Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1871-06-15
MMisesllantous. g
Confessions Of Patent Medicine Man
ny Ralph ke~Irr.
Concluded from last Number.

Concluded from last Number
".
| was young and very reckless vet
MY money did not last me long. When
It was almost gone, paid NV fare
West as far as it would take me. I,
was not a great while, therefore. till |
found myself in far inland town.
without a cent, and turned nv hand a.
making baskets. resolved. however.
that ] would soon 20 back to the
patent-medicine business. but no, ,ill
could do something worthy in that
iihc. had of course, no previous ex
perience In b..sa-; making, any more
than had had in drugs ami simples
before | went into constructive chemis-
try II takes, suppose the same kind
OF Yankee confidence and handiness
10 make basket OF a patent catholicon.
At any rate, was tolerably successful.
and while working over my baskets.
nay mind was constantly struggling
over great idea; no other, sir, than
the composition OF what has since be-
come my celebrated "Tecumseh Oil. :"
l borrowed two dollars, and made the
hrst haif-dozen bottles OF that famous
medicine"
lou have seen it advertised all over
the world so that two dollars, | need
not ssli you, wao tho foundation Of my.
fortune. l sold the six bottles and
made eighteen more Selling those. |
xa.-I lf..rlr a
ed out through the country 10 introduce
my invention. For long time it was
my custom TO travel afoot. my medicine
on my back and my paint-jug in nv
hand, blazoning fences on my way with
"Iecumseh Oil" Gradually got to
leaving 1t at the drug stores, working
up demand for it rather than ped
ding it wherever | went. The busi-
ness grew SO that l had 10 have a man
TO help me, then two men, and then |
had 10 build little house over which
l painted Laboratory" in mammoth
letters. / commenced now that great
system OF advertising which has since
been initiated by SO many interlopers
in the business. All the money that
could be possibly spared from the
manufacture Of the oil was invested in
heralding It's merits about over the
land. Ornate woodcuts Of Indians
scaiped and healed by my medicine
were scattered everywhere. The death
scene Of Tecumseh himself became our
trademark. His last agonies were SO
vividly portrayed in colored ink. that
the sympathetic beholder was at once
inspired with regret that the great
chiefs namesake, my celebrated oil,
had not been discovered in time TO re-
lieve his terrible suherings.
My humble laboratory ut last made
way for q great mandatory. Ispent
thousands and thousands upon adver-
tisement. and yet my money came back
TO me tenfold. You will probably think
! was satisfied with this prosperity.
but l wasn't. ! had introduced all
sorts Of other medicines, but never
could succeed in getting up "bitters"
that could compete with certain
Eastern article Of the kind. l finally
determined, if l could not make bet
one, or even as good a one, l would at
least make the same ''bitters." ] went
quietly incognito TO the great factory
Of my rivals, and enticed away one Of
the principal men in their laboratory.
| say 'there," because it was joint
stock concern. took home the new
man whom l had bribed, and set him
TO work but the ''bitters" did not sell
As l expected they would, on their own
merit. So came out with the trade
mark Of my rivals. adding an 80" and
doubling an 81" in the name of the
medicine. This, Of course, brought a
great lawsuit, which, however, at great
expense to lawyers and witnesses,
won, ostensibly on the strength Of my
additional letters. But my rivals now
brought a more formidable suit against
me for infringement Of their patent.
might have added some new ingredien,
70 the mixture, suppose, and have
beaten them in that way or ] nigh,
have addGced in defence, what was
actually the fact, that in the failure OF
the necessary supply Of cherry bark
the base Of the ''bitters, - had sub.
stituted prussic acid; but that being
well known rs poison, l did not care
in either case TO take the trouble.
had beaten my rivals once BY means o.
the best counsel, and l had no doubt
could do it again. When, however
came to consult the most eminent
lawyer could find, be shook his head
and told me that was ruined man
he, at least, would not 60 into cour
with such suit. He spoke Of injunc
tions which the opposition could bring
and in fact talked TO me in the mos
hopeless, discouraging way. l tolt
him Of other iIunctions which VI
might get out, since l might claim tn
invention Of the "bitters" myself, TO
the sake Of law; and l ended by ask
ing him how long be thought, BY ap
peals and counter-injunctions, he C0alt
probably stave o6the suit. He was Q
"a -s-kH H. l~1~u>A e.,