The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-01-02
= GOOD READING MAT TER.
Popular Fallacy Punctured-
Some Facts.

man. looking over the rim of his spec
tacles. After reading editorials foI
opinions, and all the news. to know
what is going on among the people OF
the world specifically, l t1rn to the
advertising columns for romance, phil
osophy aud 8 study of human nature.
Th4re is more of human interest in
advertisements than in the great
mass of works which are written to en-.
terrain and to present to our views the
various phases and incidents of Life and
the impulses of mankind. Tread them
with tie interest of novel. and find
instruction and entertainment not to
be had from any bat the highest works
of fiction. There is popular notion
that women, only, read advertisements.
They do read them more. perhaps,
than men do, but it is only as tt ey read
more ronance-because they have
more time. Men have to deny them
selves many of the pleasures of the
Imagination.
You don't read them! Then begin.
If the habit doesn't grow on you, you
are lacking in human interest. Why,
the habit of reading advertisements
will grow, as novei-reading on girl of
II. They will become of most absorb
ing interest, and while they entertain
they at the same time impart much in
formation. If you are weary or sick
you can read advertisements when any :
thing else would prove fatiguing or not
of interest. If you have not given it
thought it may not occur to you how
much of romance or pathos there
may be in three-line 'ad.'
WANTED. LOST. Oh PERSONAL
Each issue of the paper furnishes tie
key note for ahundred romances. Each
line betrays some impulse that is in
fuencing the world, and as you read
life, jostled against the crowd; are
touched with pity, repealed by greed;
brought into sharp contact with sharp
men, who are conspiring in some deep
plot to betraY, deceive or defraud some
trusting person; you ara shown love,
misery. despair and ambition in all
their phasis, and In the contention you
must find lively interest. '
I'm advertisements you read ro-
nance IN real life. Part of it is only
everyday home life. Part is dramatic.
The romance of the fortune hunter is
there. A thousand men are digging
after hidden treasure with as much
eagerness as any band of adventurers
ever searched for the golden store of
Captain Kidd. A thousand men are
trying to trace out the hieroglyphlcs On
the chart that tell of the hiding place
of fortune. There are few piratical
stories told in advertisements, and many
or desperate adventures. There
are Thanksgiving stories and Christ
mas stories. and stories for people of all
ages and all manner of thought. And
aside from all that the attention is called
by the advertisement of the merchant
to all sorts of things that are of interest
to every one, as relating to their COM
fort and pleasure. One is invited to
contemplation of the factory, the com
merce, and the trade of everyday life,
and is astonished at
THE INVENTION OF NEW WANTS
and new means of qualification. You
will not find an 'ad that does not dis
close some view of human nature CT
q
umns of for rent show q rise and fall
bringing together or separation of
friends families-may be
lovers. A lost dog or lost bangle m az
lead to q weddingi No end of TO
nance may attach to a mislaid UNI
brella, or a recalcitrant pug. Ali per
sonals' must of necessity have a re-
nance attached. An auction sale an
nouncement may be significant of
the dissolution of some old family or
the downfall of great man. The
wanted situations column is full of
pathetic stories toldsin brief-three line
stories of privation, struggle, despair,
heroism and long suffering. The ad-
vertisements of silks and laces, flowers,
jewels, and what not that is rare and
expensive, tell of gayety and wealth.
The toy shops tell all about Christmas,
bringing up a thousand little fancies
out of the quiet chimney corner
of childish recollection. And there
are advertisements which tell of
turkeys and other nice things for win
ter dinners. The stories told by the
'ad' are numerous and varied. Be-
sides women who read advertisements
for bargains" the old man continued,
casting a glance at his wife, who had
taken possession of his paper while he
talked, most thinking men read 'ads'
constantly. Business me n have to read
them on account of business. Authors,
lecturers and reading men generally
read the advertising columns, as I do,
for the interest there is in them. I in
variably read the ads in the back of a
before I read the literary
part"