, his brother, Andy Rivers, and his trainer, Abdul the Turk, arrived in this city Friday night. Rivers is scheduled to fight Leach Cross, at the Empire A. C. on Jan. 14, instead of Jan. 8. |

The image above is example (4). It is a head of three decks and is followed by the opening paragraphs of the story it heads. The top deck is a drop-line head of two parts with 13½ and 13½ unit letters respectively. It says | TAXES MUST BE | PAID BY JAN. 31 |. Note the second line of the head uses | JAN. 31 | as a shortened form of | JANUARY THIRTY FIRST |

The third deck is a drop-line head in two parts which say | COLLECTION TO BEGIN | AT 9 A. M., TOMORROW |

The opening paragraphs of the story follow the head. They say | The collection of city taxes will be started at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning by City Treasurer John R. Greene. | “All county and state taxes must be paid by Jan. 31,” said City Treasurer Greene yesterday. “But an extension of six months on city taxes will be granted to those applying, under a law passed by the 1911 legislature.” |

The image above is example (5). It is a head of two decks and is followed by the first paragraph of the story it heads. The top deck is a drop-line head of two parts with 15 and 14 unit letters respectively. It says | GOTHAM WORKERS | PLANNING STRIKE |

The second deck is a pyramid of three parts which say | Demanding the Abolishment of | Sweat Shop and General | Increase in Wages. |

The opening paragraph of the story says | NEW YORK. Dec. 22.—The largest of a series of general strikes of 200,000 garment workers in this city will probably start this week following the counting of a secret ballot of 125,000 workers who have just completed the vote. The abolition of sweatshop conditions in the trade and a general increase in wages are demanded. |

The image above is example (6). It is a head of two decks and is followed by the first paragraph of the story it heads. The top deck is a drop-line head of two parts with 16½ and 16 unit letters respectively. It says | HIGH PRICES SAWED | BY PARCELS POST? |. It is posed as a question with the second line of the head ending in a question mark.

The second deck is a pyramid of three parts which say | Senator Jonathan Bourne Thinks | New System Will Solve Cost of | Living Problem. |

The opening paragraph of the story says | WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 21.—If the parcels post is utilized to its fullest degree, a decided decrease in the cost of living will result, according to the prediction on Saturday of Senator Jonathan Bourne of Oregon, father of the measure which becomes effective on Jan. 1. |

The image above is example (7). It is a head of three decks and is followed by the opening paragraphs of the story it heads. The top deck is a drop-line head of two parts with 16½ and 16½ unit letters respectively. It says | THINK PARLAPIANO’S | ACT IS JUSTIFIABLE |

The third deck is a cross-line head which says | BOUND OVER TO NEXT TERM |

Part of the opening paragraph of the story follows. The remainder of that paragraph plus the second paragraph are contained in an image at the top of the next page. The part displayed here says | Although the district attorney and judge of the District court testified their belief, supplementary to the arguments of the counsel for the defense, in the justifiableness of the crime, it was found necessary to bind over Vito Parlapiano, alleged murderer of Michael Perricone, |

The image above is the continuation of paragraph text from the previous page. It says | to the next term of the Municipal court, in District court Friday afternoon. | The sight of a district attorney who had caused a man’s arrest pleading for his release on the grounds of justification, and of the judge of a court expressing his opinion of the man’s innocence, has rarely been seen, but all this was done after convincing testimony had been introduced to prove that the killing was done in self-defense and through excessive fear of death on the defendant’s part. |

The image above is example (8). It is a head of two decks and is followed by the opening paragraphs of the story it heads. The top deck is a drop-line head in a smaller font than usual. It is in two parts with 27½ and 28 unit letters respectively. Both lines use the full width of the column but the letters look crowded thus making it difficult to see where one word ends and the next starts. This head says | POPE’S BROTHER, 76 YEARS OLD, | AT 50 CENTS WAGE, GETS BOOST. |

The second deck is a three-part hanging indention head which says | Aged Postmaster’s Pay Doubled—Walks | Ten Miles a Day Carrying Mails to | Rail Station. |

The opening paragraphs of the story follow. They say | ROME, Dec. 9.—The pope’s brother, Angelo Sarto, who is postmaster of the village of Corazio, called at the parliament buildings today and asked Deputy Di Bagno to recommend him to the minister of posts and telegraphs for an increase in salary. | The pontiff’s brother is 76 years old and earns a half dollar daily. He is compelled to walk ten miles every day in order to carry the mails of his village to the Nantua station. | Later in the day the minister cordially received Sarto and after talking with him for a while willingly doubled his pay, and, what is more, appointed a postman to help him. |

The image above is example (9). It is a head of two decks with no following paragraph text. The top deck is a drop-line head in two parts with 19½ and 18½ unit letters respectively. It says | SEEK CAUSE OF WRECK | KILLING 4, HURTING 50 |

The image above is example (10). It is a single-deck head and is followed by the opening paragraph of the story it heads. The deck is a drop-line form in two parts with 16 and 17 unit letters respectively. It says | WOMEN SELL EGGS | TO CUT LIVING COST |

The opening paragraph of the story follows. It says | PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 11.—One hundred and fifty thousand dozen of eggs, at 24 cents a dozen, were sold to-day from a score or more stations scattered throughout the city, a record which will probably be doubled to-morrow. This is the result of the first endeavor of the new Housekeepers’ League of Philadelphia in its campaign against the present high cost of living. |

The image above is example (11). It is a head of four decks and is followed by the opening paragraphs of the story it heads. The top deck is a drop-line head of two parts with 14½ and 14½ unit letters respectively. It says | CROP PRODUCTION | ON THE INCREASE |

The second deck is a pyramid of three parts which say | Special Government Report Gives | Definite Information on the | Greatest Corn Crop. |

The third deck is a cross-line head which says | OTHER REPORTS LATER |

Part of the opening paragraph of the story follows. The remainder of that paragraph plus the second paragraph are contained in an image at the top of the next page. The part displayed here says | WASHINGTON, D. C., Nov. 8.—A corn crop of 3,169,137,000 bu., or 281,921,000 bu. more than the greatest crop of corn ever grown in any country of the world is the feature of the country’s most remarkable agricultural year in history according to the November crop report of the United States department of agriculture |

The image above is the continuation of paragraph text from the previous page. It says | issued on Friday. The report completed the government’s preliminary estimates of the nation’s principal farm crops. This great crop of corn was worth on Nov. 1 to the farmers $1,850,776,000. | The enormous sum of $4,171,134,000 represented the farm value on Nov. 1 of the United States crops of corn, hay, wheat, oats, potatoes, barley, flaxseed, rye and buckwheat. With the value of the growing cotton crop, and the crops of tobacco, rice and apples, the aggregate value of these principal farm products will amount well beyond $5,000,000,000. |

The image above is example (12). It is a head of three decks with no following paragraph text. The top deck is a drop-line head in two parts with 14½ and 16 unit letters respectively. It says | IN PRISON GLOOM | AWAIT THEIR DOOM |

The second deck is a pyramid of three parts which say | Thirty-eight Convicted Labor | Officials Will Learn Their | Fate Wednesday. |

The third deck is a cross-line head which says | WILL APPEAL EACH CASE |

The image above is example (13). It is a head of two decks with no following paragraph text. The top deck is a drop-line head in two parts with 17 and 18 unit letters respectively. It says | STATE SOLONS PLAN | MANY NEW STATUTES |

The second deck is a pyramid of three parts which say | Water Power, Public Service and | Income Tax Questions Will | Receive Attention. |

The image above is example (14). It is a head of two decks and is followed by the opening paragraphs of the story it heads. The top deck is a drop-line head of two parts with 17½ and 17 unit letters respectively. It says | WAR FORTUNE SAVES | KING PETER’S ROBES |

The second deck is a pyramid of three parts which say | Open Secret That Servian Ruler | Was About to Abdicate | His Throne. |

The opening paragraphs of the story follow. They say | BELGRADE, Dec. 28.—(Special Cable).—While all the Balkan royal houses have strengthened their hold upon their respective peoples by reason of the Turko-Balkan war, it has been the very salvation of the royal house of Karageorgevitch. | It is an open secret here that King Peter was making preparations to resign until it became certain that war was inevitable. |

The image above is example (15). It is a head of four decks and is followed by the opening paragraphs of the story it heads. The top deck is a drop-line head of two parts with 16½ and 19 unit letters respectively. It says | WHITNEY HOME SOLD | FOR FIFTH AVE. TRADE |

The second deck is a pyramid of three parts which say | Fine House at Fifty-Seventh | Street May Be Remodeled or | Torn Down for Business Block. |

The third deck is a cross-line head which says | WAS HELD AT $2,250,000 |

The fourth deck, like the second, is a pyramid of three parts which say | Price Was Under That—New Owner’s | Name Not Revealed, But Broker | Says He Is an Investor. |

Part of the opening paragraph of the story follows. The remainder of that paragraph is contained in an image at the top of the next page. The part displayed here says | The career of the famous Whitney mansion on the southwest corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street as a |

The image above is the continuation of the opening paragraph from the previous page. It says | city residence is over. The house was sold yesterday by Harry Payne Whitney, and it was announced that the new owner would utilize the corner for business. The entire property, according to Worthington Whitehouse, who represented Mr. Whitney in the sale, was held at $2,250,000, but it is understood that the price paid was under that figure. Frank D. Veiller, who represented the buyer, declined to give the name, only saying that he was an investor. |

The image above is example (16). It is the last one in this set of practice examples. It is a head constructed of a single deck which is a drop-line form in three parts. It is displayed in a thin font. The parts are 14, 14 and 14½ unit letters respectively and say | THUGS ARE BOLD | HOLD UP WOMAN | AS CROWD GAPES |