Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-11-15
SOMETHING FOR NOTHING.

Nearly every great city is afflicted
periodically more or less by class Of
srtful dodgers who go and come as un-
sxpectedly as street musicians; who
would make the impression that they
belong to the press by sort Of hypothe-
sis which they leave rather obscure.
They are not printers, nor indeed do
they belong to any well-deiined trade or
calling, except the calling they do as
solicitors for advertisements in some
grand scheme which is warranted to re-
turn good fortune to those who potron-
ize it, and that within sixty days. At
seasons when everybody else seems to
be busy ut some legitimate business
these drummers, who belong to the press
or printing fraternity about as much as
a sutler belongs to the army, may be
seen sliding in and out of stores, offices,
shops and manufactures with prospec-
tus of something which is about to be
printed somewhere, and in which those
who expect to continue at their business
must advertise speedily. Many mer-
chants and others who have not time or
inclination to examine the merits OF the
project are induced to give their cards
TO these transient schemes, and perhaps
afterwsrd make corresponding reduc
ton in their bills with the daily or week
ly newspapers. Perhaps the sheet to be
issued is mere bill of fare, but the
agent says the sm aller the better,
for no man can help reading
it and carrying home a copy to.
each one of his children. If, however,
it is in some other form it possesses its
peculiar advantages over any adyertis-
ing agency in the known world Gene
rally an immense edition of ten or
twenty or fifty thousand is to be issued
and distributed all over the country for
three hundred miles around, when in
truth small boy could do all the cireu-
lating business in half day. The mer-
chant who may be induced to put in his
card is sure to be called on very soon for
the money, which he pays, and that is
the last Of It. The handful quickly
goes the way of allwaste paper, is tram
pied under foot and seen no more PEG.
pie whose trade is worth anything do
not seek the sickly columns of such
ephemeral job work for information
about the markets or the leading firms
in business. If unacquainted they go
to the columns Of the daily papers,
knowing that all successful firms do ad-
vertise in them regularly. The mere
advertising sheet is, perhaps, issued
semi.monthly or weekly, and is only
read at such times as people cannot lind
anything else TO do. The daily paper is
recognized as necessity by all classes
of people, and is read almost or quite as
regularly as they take their meals.
Every department is carefully scanned
from the FIRST page TO the last,
anu thc advertisements NHhASh 800 -
catch the public eye any more than the
othe. kind of wood-cut printing to be
kicked under foot. These schemes that
spring up spontaneously and as quickly
disappear benefit nobody but the man
who collects his bills from innocent
advertisers and then retires A well
printed placard on a tree or high fence
well labelled to announce that Smiths
Tonic Sirup cures chilis, may be Of
some service to the druggist who has
that kind of strip for sale, but the fimsy
sheets plastered all over with wood cuts
and glaring job type is not public ne
cessiiy-is not even fit for wrapping pa
per, consequently brings business chiefly |
to two glasses, the drummer who gets it
up and the rag-picker who fills his sacks
so easily the day after each issue.