The Portland daily press., 1897-05-28

as an emblem of their trade. Turks,
T9faracens, Dutchmen, negroes, and even
= Ghcle sam are pressed into service as
lhelr fancy Dictates it being deemed
sufficient for trade purposes that the
figures should be represented smoking,
OF IN the act of offering bunch of cigars
to the passer-by.
Inc mortar and pestle have been the
.r!I OF apothecaries from time lmme-
l lllolia!. Among the celebrities who sold
noted John Moore. the compounder of a
Miuely advertised 'worm powder to
Whom Pope addressed the stanzas begin
ming:
now much, egregious Moore, are we
r, DeceiVed by shows and forms;
Whate, er we think, whate'er we see,
All human kind are worms"
Music stores have always adhered to the
primitive custom of using the instru-
ments they sold as their signs. Although
Tompones, comets and French horns are
now nlose frequently employed in this
capacity, in former times the hautboy
was the favorite emblem of the trade.
For 1t was the popular street instrument
of the olden time, and was ALWAYS heard
at the Christmas 'waits'' and on occa-
sions of public rejoicing.
In Ann street there is Junk shop
| that advertiseS its business by means of q
little effigy, or doll, that swings from 81
pole over the door, and the same trade
| symbol can be seen before the doors of
similar shops in other parts of the city.
This emblem probably originated with
the buyers of secondhand garments Of a
past age, who had their shops along the
quays of the great seaports of Europe,
and sold their cast-off finery to buccaneers
and coasting traders to be exchanged with
| the simple natives of Africa and America
for gold, ivory, furs and other precious
commodities. They hung black doll at
the door of their shops as an emblem of
the business in which they were engaged.
How 1t came to be generally used in this
capacity is the subject of popular le-
gend:
| "Once upon q time an ancient dame
came to rag-shop in Norton Folgate
with a bundle of old clothes which she
desired to sell, but having no time to
spare, she left them with the man to ex-
next day. The rag merchant opened the
bundle, and found among the clothes
pair of diamond. earrings and a black
doll. Anxious to restore the diamonds
(as may be imagined) he expected the odd
woman to call day after day. but in vain;
at last, thinking that she might have
forgotten the house, he hung up the black
doll at the door, but the old woman never
came, and the doll hung until it rotted
away, when it was replaced by new
one. The novelty of the object attracted
many customers to the house, other rag
men initiated it, and so it finally became
a sign.
| Undertakers have always been strictly
professional in their choice of trade sym
| bols. Stephen ROome, an undertaken of
! the eighteenth century, whose son was
the luckless author whom Pope satirizes
in the Dunciad as afflicted with 'fu-
| neral frown'' transacted business at the
Il CT Of Coff3 IT,,
and James Maddox, another undertaken
of the same period, had sugar loaf and
| three collins for a sign
! An appropriate trade emblem once in
general use was the shears that tailors
hung before their shops. Modern meth
DDS of advertising have robbed it of its
usefulness. Yet it must not be inferred
that the tailors of past century were
not fully as wide-awake to the advantages
OF extraordinary advertising as those of
the present day. One of them was
shrewd enough to impress no less per-
sonage than Oliver Goldsmith into his
| service.
| According to Boswell, Goldsmith on one
| occasion 'strutted about Dragging of his
dress, and, believe, was seriously vain
OF 1t for his mind was wonderfully prone
to such impressions. Come come,' said
Garrick, talk no more of that, you are
perhaps the worst-eh, EN-. Goldsmith
was eagerly attempting to interrupt him,
when Garriek went on, laughing ironi-
cally, Nay, you will always look like
gentleman, but I am talking of being
we'll or i'll dressed. swell, let me tell you,'
| said Goldsmith, when my tailor brought
home my bloom colored coat, he said:
"Sir, have favor to beg of you. When
anybody asks you who made your clothes,
be pleased to mention John Felby, at the
Harrow in Water Lane" johnson
| Why, sir, that was because he knew the
strange color would attract crowds to
gaze at it, and then they might hear of
him, and see how well he could make a
coat even of so absurd color -
. Although, since reading has become a
universal art, trade emblems have been
| for the most abandoned, there are still
considerable number of merchants who
lind it profitable to employ them. For
| they stand out among the multiplicity of
| signboards that are crowded upon the
fronts Of buildings in business districts
as obvious objects that attract general at
tention. 1t would be, impossible, for ex-
| ample, for any one not blind to walk
| through certain streets without observing
the huge representations of sl1y-roekets in
front OF the fireworks establishments,
| nor could any one pass by certain fur
r1er' S up town without remarking upon
the ferocious aspect and great size of the
stuffed bear that guards the entrance to
| the warerooms. On avenues which, like
the Bowery, are given up to wide diver
| slty OF trades and professions emblematic
| objects are still necessary features
J. P. r.
n ITo& r.