The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1850-08-07
The Art OF Advertisinu

The committee appointed by Mr.. V. B. PAL
MER, to decide the award of Silver Cup to the
writer of the best essay upon the subject of Ad-
vertising, have, we see by the last number of the
Register, made their report. The committee
consist of Messcrs. GEORGE r. GRAHAM, of
"Graham's Magazine" WILLIAM NJ SWAIN,
of the ''Public Ledger and GEORGE H. HART,
President of the philadelphia and Wilkesbarre
Telegraph Company and the prize has been
awarded to HORACE GREELEY, Esq, of the
New York Tribune The Cup will cost $500,
and will be covered with elegant designs, reat-
ing to commerce and trade.
We make the following extract from the Prize
Essay.
The merchant; therefore, who aims to succeed
in business must aim at these two points-frst.
to be sure thathc can satisfy wide demand for
the articles he deals in, on the lowest practical
bic terms; secondly, that every body within the
proper scope of his business is made aware Of
his ability and confident of his disposition to do
So These points attained, he has only 10 do his
business properly, as it comes in upon him, and
his fortune is made.
10 the merchant or dealer who is sure of his
ability to fill orders the most favorable terms.
the attainment of adequate publicity is the
matter of primary concern. Ifhis circle oftrade
is properly the country in which he lives, then
he should take etfectual measures to let every
family in that county know what he sells, and on
what conditions. 1t is idle to speak ofthe cost
as an lmpediment-he might as we'll object to the
cost OF sheltering his goods from bad weather;
protecting them from thieves, or dealing them
out to customers. All the other cost of his bust
ness is incurred without adequate motive or TO-
turn so long this essential element of his bus;-
ness is neg elected or scrimped. If his location
and his stock only entite him to expect the cus-
tom of his own township or neighborhood, then
he should incur the expense of fully informing
that locality. Just with the wholesale mer7
chant who aspires to custom co-extensive with
his State, his section, or the whole Union If
he is prepared to satisfy so wide demand on
favorable terms, the expense Of apprising those
whom he desires for customers of the nature Of
his business, the character of his stock, the range
OF his prices, and the reasons why he should he
dealt with, is one which he cannot refuse to in
cur without gross incompetercy and ruinous pro-
dIgallty. By thus refusing, he increases his ex
penses for rent, lights and fuel, clerk hire, &c.,
from half per cent. to three, five, and in some
cases ten per cent. on his aggregate sales, and
renders it morally impossible that he should sell
at profit, and at the same time sell as chcaplv
as his more enterprising and capable rivals In
effect, he confesses defeat and incapactv. and
retreats to the rear rank of his vocation.
Some men who know enough to advertise,
are yet so narrow as to confnc their ADVERTISED
mcnts to journals Of their own creed or party
If they do not choose to trade with any but men
OF like faltl' this is wise; bat if they desire to
have the whole public for customers, it is other
wise.
There is large class who delight to shine in
newspapers and placards wits or poets, and
announce their wares in secondhand Jokes or in
doggere file to set the teeth of dull saw on cdce
If their object is notorey or laugh, this is the
way to attain it; but if it be business, it would
seem better to use the language of business
Leave clowns jests to the circus, and let sober
men speak as they act, with drcctness and de-
cslon. The tewest words that will convey the
advertisers ideas are the right ones