The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-11-12

Few enterprises Of conses dshca succeed
without ercouiterins sneers from doubting
and opposition from interested persons. Par
ticularly this is true where the enterprise is
an innovation, where it breaks out from old
channels; it then shocks the conservative ele-
ment. A not inconsiderabe number even in
radical New England are armed with coat of
mail against whatever proposes new means,
new measures, new methods, in fact whatever
is an INNOVATION. Yet for what good thing
we possess are we not indebted to innova-
ton? Adam was an innovation, and the devil
set out to ruin him as soon as he heard of his
starting. in business.
Moses was an innovation and Pharaoh suf
fered seven plaques before he would give up
his opposition to him, and through all time
since, every innovator has had his Pharaoh
and his devil. Yet what has not innovation
done? Glance at its operations in the do
minion which intellect in our day exercises
over the elements of the material world. Has
it not spanned the belted globe, weighed its
mountains, and touched the stars? The light
nings smote the battlements of mans strong
towers, innovation stretched the electric rod,
fixed bayonet, and the agent of the fiery
wing futtered harmlessly at our feet. "Old
Ocean" poured round mans home its s'Mel-
ancholy waste"
| "Man's wake is on the deep.
His cloud is on the sky"
| Distance stretched away with plain, and
hill, and vale; innovation conceived the loco
motive; intellect polished the shaft, adjustd
the wheel, the fire was kndled, and bark how
man thunders on his iron way! Time and
space stayed the communication of thought,
innovation conceives the electric rod, calls
from their cloudy caves the thunders driven,
chains them with slender wire, intrusts
them with the commission, and sends them
on their yiewless way.
"The Worlds broad zone has dwindled to a
line." Innovation is ever busy comforting
practical benefits on society.
As in science so in mercantile business, ia
novation is ever busy working new improve
ments, new methods, new attractions; and
while many of its changes are for the worse
yet review of the courses of the few sue
cessful merchants of modern times, would
show that they unanimously belong to the
class of innovators. One of the most marked
of the new ideas introduced into business il
our day is the "One price" system, agaips
which az principle scarcely any one has al
objection, but which nine out of ten of al
buyers claim should be waived in THEIR PAR
TICULAR CASES. Another new idea il
"Terms cash." the advantages of which al
grant, but wonderfully large number dislike
to have applied to their individual purchases.
Another modern notion is ''advertising.'
We have before US a very learned sermon
preached in London only thirty years since
on "The sin and folly of advertising" and to
day, in spite of the fact that the most extern
sive advertisers are from the highest rank il
business life, and are our most successful mer
chants, yet the number is legion of those who
look askance at the store of the man who, t.
use their expression, "Blows his own horn"
We have been led to those reflections by {
conversation reported to us as had between one
Of our most respected citizens and a leading
wholesale dealer in town.
| OpcdhluS III SOue pidCt du eutIduCc u
which for him would an impossibil1ty, thi!
good man said, "Why would as soon think
Of going to CoGIA HAssAN's."
To which answer was made, d" Perhaps i
you took an hour to look over the COGIA
HAssAN store and see the perfect system thai
regulates every thing there, and remember
that your youngest child can so there and buy
any article at the same price that would b
paid by the shrewdest buyer, and that price
is as low or lower than the same article coul(
be found elsewhere if that buyer ran the who'll
town over, perhaps you would not us'
that expression again."
Now there are no doubt many others il
Portland to. day who because CoGIA HAssAr
advertises without stint, hires over fifty clerks
and uses any and every measure to make his
name household word, therefore there mus
be some humbug about the place. To such
we simply say Take half hour, introduce
yourself to the proprietors or to the foo
walker, who will be happy to conduct you
through the various departments, and ex
plain their methods of working, and you ma
find it the most profitable time you have spen
in many day, at any rate you will be certain
to say you never saw such variety of good
from the cheapest to the finest quality, in ar,
one store