The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-04-23
Advertisements.

Advertisements i'm newspapers, as
now published i'm journals wherever
the English language is spoken, were
not generally known until early in
the last century. The earliest British
newspapers were quite destitute of
advertisements; the first business
notices found in these pioneer sheets
relate to books; next we find run
away apprentices posted in the papers;
quack medicines followed. The, first
article of merchandise advertised by
a trader, except books and medical
nostrums, was tea. Auctions came
into vogue and had quite a rageabout
two hundred years ago they were
advertised and added considerable to
the revenue of the newspapers. The
English theaters did not advertise
their entertainments till the year
170l, and 1t was not till 1745 that a
British newspaper attempted to de-
pend for support upon the advertise
ments it contained.
Since the last named date, the lead
ing papers of England, have derived
large revenues from advertisements,
and the price now charged is con-
siderably more than is paid to the
best journals in the large cities of the
United States. In an examination
before Parliamentary committee
several years ago, it was stated that
the cash receipts of the London Times
for advertising had reached to $50, 435
week, or nearly $1,000 business
day. A count of the advertisements
in a single copy of the Times the same
year revealed that it had no less than
2,675 advertisements. Some firms in
London have paid $3.50, 900 year i'm
advertising their articles, and others
expend $1,000 n week the year
through to keep their name and bust
ness before the public, ,and they all
find the money thus paid to be well
invested.
AS the value of advertisements
has become recognized by business
men, various new plans have been
tried to bring establishments into
notice. Circulars are often distributed
broadcast, clocks covered with printed
cards and mirrors with advertise
ments in the frames are put in the
public places, illustrated books with
advertisements on alternate pages,
large and small handbill5 are con-
spicuously posted, transparencies are
lighted at night, signs are suspended
across streets, men and boys covered
by advertising boards are employed
to parade the public. In short, every
possible device has been resOrted to
for bringing different articles before
the public.
No doubt many of these plans an
Swer special purposes; but for store
keeper, or for increasing the sale of a
good article, or bringing customers
for books, lands, or general mer-
chandise, such as thousands purchase,
no plan of advertising, however
novel, is so effective as the columns of
good newspaper that enters thou
sands of homes and is read by all
members of the family. The courts
recognize this and in all cases of the
sale of real eastate the appointment
Of administrators or guardians, and
the allowance of accounts, the news
paper is selected as the only sure
means of reaching the interested par
ties.
One of our successful merchants,
who was about to sail for Europe,
forty years ago, left instructions to
his head clerk, "Advertise literally
In the city papers, keep my name and
business constantly before the class of
persons who are my patrous." Scores
Of old merchants can be pointed out,
who have retired with a competency,
who found it greatly to their interest
to advertise judiciously. Hundreds
Of the live firms in Boston are to-day
witnesses of the value of advertise
ments in well-established papers,
The uniform testimony of these men
Is that first-class newspaper is I'M
questionably the best medium yet
devised for gaining the patronage of
those who have money to expend.-
In many branches of business those
firms have the largest trade which
most literally patronize the press,
and to some kinds of business adver-
tisements in newspapers are now as
necessary as a stock of goods or q
store.-Boston Transcript.