National Republican., 1881-10-19
advertisements Are. Entertaining
Reading.

IOm virginia pOlluCS.
--e-
advertisements Are. Entertaining
Reading.
William Walker, "the grey-eyed man
Of destiny" and himself an editor used
10 say that no man knew how to enjoy a
newspaper who did not read the adver-
hsements. And he was right. Let the
reader try the experiment, if he never
has done so, and cast his eye through the
advertising columns of the paper he now
holds in his hands.
Wanted-Help. This column opens up
the whole domestic play called servant
galism." 1t tells, too, of trades-peoplc
in want Of steady men for salesmen and
bright boys for errands, of tailors who
want cutters, managers who want ballet
girls, and preachers who want old bar
Tels of sermons.
Wanted-Situations This column tells
the tale of poverty, anxiety, and distress,
as well as of thrift and industry
Itruggles of the poor but recently brought
@ want, pathetic pleas for impossible
work, and offers to toll for mere subsist
ence. Interspersed with these are the
advertisements of first-class cooks, who
never SO much as saw good meal, of
coachmen who never drove a horse eX-
cept behind a plow, and of Others, real
experts in their business.
Wanted-Rooms; quiet, second floor,
south front, northwestern section, COM
fortably furnished, convenient to cars
neatness, &C., &c. These advertisers are
the seekers for the ideal. They wander
about from year to year to find the rooms
10 which no objection can be made. They
clasp the phantom and they find it air.
The real rooms which are to be found are
h9Hdbi""' - "''"'''"" ""''"'" "ndn" th"
For Rent-Rooms. And oh the elation
of seeker and renter when the former,
having read the description of what he
wants, pulls the door-bell of the latter,
and they meet at the opening door. Let
the veil be drawn as the room-hunter
turns up his or her nose ut the eloquent
advocacy and defense of the apartments
by the landlord or lady. The new and
the old, the bright and the gloomy, are all
described alike in the advertisements.
We leave the parties to settle the matter
can fancy we hear again an old
time voice saying, us she leads the
way through dark and narrow
passage to room with one win
dow looking out upon small back
alley: Here is a very chilIul room"
Speaking of rooms to rent reminds us OF
what q Western wag said who. had held
bureau Office here under Grant, and
was by him transferred to local Office in
his own home. "No man." said he, can
describe my ineXpressible relief at getting
safely out of Washington. i had been
in mortal dread of finding myself out of
Office and dead broke, and when the
nightmare visited me my disordered
fancy invariably represented me to my
self as occupying an old tumbled-down
building, on one door post of which was
the sign "Claim Agent" and on tho
other Rooms to Rent, With or Without
Board"
Business chances for gentlemen with
money; horses to sell by gentlemen who
have not been obliged to raise the money,
but who contemplate leaving town; iurni-
ture to sell by others who "decline house
keeping" and whose housekeeping has
declined; stoves set up and corns re-
moved; clothes made to Order and port
able property received on pawn; lost and
found poodes and pocketbooks, sums of
money, valuable papers, and here is one
of lost lady-no, a lady's lost shoe, cleft
foot, No. 3" (how many gallants are seek
ing it far and wide for the promised re-
ward ?)--education, mutton, lottery tick
cts, railroads and steamboats,, hotels and
theatres, undertalers and milliners, and
so on to the end, Certainly advertising
is most interesting branch of literature,
and pleasant relief from the dull and
hackneyed editorial page. Nothing affords
THE REPUBLICAN, greater pleasure than to
bring advertisers and the reading public
nearer and nearer together