Southern shield., 1850-09-21
The Art of Advertising.

The committee appointed by Mr. v. B. | Palmer, to decide the award of Silver Cup to the writer of the best essay uTon
 the subject of Advertising, have, we see by
 the last number of the Register, made their report. The committee consist of Messrs. George R. Graham, of "Gyaham'S Maga- zine," William M. Swan, of the Public Ledger" and George H. Hart, President of the philadelphia and Wilksbarre Tele- graph Company" and the prize has been awarded to Horace Greedy, Esq, of the i New York Tribune. The cup will cost $l00, and will be covered with elegant de- signs, relating to commerce and trade. We make the following extract from the Prize Essay:
 1 The merchant, therefore, who aims to succeedin business must aim at these two points-frst, to be sure that he can satisfy a wide demand for the articles he deals in, on the lowest practicable terms; secondly, that every body within the proper scope of his business is made aware of his ability and confident of his disposition 10 do so.--
 These points attained, he has only to do his
 business properly, as it comes in upon him, and his fortune is made.
 To the merchant or dealer who is sure ofhis ability to fill orders on the most favo- rable terms, the attainment of an adequate publicity is the matter of primary concern.
 If his circle of trade is properly the county in which he lives, then hc should take efiectual measures to let every family in that county know what he sells, and on what conditions. It is idle to speak of the cost as an impediment-he might as well object 10 the cost of shelterng his goods from bad weather; protecting them from thieves, or dealing them out 10 customers. Allthe other cost of his business is incurred without adequate motive or return so long as this essential element of his business is neglected or scrmped. If his location and his stock only entitIe him 10 expect the custom of his own township or neighbor- hood, then he should incur the expense of fully informing the locality. Just so with the wholesale merchant who aspires to custom co-extensive with his State, his section, o1 the whole Union. If he is pre- pared to satisfy so wide demand on favo- rabe terms, the expense of apprising those whom he desires for customers of the na- ture of his business, the character of his stock, the range of his prices, and the req sons why he should be dealt with, is one which he cannot refuse to incur without gross incompetency and ruinous prodigali- ty. 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 to ten per cent. on his aggre- gate sales, and renders it morally impossi- ble that he should sell at profit, and at the same time sell as cheaply as his more enterprsing and capable rivals In effect, he cnnfesses defeat and incapacity, and re- treats to the rear rank ofhis vocation.
 Some men who know enough to adver- tise, are yet so narrow as to confne their advertisements to journals of their creed or party. If they do not choose to trade with any but men of like faith, this is wise; but if they desire to have the whole public for customers, it is otherwise.
 There is a large class who delight to shine in newspapers and pIacards as wits or poets. and announce their wares in secondhand jokes or in doggerel fit to set the teeth of a dull saw on edge. If their object is notoriety or laugh, this is the way to attain it; but if it be business, 1t would seem better to use the language ot business. Leave clowns ests to the circus and let sober men speak as they act, with directness and decision. The fewest words that will convey the advertisers ideas are the right ones.-PennSylUaniaR.