North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-08-19

The AGE OF rApvERrlsING.-Wr riters, or
almost every subject, like to assign tt
some fancied resemblance, the age in which
they live. We have the Iron age, age oil
Brass, Golden, and now, some not very
ingenios uauthors call the present, the age
Of steam, Of civilization and, one mere
witty than his fellows, in derision Of the
derisions of the enormous amount of that
kind of property, thinks this should be
called the postage. With all due differ,
ense Of these WORTHLESS, we imagine this
should be denominated the age OF "Prin-
ter's. Zinc''-it would be anomalous not to
designate it by metal, and we propose to
show why thus and so. .',s 49,. ...,
At no previous time have the benefits of
advertising been seized upon by the class
Of men who depend upon the community
at large, for their support, as now. When,
as yet, the good resulting from advertise
ments iE the papers was not seen, it was
viewed as extravaganza on the part oi
those using this vehicle for the announce
ment Of their business. 1t is only in the
last few years that we have seen the beau.
ties and advantages accruing from the free
use of printers ink. Fortunes have been
made, and due to this alone. But, not
only has the medium of the newspaper
been used for parading the wares, mer.
chandise, and patent medicines of wealth
wishers, but very available and extraor-
dinary mode Of bringing these into the
notice of the masses, has been used. We
have in mind the case Of Prof. Anderson,
the illustrious wizard of the North, who,
in addition to newspapers and posters
which great many never read, sent to
all the better men, in the town he expect.
ed to exhibit in. Moulds on which his
name, title, and hour of performance were
engraved, and which were imprinted on
the butter-pats, instead of the COW ordi.
narily represented. AS every family ate
butter for breakfast, it followed that each
received an invitation to pay visit to the
conjurer. The ingenuity and persever'
ance of advertisers in our twn country is
worthy of appreciation. Every one knows
the clever trick played by certain benev
olent individual, who started on ten dol.
lar bill, in 1860, and who posted his ad.
vertisement on all the rocks in O certain
State, and then had law passed forbid
ding the DETACHMENT of natural scenery.
The many lodges practised by these as.
pirants for the lucre of their fellows, is
really amusing. The exercise of their in.
genuity keeps one in continual state Of
expectancy for something more than that
of yesterday. One is used now to the
fences and walls, oil along the lines ~oi
railroads, covered with inscriptions, shad.
owing forth the merits of this preparation
and advising one where to 90 for that In
out of the way places, where strangers sell
dom interrupt the sylvan monotony, ore
runs up against the Squallybob Bitters, or
Tighttit's Cheap Clothes, and is speechless
with admiration at the enterprise of these
men. Could an old fogy, of twenty years
since take stroll among the places he
once frequented, his astsnishment could
not but be amusing. Let him 90 to q
hotel for dinner. and his bill of fare would
contain washing machine, ingeniously
inserted between the spring chicken and
the huckleberry pie. He would be famed
by collection of advertisements, and pick
his teeth with somebody's hat store. Out
on the pave he would walk on some delic.
ious beverage, and be jostled, may be, by
ssme peripatetic poster, or run over by a
curious looking vehicular announcement.
Should he go to the theater, his gaze
would turn on the drop curtain, fenced off
into lots, anu the names of enterprising
merchants therein placed. Showers OF
handbills would come from above, and on
his exit the check given him, very likely,
would bear on its reverse a restaurant or
depot for paper collars.
Gilt-edge butter and benzine bitters
would stare at him from every dead wall
and the latest discovery in bug gdom would
be thrust in his hand in the shape of a
quasi gold medal.
1t is impossible to take in at a glance
the manifold tricks and means used by
merchants and others to get their business
before the public eye, but we think that
no one will deny this to be the age for ad-
vertising, however much he may look with
disfovor on the means used.
l~k. L.