The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1879-06-14
Signs of tho Times and Othcrtimes.
BY ID. ". CURTIS.


The antiquity of signs which were form!
crly mostly pictorial, is very great. They can
be traced back as far rs Egypt, and in the
excavations at Pompeii there have been
found pictures of winged cupids with shoes
in their hands, which are now SO often seen
Oh store cards; the "Busl," and portcrs
bearing wine cask, figured in front of a
! wine store, while Il COW gave notice that
milk was sold on the premises.
~ full description of these necessary ad-
juncts to trade, their history and influence
on the public, would fiji Il large hook and
| should be illustrated. | will, however, make
mention of few odd ones, as well rs other
facts Before education was so widely diff
fused and newspaper advertising and home
numbering made signs a mere guide board,
they were of much greater importance than
now. The general public easily understood
the rude pictures, although they would have
been unable to read lcttercd ones.
In 1896 the British House of Commons
proposed TO raise over half a million pounds
by tax on signs which they avcrred could
be done with ''grcat ease"
Pictures of Il dead dog and the words
''Trust is dead" &C., figures of Turks, In
dams, &c, for tobacconists, plows for ag r
cultural stores, and many other similar ones
ttttFC Dccn Ill use lOr centuries.
Sign painters are responsible for many
droll looking signs by their improper use, or
neglect OF the rules OF punctuation as well
as OF bad spelling. Unlike printers, they
cannot readily correct their proofs. Her
arc few comical mistakes:
A Wood Smith, Lamb Butcher: Ere
Shcggs, Moon Glider.
There is Il c0lorcd artist in lime in Wash
lnUtOn ~ nf
whose sign reads CA Black white and
colored Whitewater"
Here arc some more odd ones:
Fresh Sea water sold here. Sage e. Cos
ling, and Rumtit and Cutwcll talors.
Wood & Carpenter Read & Wright
The largest sign-board in this country is
in Floridu. 1t may be plainly read at dis
tancc OF six miles and is sign worth pay
ing for. II shows tourists OH the St. Johns
river the location of "Or"ngc Park" and
measures 200 feet in length and each of the
ten letters are twelve feet high and fifteen
feet wide.
Signs are more numerous and ornamcn-
tai, it is said, in America than in English
cities, though we do not use the emblcms of
trade TO any great extent and have nearly
done away with the old custom of naming
houses like vessels.
Window and other indoor signs urc q
new and distinct variety.
Such odd signs rs Jane Smith and Brother
arc sometimes met with.
The study of sign boards from an English
point OF view is much more interesting than
ii on. =
names of the public houses alone giving
ample employment. An interesting book
called the "History of Sign Boards" treats
fully on the matter. The comical names
of some of the public houses in England is
attributable to corruption of spelling and is
true to the pronunciation of the word itself
thus: "Bacchannls," became Bag o Nails,
'Caton Fidcle," the Cat and Fiddle
Signs in the old countries were often
taken like trade marks in the utilitarian
age, from the coats of arms Of families.
The names of streets were in turn OTTER de-
rived from public house bearing well
known sign