The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1895-09-12
TO BECOME GREAT.
SOME VARIED OPINIONS UPON A
SUBJECT OF REAL INTEREST.

Why Social, Political, Literary una
Business Ambitions EnChain Mems
Observation-Disclosures, Perseverance,,
and Genius May BE of Some Help,
but 1t Is Ingenious Advertising that
Tells in the Long Run Many In
stances that Prove This True.
Every man who is worthy OF that title
desires public recognition. Socially be
would be better known and respected. II
he assumes to ignore what 10 generally
known as society" he surely turns to
some other kindred ambition. Politics
may engross his attention, and, II ne
would rise In that line he must, BY per-
sonal address, by party services, or "
public speaking, win the confidence and
good will not only of his own party, but OF
the wider public. II as . student he
buries himself In a library, and works
through lonely days and nights, still, 1t
il only In the hope Of leaving some work
$50 writ, as future ages shall not willing
ly let die" Socially, politically, In art or
literature. yes, even in commerce, the de-
sire for a wider publicity is inspiring and
cnnobling.
Ambition Is a strong virtue until II steps
beyond prudence or proper modesty. b
that sin fell the angels and thousands OF
%thoughtless mortals who try to rush IN
where the better angels fear to tread, de-
stroy all hopes Of public approval. Their
rudeness ruins them socially. Their Gag
erness for office defeats their political as
pirations. Their ambition for rapid rec
IGNITION clouds their literary efforts. Their
penny dips" are blown out before they
have set the river afre. In business lit
tie fools ape the actions of successful men
until whole hordes are following Wan
amaker's advertising or initiating the His
ing Sun stove polish, or copying the plans
of really successful houses. The public
measures them quickly-they are asses
clothed in lions skins.
The first rule of real success is to be
original. Not strangely, queerly original
but that every act and utterance shall
spring from an honest interior. 1t is not
possible to achieve greatness by imitation.
Real greatness often comes to men of
humble birth and surroundings, whose
hearts are true and firm, while in times
which try the souls of men the feeble and
vacillating ones are swept aside as by q
plague. Arnold of Winkelried was a pri-
vate soldier, but his brave act in burying
a dozen spears in his OWN breast to make
way for his fellow saldiers won him a de-
served Immortality. Bunyan's simple but
heart-told story surpasses in wide pub
licity any literary effort of the greatest
of scholars. The simplest articles have
built up the greatest trade successes. 1t
was a farmer who was kindly trying to
amuse his little children who invented the
now famous "Pigs in Clover" and it paid
him better thar a gold mine. But as an
instance Of solid success, built up by
honest means, used to popularize a simple
but original article, Sapolio gives us a
capital illustration. 1t Is a solid cake Of
securing soap, but it is the best of its
kind-its manufacturers have never alter
ed or neglected its quality. 1t 10 an article
naturally Of moderate consumption, but 1t
is used everywhere. Not in the United
States only, where, from California to
Maine, it is a household word, but in In
dia, China, and Japan, in Australia and
all the countries Of South America, 1t
marks the progress of civilization by its
mere presence. Its travelling statesmen
can claim in common with itself that they
scour the world!' The methods used in
conducting its vast business rival in care
full consideration the conduct Of enter
prises apparently more important, but the
secret of its success is that 40 honest
method Of obtaining and of retaining pub
lie attention is neglected. Look at the
simple little cake of Sapolio, lying half
used, perhaps, on the kitchen sink, and
try to realize that the sun never sets on
it's sales. Consider that it cost you but a
few cents. although its manufacturer
spend hundreds of thousands in advertis-
ing it to the millions whom they wish to
remind. 1t is like a fairy tale. Aladdin
rubbed his lamp TO no better purpose than
the public does Sapolio, for, as q universal
servant, its services are without measure,
and its worth brings back golden returns
to its owners.
How has such wide popularity been OBJ
tanned? BY original merit and patient
perseverance. Probably the most interest
ing side of the story lies in the well-known
advertising which has been used. We can
reveal some Of its methods. Its adver-
Using department is presided over by q
man who talks proverbs at breakfast,
dinner and supper, and twists them to fit
SapOlio while the rest of the world sleeps.
An artist is employed by the year, al
though countless sketches and ideas are
contributed by outsiders. Poets-not mere
rhymesters-are paid to tell its merits in
original verses, and the most novel
schemes are made use Of to attract attep-
ton. Two hundred and fifty thousand
boxes of dominoes were sent out last year.
Japan furnished twenty thousand feath-
cred owls and fifty thousand puzzles, be-
sl0eS thousands OF nand- painted panels.
Domestic puzzles passed away long ago,
but not until millions of them had been
used. Pamphlets are printed in vast num-
bers. and the famous Sapolio~ alphabet has
nearly reached its tenth million. Five
hundred dollars will rent a large farm. but
il goes to pay for one half-page insertion
in a daily paper. Yes, one thousand dol
lars has been paid for Il single column in
Il weekly paper, but of curse the c~ircula-
1inp lilo tho onS,n nfinp nf Sapo1;n -oc
enormous. Bold methods they may well
be called when over two thousand dollars
is paid for the rental of one sign on the
most prominent building in America. AS
odd methods we may mention the employ
ment of an advertising orator who made
stump speeches in all the principal cities,
and the posting of signs reading Keep
Of the Grass on all the SNOW banks in
New York after its great blizzard. But