Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1874-02-21

We have often been struck with the
popularity of the signs placed i'm front
| of the doors of various tradesmen-some
humorous, some philosophical, some
practical. On a building i'm BROOKLYN
| where s'gin-cocktails, ,""'whiskey sours,"
and other bibulants are dispensed, may
be seen sign whe-eon is painted the
| trite expression, s'wet. goods This
will do for a piece of facetia. In the
same neighborhood coffee and tea es-
tablishment has al imposing sign run
ming across the entire front of the build
ing, lettered as follows: "Kaupheese
q TeaZe." At one time storekeeper
tells us that he is ssselling out to close
the concern, at another time we are
informed that the "undersigned'' is
anxious to dispose of his stock because
he is "gOing West.' Another states
that he is "selling out at panic prices,''
and another advises in large capitals to
"buy our goods of Loss and Gain.'' Bur
we were forcibly struck, few morn
ings since, while passing through Full
| ton street, New York, with the extreme
honesty and frankness of tradesman
who had posted, in conspicuous letters,
in front of his place of business, the
| words which head this article: "Buy,
or BuStp That man is not only am
honest tradesman but a true phiioso-
pher. There is no attempt to gloss the
matter over i'm his case-none of vour
selling below par" or ''panic prices"
| or "to close the concern" or anything
of that kind. The mans necessities are
pressing-his trade has reached low
! ebb-he is doing no business-and he
frankly and manfully acknowledges the
fact. "Buy, or 1 Bust!' in his heart
rending cry. He is very much i'm the
| same straight that Caesar was when he
cried out in his agony" Help me, Cas-
| sius, or 1 sink!" The cases are almost
identical. The storekeeper is Cesar
the panic Is the ocean in which he is
struggling, and the great public repre-
sents Cassius. No man with even one
cent in his pocket could withstand such
an appeal. He would buy a cents
worth OF pins If nothing more. That
man wiz get through the panic safely.
If there is any truth in the axiom that
virtue is its own reward" He is equal
to George Wathington or Josh Billings
for he dares to tell the truth even at
the risk of exposing his business. No
reverse of fortune can keep such man
rs that down. Fortune may make a
football of him, but the harder She
throws him to the earth the higher he
will bounce, till he reaches an elevation
at length where he will stick" Buy, or
Bust!" The exclamation is not excess
sively polite-it is not elassical-it is not
| euphonious--but it is fraak--it is honest,
| it is truthful, Ii has in it the sublimitv
| of reckless daring. There is self sus-
tanning ring about it-a consciousness
of power. 1t is half-supplicating, half
defiant. 1t is not the cry of a man who
| in his abjcct fear has concluded to die
easily, but rather the shout of one who
will fight even if he does ',bust." We
hope he will succeed, Some OF our CO.
temporaries should take lesson from
this man. If they would place, in con-
spieuous type, over their editorial heaa-
tngs, the truthful announcement ssBuy,
or we Bust!" instead of attempting To
humhug the public with the idea thar
they are staggering under immense cir
culations and making colossal fortunes,
they might possibly excite both sympa-
thy and admiration aud secure sufficient
support to tide them over the panic. But
they will not do this. They will rather
keep on and perish miserably at.last.
~. y. Weekly.