Marshall County independent., 1895-09-13
HOW TO BECOME GREAT.
SOME VARIED OPINIONS UPON a
SUBJECT REAL INTEREST.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Perseverance,
aud Genius May BE of Some Help,
but 1t Is Ingenious Advertising that
Tells in the Long Run-Mauy In
stances that Prove This True.
Every man who is worthy of that title
desires public recognition. Socially he
would be better known and respected. Ii
he assumes to ignore what is generally
known as society he surely turns 10
some other kindred ambition. Politics
may engross his attention. and, if he
would rise in that line he must, by per-
sonal address, by party services. or by
public speaking, win the confidence and
good will not only of his own party, but of
the wider public. If as student he
buries himself in a library. and works
through lonely days and nights, still, it
is only in the hope of leaving some work
so writ. as future ages shall not willing
~ let die" Socially. politically in art or
literature. yes. even in commerce. the de-
sire for j wider publicity is inspiring and
ennobing
Ambition is n strong virtue until it steps
beyond prudence or proper modesty. by
that sin fell the angels and thousands of
where the better angels fear to tread. de-
stroy all hopes of public approval. Their
ruderess ruins them socially. Thcir,cas
erness FOR office defeats their political as
piratioEs. Their ambition for rapid rec
ognition clouds their literary efforts. Their
penny dips are blown out before they.
have set the river afirc In business lit
tie fools ape the actions of successful men
hi. /
amaker's advertising or initiating the Ris-
ing Sun stove polish, or copying the plans
of really successful houses. The public
measures them quickly-thcy 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 10 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
vacillting ones are swept aside as by a
plague. Arnold of Winkelried was pri-
vate soldier, but his brave act in burying
dozen spears in his own breast to make
way for his fellow soldiers won him 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 farmer who was kindly trying to
amuse his little children who invented the
now famous Pigs in Clover" and it paid
him better than 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 n
capital illustration. 1t is 4 sold cake of
securing soap. but it is the best of its
kind-its manufacturers have never alter
ed or neglected its quality. 1t is an article
naturally of moderate consumption, but it
is used everywhere. Not in the United
States only, where, from California to
Maine, it is household word, but in In
dia, China, and Japan, in Australia and
all the countries of South America, it
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
fui consideration the conduct of enter
prses apparently more important, but the
secret of its success is that no 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 or
its sales. Consider that it cost you but a
few cents, although its manufacturers
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 a universal
servant, its services are without mea sure,
and its worth brings back golden returns
to its owners.
How has such wide popularity been OBJ
tanned? By original merit and patient
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 adyer-
tising department. is presided over by
man who talks proverbs at breakfast,
dinner and supper, and twists them to fit
SapoiiO while the rest of the world sleeps.
An artist is employed by the year. al
though countless sketches and ideas are
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 atten-
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-
sides thousands of hand-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 large farm, but
it goes TO pay for one half-page insertion
in daily paper. Yes, one thousand dol
lars has been paid for single column in
a weekly paper, but of course the circula-
ton, like the consumption of Sapolio. was
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
off the Grass" on all the snow banks in
New York after its great blizzard. But
our readers know only too well how thor
oughly it is advertised Every city, town
and railroad is decorated with its signs;
the magazines publish its pictures; the
street ears are enlivened by its proverbs:
the newspapers continually remind the
public of its merits. But even if it was
not so prominent in its own behalf, the
dozens of imitatOrs who try to impose
their wares on the public, ''just as
good rs SapoliO," would prove to the world
that it was the standard.
Who can read the bright verses which
tell us how to make this world brighter
,,,; ho fribrto nf an c,,,loo Urb.