Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1866-12-06
Ingenious "A dserfEsEzag. =

The ingenuity displayed by many of our
manufacturers and agents in introducing
their wares. and the various forms of ad-
yertising resorted to, by which the public
curiosity is aroused, form q curious and
interesting study The origin of mysteri.,
GUS adyeftising isSprob baby English, and IN
England and the United States it is almost
exclusively practiced. One of the first
attempts at this kind Of thing was made in
London. many years, since. Ascertain Mr.;
Sdggins, having compounded q preparation
Of drugs, caused to be printed an immense
number of handbills, on which in large
capitals was the unsatisfactory interroga
tory IS Who is Stiggins ?" In direct VIOLA
ton of law and custom, he posted these
mysterious plaeards,e on every available
surface he"pubHc buildings, church
/ doors, euro stones and window shutters.
When this was discovered in the morning.
the pop llar curiosity and indignation was
aroused, and to know who Stggins was
seemed to have suddenly become matter
of vital public interest. The, police were,
also anxious TO find out the identity of this
mysterious person&ge, and the best detec
tives were employed to ascertain which
particular Stiggins was referred to. The
person in question wisely decided to let
people wonder for o while, and then, when
time lad cooled down official indignation
and it became safe to follow. the matter up,
he Informed them in modest way that
Sfiggins was the inventor of patent medi-
cine possessing most wonderful health-giv-
ing and life perpetuating powers.
The originality of this mode of adyertis-
ing pleased the public, and in few weeks
it became so popular that every fence-lwas
garnished with posters that would have
puzzled. "a foreigner whose knowledge of
the language was at all limited Since that
time American genius igggimproYed oil the
English style of advertising, and some of
our handbills are more eabalistic and hero
gIYphic than anything produced on the
other side Of the water n yE TATW
These queer posters sometimes bring i'm
portant results-an anecdote being told of
"a disturbance created by them in North
Carolina before the war A ertain drug
gist, having purchased a large quantity of
Roberts California Balsam, found consid-
cradle difficulty in disposing of it. He,
therefore, decided to advertise it, and had
"a humber of bills printed, on which ap-
peared red triangle with the letters &, G.
81 at the corners. These were posted at
night, and when the doctor came out in the
mbrniDg he was surprised to see the town
IN commotion, and the citizens, headed by
the Mayor, engaged in the. Up pleasant occupa--
ton of tearing down his, postersa Bushing
out to ascertain what caused this most I'M
usual disturbance, he was informed that
the blacks were about to organize an insur-
rection, in confirmation ofowhich the fright
ened citizens pointedto the doetor'si hand
pills, explaining that'theywere the signal
for general rise of the black, and R. G.
B. meant rise Colored Brethren. The as
tonished druggist explained the matter,
satisfactorily, however, and'the corporation
repealed their order for the destruction of
sh;s, Mo oa H5f;1on