Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-08-14
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ADVERTISING.

The history of journalism is the history OF
advertising The worlds of daily literature
and of business have been, through this me-
dunn, mutually dependent and helpful almost
from the establishment Of the first regular
English newspaper, which took place in the
year 1922, during the reign of James L. The
first actual advertisement on record, however,
appeared in 1862, in the Mercurius Potiticus,
being notice of book eulogistic of Crom-
wells campaign in Ireland.
Appropos of this circumstance, we may
state here that booksellers were for long
time the most extensive advertisers, and 1t ls
characteristic of their sound business sense
that they still rely almost entirely upon the
same means of calling the public attention to
their wares. The first advertisement paid for
by London tradesman, not bookseller, was
one announcing the sale Of tea, then spelled
"tay," or "tee," at London coffee house,
published about year before the death OF
Cromwell.
We learn from this old advertisement that
tea and coffee we're then beginning to come IN
use Indeed, the student of history can get
no truer insight into the manners and modes
of life of those days, than by consulting the
advertising columns of the public journals.
In the time of Charles II newspapers did a
thriving business in advertisements, and it was
during his reign that notices Of public amuse-
ments, theatrical and others, were first adver-
tised.
In the reign of James II the liberty of the
press was greatly curtailed, and the adver-
tsing business was at low ebb. When,
however, under the more liberal rule of Will
liam III, the press grew once more into i'm
portance, advertising became so remunerative
and popular that we find a journal published
at that time, gratuitously circulated and linn.
tied to advertisements, actually keeping itself
alive for space of two years. The plan is
now more practicable, and has proven sue
cess in the case of journal published in Ed
inburgh and one in Dublin.
In the United States business men adver-
tise even more extensively than in Great Brit.
ain, though there are individual instances of
expenditure in this direction on the part of
British merchants unparalleled, with one ex-
ception, on this side of the Atlantic. For
example, vendor of pills has spent in this
way, S150,O00 per annum ; the virtues of Ma
CAESAR oil have been made known to the world
at cost of $4,000 annually, and of cod
liver oil at the same rate. It'll most signif-
cant fact, and rebuke to the timid, parsimo-
NOUS tradesman that these immense outlays
have been found profitable.
1t is now too late in the day to begin ques-
tioning the advantage of advertising ng-that is
a conclusion established by actual and un-
doubted results. Again, newspapers are the
most available and effective means for the
purpose. 1t is true that there are countless
other methods, some of which may be attend.
ed with degree of success; but the newspa-
per reaches more people, and reaches them
more impressively than any of them. A
poster on dead wall may attract the careless
glance of an idle passer-by -; but such per-
son, if he fingers long enough to read, is like
ly a man without much business or money,
and his patronage under those conditions is
neither to be expected nor desired. The
theme is fruitful, but we will not enlarge upon
it now. 1t is enough to say that the necessity
of advertising has been recognized by the
practice of centuries, and many colossal for
tunes attest its efficacy.