Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-09-11
HOW TO BECOME GREAT.
SOME VARIED OPINIONS UPON A
SUBJECT OF REAL INTEREST.

Why Social, Political, Literary and
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 he
would be better known and respected. II
he assumes to ignore what is generally
| known as society" he surely turns to
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 a student he
buries himself in q 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 q wider publicity is inspiring and
ennobling.
\ AlUDlllOu Is u Virtue uuIll IL olCpS
| beyond prudence or proper modesty. by
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 a6re. In business lit
| tie fools ape the actions of successful men
| until whole hordes are following Wan
amaker's advertising or initiating the Ris-
| 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 a
| plague. Arnold of Winkelried was prl-
| yate soldier, but his brave act in burylng
a dozen spears in his own breast to make
| way for his fellow soldiers won him de-
served immortality Bunyan's simple but
| neart-told story surpasses IN wide pub
| ncity 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 gold mine. But as an
| instance of solid success, built up by
4 TO nor 10 Iy q
| but original article, Sapolio gives US a
| capital illustration. 1t is a solid cake of
| securing soap, but it is the best of it's
! kind-its manufacturers have never alter
| ed or neglected its quality. 1t IS an article
| naturally of moderate consumption, but 1T
| 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. It's 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 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 on
| its sales. Consider that it cost you but q
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 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 a
| man who talks proverbs at breakfast,
| dinner and supper, and twists them to fit
| An artist is employed by the year, al
though countless sketches and ideas are
| contributed by outsiders. Poets-pot 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
| I
| bers, and the famous Sapoio alphabet has
nearly reached it's 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
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 we'll how thor
| oughly it is advertised Every city, town
| and railroad is decorated with its signs:
| the magazines publish it's pictures; the
street cars 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, as ''just as
| good as Sapolio,' would prove to the world
4 Il H.