Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-02
HISTORY OF ADVERTISING.
From Small Beginnings 1t Has Grown
to Wonderful Proportions.

From the Boston Globe
Empha tically this is an age both of COM
petition and advertising. and in the forward
rush to success, only the shrewdest and best
can be counted on to win the great prizes
of commerce. The merchant must have
good goods, and he mustn't hesitate to let
the people know of them. A thousand ave-
nues are open for the exercise of his inge-
puity.
He may send out handbills: he may hire
sandwich men"-people who perambulate
the streets. their breasts and backs adorned
with placards of their employers; he may
decorate fences and walls with posters,
hang signs IN street cars or Ill the win
dows Of his shop with attractive displays,
but If he desires To get good value for
his money he Will place his largest invest
ment in printers ink. Where any other de-
vice attracts 10. the iudiciously- worded.
neatly-arranged newspaper advertisement
will receive the attention of 100.
1t is now 30 years since the first adver-
tisement was published by an English jour
nal. The pioneer in making known his want
to the world had lost horse. He offered a
quincy reward. and his steed was re-
turned.
Thereafter advertising grew apace. until
now it has reached enormous proportions.
Like all other great movements. many lu-
dicrous and amazing incidents have dotted
its progress TO prominence. and a fine field
lile WIZ Slld1 COlSCt lnt
novel announcements of the daily and
weekly press during the last two and a half
centuries.
Here are a few of the oddities from time
to time given to the public through the me-
dunn of the types:
"A converted burglar will break the doors
OF hell with a gospel Jimmy"
THE liquor l offer is not particularly
good, but as good most Of the whisky
sold in this neighborhood."
"A laundress will take pay in lessons on
the guitar and board on washing days"
should sorrow Ger thy byow
Its darkened shadow fling,
Go buy a hat of Dow:
You'll find it Just the thing"
Not to pile up the agony of eloquence,
we state with great confidence that ladies'
attired in our new styles of spring and
summer goods Will find the effect so reju-
venating that all cares incident to domes-
tic life will be as blithesome as kissing the
dew from the roses of beauty that bloom
in perennial fragrance in the elysian fields
Of ecstatic love"
Auctioneering of the loudest kind, inter-
woven with ventriioouism.'
An editor wanted who can please every
body; also a foreman who can so arrange
the paper as to allow every mans ad to
head the column"
Under the big display advertisement of a
rival an economical merchant once secured
the publication of these words: me too
James Jones'"
The London Standard some time ago crit
lcised new poet strongly, saving among
other things: And this extraordinary pro-
duction Mr. = modestly conceives to be
equal to Goethe"
The poets publisher turned the tables by
inserting among the favorable comments on
the book printed in his newspaper adver-
tisement the following:
Extraordinary production eoual
10 Goethe.'-London Standard
The above are few of the novel and
amusing features developed by the Anglo
Saxon race in 2j0 years of advertising. The
backbone and mainstay of the practice is.
OF course, the newspaper
often the merchant who doesn't adver-
tse has to close his doors and hand his
effects over to his creditors. Such an ex-
perlence Is rarity for the man who com
bines the knowledge of what to nut in
stock with the knowledge of how to make
people aware that he has for sale the things
they want.
Judicious liberality is the best economy in
trade. and honest wares. honestly adver-
used ana honestly Sold bring the dealer
popular confidence. financial Competence
and personal content