The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-18
A GENIUS ~ ADVERTISING.
He May Have Told the Truth without
IL.


when I was a youngster. say OF
81" remarked the veteran journalist
of a Western city, Il was the editor OF
a country paper in a town OF about
5000 people. and having lived for a
wear in New York I had an idea that
/ was really the only person In town
who knew anything. a a pretty
hard time making things come my
way. but youth and enterprise are
hard to down, and I kept at II. There
was one firm in town, Smith Brothers.,
which was the strongest and most con-
sentative there. n 1 knew an adver-
tisement from them would be the max
ing of me. but they were slow in letting
me have II. However. I persisted until
al last ] had II In my clutches, N I
grasped IL as a drowning man srasps
a life p~reserver. The senior partner.
who was a most austere and particular
old chap, and a deacon into the bar
gain. was anxious TO impress me with
the fact that they were doing a great
deal for me. and l must return vaiue
received. All Of which j agreed to DO,
and then the old gentleman surpris-
ID me by telling me he would give
me the copy and leave Ii to my new
tangled notions, as he called them,
to make up an ad. that would show
the Smith Brothers TO be as progress
sive as any other merchants In town
anu quite as Ttduy " ihttt ~ "
ern ideas. Well. this was more than i
could have asked for II they had beg
ged me to do so. and i went u of
the place almost shouting. When i
reached my office ! e the opy over
again to find its strong points OF dis
play. 1t was as follows. for i can
never forget 1T: Smith Brothers. the
well-known dealers in groceries, are
pleased to make the announcement
that they are In receipt Of the biggest
stock of canned goods ever seen here,
and they will be sold at prices hither-
TO unknown. Some advertisers may
be liars, but Smith Brothers are hap
Ply in knowing that they have a rep
utation for veracity which is worth
more to them than gold"
That was good, plain stun, with not
much of a margin visible for the play
of my versatile fancy. but I was ex-
pected TO 10 something that would at
tract attention. for the old gentleman
had been especially strong on that
point. He was tired OF the plainly Sc
we're, he said. and wanted something
that would not fail to stir things up.
/ sat up more than half the night
with that copy. and when morning
came I had IL all In shape to I'LL a coli
umn, the amount of space he wanted
IT to occupy. He told me. when he
gave me the copy, that IL he didn't
ktN dIOuiid W q ~ plOoAg JtSN w
let 1t go n take the chances. which
/ did when he didn't appear. n when
the paper came out, there, in the big
gest and blacklist letters i could set
up, was this advertisement for a col
umn on the first page:
SMITH BROTHERS.
the well-known dealers In groceries.
ARE
pleased to make
THE
announcement that they are In receipt
of the
BIGGEST
stock OF canned goods ever seen here,
and at prices hitherto unknown.
Some advertisers may be
LIARS
but Smith Brothers are happy
IN H5
knowing that they have q reputation
in this
TOWN
for veracity which Is worth more to
them than gold.
"well, when the Smith Brothers saw
that ad. fairly shouting to them and
at them and about them. they were
the maddest men you ever saw. and
they were only restrained by their re-
ligion from shooting me on the spot.
However. they sued me in spite OF all
my defense OF the attractive qualities
of the display. and i would have gone
to the wall for my genius and Napo-
leonic brilliancy had II not been for
the fact that before the time of hear
ing the suit the ad. had actually Civ
en- Smith Brothers a boom that almost
frightened them by its tremendous
popularity. and though they never re-
peated the ad. and always made me
submit matter before 1t was printed.
we became great friends. and eac of
US did much for the other In financial
and other ways"