Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-17
NEWSPAPERS OF LONG AGO
Quaint Features of scant Advertisements in
Get the Early Times.
COMPARING THE PAST WITH THE PRESENT
The Happy Medium by which buyer
aud seller Are Brought To-
observation-disclosures in
Ads n Fatal Biundcr.

inches by 8, with two columns to each page
Within this restricted space. writes Herr,
King in the Globe Democrat, the editor pro
posed not only to print the news. but alsC
to furnish a medium of advertising. "Al
persons" he gave notice, who have houses
lands, farms, tenements, ships, goods. wares
merchandise, etc., etc, to be sold or let. OF
servants run away. or goods stole or lost
may have them inserted at a reasonable rate
from 2 pence to 8 shillings" His advertis-
ing patronage turned out to be even smaller
however, than the cramped capacity of his
paper, being confined mainly to offers Of re.
ward for the return Of fugitive servants. The
merchants did not improve the opportunity
(, thus presented for Increasing their trade
bargains in real estate were not proclaimed
through that channel; and In a general way
there was no disposition to use the news
paper for business purposes. But as time
passed a gradual change ensued in, this re-
spect. An advertising tendency was devel-
oped among those who had things to sell and
those who liked to see their names in print
and II also became In some measure a point
of public spirit and an impulse of benevolsnce
to contribute In that way to the support of
the newspapers, regardless of the question OF
personal advantage.
There are many facts Of interest in the ad-
vertisements of those early times, and a book
might be written from them that would be
more readable. II not also more valuable, than
the ordinary history. They are, in fact, a
Legitimate part Of history in its full and
proper sense. If all other records should be
blotted out, there would still remain in these
neglected evidences sufficient information for
the construction of a comparatively satisfac-
tory account Of the life of the period and the
| general aspect of affairs. Take a New York
paper Of IT'S, for instance. and you will fnd
in its advertisements alone an accurate re-
Election OF the conditions that then existed In
all important relations. One Of them states
that 1.-THE of inspection. having
examined into the charges that James Dundas
and Peter Shaw have spoken with contempt
of the honorable congress and it's officers, do
find them guilty, and held them UP to public
view as enemies of liberty, and urge all good
| citizens to abstain from any dealing with
them" The offenders we're boycotted, that
is to say; and a third one, fearing the loss
of his trade by. the same process, "humbly
acknowledges that he has spoken disrespect-
fully of the honorable continental congress.
and begs forgiveness of it and of his country.
promising submission thereto"
In all Of the advertisements of the mer-
chants at that time the troubles of the
country are referred to, and prompt pay
ment Of debts is urged to avert the danger
of bankruptcy. The editor himself is an adj
- S'SS w hhAoI S"NSNr 80 ibS FShaS ~ bho
delinquent patrons do not pay up he. will be
obliged to stop printing the paper in a few
weeks; and in another place, to mend his
fortunes, he offers empty ink bottles for
sale at a low price. A. woman advertising a
package of black mitts, pins and a cap, lost
on the ferry, hopes that no person, at a
time like this, will be SO lost to reason as
to unlawfuily detain Them There is a
between New York and Philadelphia will
leave every, Tuesday and Friday mornings
from each of those places, and meet that
night at Princeton, exchange passengers
two days; price 80 shillings inside. and four
teen pounds baggage, with 2 pence for each
additional pound The monthly assize of
bread" is also advertised, fixing the price
eleven and one-half ounces, at 4 coppers.
THE price of -four is quoted at s shillings,
beef IS shillings and beeswax = shillings,
while the price of india tea" is set ut
significant things might be cited from the
Advertisements Of this enc paper. all serving
to convey a distinct impression of the general
situation.
A paper published at Philadelphia for the
week preceding that in which the Declara-
ton Of Independence was adopted contains
the advertisements Of a number of mer-
chants who are anxious to sell out at cost,
in anticipation of the coming of a hostile
army. One offers a large stock Of crockery,
including many articles that would now be
worth more than their weight in gold, as
relics Of obsolete forms Of manufacture.
Another advertises Russia drillings and
linens, osnaburghs and sail cloths. cinnamon
and ~ few pieces of silk" and another calls
attention to his assortment of "dnfhes and
t~affetas" that must be sold at any sacrifice.
An English servant girl, having two years
to serve, and described as handy, apprehen-
sive and honest" is advertised for sale to
some one living outside of the city. A gen.
tleman lately from London wishes to teach
drawing in water colors; a sc~hooinlaster is
wanted in Maryland at f13e a year, and the
loser of a silver watch says "she had a
black ribbon to her brass key ard a seal
in the shape Of a compass" The best green
tea is advertised at 32 s~hillings 6 pence a
pound, and coarse salt at 7 shillings 6 pence
a pound. Rewards are offered for deserters
from the army; military books and accouter-
ments, including swords with various
patriotic notices on them, are advertised;
and there are numerous announcements re-
lating to changes of business on account of
the war.
The advertisements in a New York paper
of a hundred years ago are quite as interest
ing and instructive as the more pretentious
annals of that period. They tell all about
the daily activities and interest Of the peo-
pie, the methods OF business, the means of
progress, the sources Of happiness. The
governor of the state at that time was
John Jay, who had recently negotiated the
great treaty which bears his name; James
Kent, author of the celebrated "Commentar-
res on American Law" was city recorder;
Noah Webster. Of dictionary fame. was
editing one Of the papers; John Jacob Aston |
was laying the foundations OF his immense |
fortune. There were then only about 60, 900
people In the city, including some 5000 negro
slaves. The municipal expenditures aggre-
gated only $3.50. 900 a year. Stages left daily
for Albany and Philadelphia, and three times
a week for Boston. There was but one Cath !
Ollie church in the place, and the whole num- |
Der Of churches OF all denominations was only
twenty, as against $50 at the present time.
The arrivals and departures of ocean vessels
were not SO numerous in a year as they now |
are in a month; and the exports and imports
were correspbndingly smaller than those OF |
our day. There was only one college, and the |
common schools were few and poor, whereas |
there are now forty-seven colleges and
theological seininarles, and the city expends
1000, 900 a year for educational purposes.
These Citations go to show how much may
be learned from the newspaper ADVERTISE
ments OF a time when that medium OF COM
munication had not vet come into general
use. The true value OF this potent factor in
the affairs Of society is a comparatively re-
cent discovery;-u. more properly speaking.
1t is only within late years that the process
Of evolution hasA made the fact plain that
is profitable, and that the trader
who ~neglects it is placed at a disadvantage.
is no longer any room for controversy
tho o,,hiant Tho irrafntabIa Io.lo al 40 |