Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-02-24
From the Chicago Times.


To enable the Times to furnish its
readers with some reliable information
regarding the Cuticura remedies, which
are now attracting so much public at
tention, reporter called yesterday
upon Mr.. Peter Van Schaak, of Van
Schaak, Stevenson s. Co., wholesale and
retail druggists, corner Lake and Dear
born streets, when the following facts
were elected:
R.--WiIl you oblige the readers of the
Times by answering few questions re-
garding the Cuticura remedies?
Mr.. Van S.-Certainly fire away.
R.-Do they sell well?
Mr.. Van S.-The sale of the Cueicura,
Cuticura Resolvent, and Cuticura Soap
have been unprecedented.
R.-What reasons do you give for so
large a sale?
Mr.. Van ST. give four reasons. First,
they are original and revolutionary in
their composition and mode of treat
ment. Second, they undoubtedly possess
great curative properties. Third, there
are thousands upon thousands of sick
and suffering who have tried and found
wanting the usual remedies and modes
of treatment, and who are ready to well
come a really great and successful med
icine Fourth, the price of them is
within the reach of every invalid.
R.-Are your larger sales of these
medicines through your agents?
Mr.. Van S.-NO; they are legitimate
mail orders. We employ no travellers
on the road-are fundamentally opposed
to that way Of selling goods-the retail
er has to stand such expenses, and such
staple goods as these require no one to
force them off.
R.-Do you class them as patent med
icines?
Mr.. Van ST. do not. They are pro-
prietary only so far as their names are
concerned, these being held as trade
marks.
R.-Can you tell us something about
this firm?
Mr.. Van S.-Weeks & Potter are i'm
porters. wholesale druggists and chem
lists, and for twenty-five years have been
the foremost house in the trade in New
England.
R.-It is popularity supposed that ad-
vertising will sell most anything, re-
gardless of merit. Is it true?
Mr.. Van S.-No. A remedy falsely
claiming to possess virtues of which it
is in fact destitute, will surely fail. No
reputable irm-and druggists are the
most competent judges-wOuld think of
risking fame and fortune on any medi-
cine unless it had, under the most trying
circumstances, proved itself to possess
extraordinary medicinal value. The
expense attending introduction of such
remedies is enormous. A fortune must
be spent before any return can be ex-
pected. If, after wide distribution,th they
are found to possess the virtues claimed
for them, those who have been cured
will recommend them one to another,
and thus make them remunerative.
When man backs his statements with
his own money, you may generally rely
doing.
R.-Have they ever before prepared
medicines for popular use?
Mr.. Van ST. believe not. They are,
like ourselves. agents for a great many,
but we think these are the first that they
prepare themselves. 1t is but once in a
lifetime that discovery is made of a
remedy that such firm as Weeks &
Potter are willing to stake reputation
and fortune on.
R.-Are their prospects flattering. or
otherwise?
Mr.. Van S.-Very flattering. AS l
said before, the remedies undoubtedly
possess great merit. And besides, they
treat blood and skin diseases according
to new and thoroughly rational plan,
plan, that must take firm hold on the
confidence of those who suffer from
chronic diseased of the blood, skin and
scalp.