New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-08
CAMPAIGN BUTTONS GUIDED HIS BETS
. MANUFACTURER WHO FOUND HOW THE ELEc
TON WAS GOING BY THE WAY HIS
GOODS SOLD.


TON WAS GOING BY THE WAY HIS
GOODS SOLD.
A member Of the largest nrm OF campaign button
manufacturers IN the country made quite sum OF
money by wagers on the result OF the PRESIDENTIAL
election and he is not usually a betting man,
either He Will also have more hats than he can
wear more cigars than he can smoke and more
NJ MANY other articles than he will know what TO
do with all gained in the way. And the
oueer mar; OF IL that ne did not want TO bet. but
was driven to 1, by the force OF circumstances
Friends and business acquaintances who differed
with him In their political beliefs and opinions be-
set him on all Sides and the more he tried to avoid
he,t,np with them the more they insisted that he
should do So lie was extremely busy man DUR
ing the campaign, and. Ike most other men whose
business requires all their attention, had no desire
TO seek other means OF making money therefore,
!, ,s nrobable that he would successfully have re-
sisted the inducements OF his frlends 10 make
wage-s had not his calling given him what he
considered an insight as to what the result OF the
election was going TO be-
Al the beginning OF the campaign. just after the
nominations OF Mckinley and Bryan had been
made the button firm set Its forces at work
and manufactured 100, 900 Mckinley campaign but-
tons and the same number Of Bryan buttons
The greater part Of the Mckinley buttons the firm
distributed through the Eastern and Middle States
and sent the majority OF the Bryan buttons INTO
the Western and Southern States. The Mckinley
buttons went off Ike hot cakes, and the FIRM
was compelled to work its factory day and night
N keen I'D with the orders for more. which con-
,inually kept pouring in. II was far different
however. with the Bryan buttons. and the latter
sold poorly-so poorly. in fact that their manu-
facture. Judging from business point of view.
was a decided frost" The sale OF the Bryan
buttons which the nrm had sent West and South
hung fire. and the campaign proceeded many
~ tRem were returned 10 the factory. Even those
which had been sent INFO the Bryanzed STATE OF
Texas proved boomerangs. One house to whom
tho arm sent 5000 OF these buttons returned them
and ordered another consignment OF Mckinley but
TONS The firm had the same experience with the
consenmen;s OF buttons which II sent into such
safes MS California and the Dakotas The Bryan
burtons were returned, and orders for more Nc
Kiney buttons accompanied them. 1t was the
same in the Southern States, and this set the men,
her OF the firm who Is alluded TO in this story
to thinking He had not expected much sale for
tho BRYAN buttons In the Eastern and Middle
states but he certai.ly did expect great things
for them in the West and South. On the other
bnnd he regretted sending any Mckinley buttons
into the Western and Soul hern States. and wished
that he had kept them all at home. When even
Chicago the home OF Altgeldism as 1t was sup
nosed would have no Bryan buttons. the manu-
facfurer gave up the ghost. and concluded that
BRYAN was dead and that Mckinley would be
elected without doubt. II then that ne be-
gan to .cail the bluffs of his friends and ac-
6uaintances with the result told above.