The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-07
A PLAN THAT FAILED.
An Advertising Scheme That Was
Speedily Abandoned.
r K Mupxittrick IN Harner.

Spee0Hy Abandoned
r. K. Munkittrick, in Harper.
1t was in every sense one of the most
prosperous business houses in the city, not
only because it's chief article-a breakfast
cereal-was one of sterling merit, but be-
with that fact proved it to be house that
was conducted by men who understood the
art of eccentric advertising in all its most
delicate and subtle phases They did not
make it point to call the attention of the
public to the fact that Fattine was con-
that they might waken the latent preju-
dices of all democratic people. They didn
say that Achilles and Orion would eat it
If alive to-day, for fear of flying over the
intellectual heads of people who might not
be familiar with the classics. Nor DID they
herald its virtues in letters Of electricity on
very well by experience that their great
chance of success lay in establishing their
used by the brawny, hard-muscled. twelve
dollar-a-week Spartan, with wife and
eight children to provide for So they lit
upon the novel plan of sending two men up
Broadway side by side One man stood
over six feet high, and weighed two hun
dred and twenty pounds. He bore upon his
letters:
EAT FATTINE.
His companion was man about. five feet
high, and weighed probably ninety-five
pounds. He also wore a legend:
DON'T!
As they walked up Broadway they were,
considered collectively, the cynosure of all
eyes. Such laughter had rarely been heard
on Broadway before.
Many were the comments on the shrewd-
ness of the advertisers in attracting pub
lie attention to Fattine, and many were
the comments on the great moral courage
of the two men who wore the signs dashed
about their bodies; They were followed by
a surging crowd that shouted and laughed.
but still they plodded on, full of heroic
resignation, and with the stolid determna-
ton to perform their duty according to the
VI no nrODrietOrS
Fattine had been present they would have
tapped their commercial wings with joy,
was about to be bestowed upon them by a
grateful world. But they were not there,
hey e ae
chulcsS street Now, the sidewalks on
Church street are ., very narrow; and and
with great dry-goods cases awaiting ship
ment Sometimes the big man would crowd
rot listen TO the latters .profane admoni-
ton to keep on the outside and make the
signs read right. For the little man, with
a keen sense of humor, realized that his
companion represented the story of Fat
tine. while he was the denouement, and
his corpanion that the tercets of sonnet
bear to the quatrains. stu the large man
into the gutter, which was full of mud.
This system of injustice was maintained
until the little man who, didn't eat Fat
tine lost his temper, and landed blow on
the c1if of the giant, and sent him sprawl
i1e n the middle of the street. The large
M u WIS up in an instant, tanning the air
witt Doth hands, for the little man who
didI' eat Fattine could NOT be reached.
RE only time the big man touched him
WIS when his face encountered the
kluckles of the little man. which filled the
crowd with a delight little short of ben
isQn.
nett the big man finally was forced to
give w the unequal contest. he said to his
snail friend, What do you eat, anyhow?'
..Beefsteak and potatoes, replied the
small nan.
And when the proprietors of Fattine
and resorted ever after to legitimate and
dignified forms of advertising.