Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-12-27
PAY FOR FLATTERY.
Tradesmen, Actors, Sports
men InOrdinately Proud of Praise.

From Tit-Bits
A friend of the writer is well acquainted
with a wealthy employer of labor in the
north of England, who has an Unsuitable
hunger for f1attery, and will forfeit any
reasonable sum to secure the praise so
sweet to his soul. His shrewd manager is
well aware of his weakness, and has
pocketed many a fat fee in consequence
Now and again "testimonial' craze will
break out among the employees of the firm
and an Illuminated address of a most COM
plimentary character will be presented to
the delighted master, who shows it to all
his friends and sends copies to the press.
But only those in the secret know that the
men VINO sign the testimonial get a day.
holiday on full pay for so doing, while the
willy manager who engineers the affair gets
a 70 note.
Among those in the theatrical profession
it is a notorious fact that certain provin-
cial actors, when about to visit a new
town, arrange with an agent for public
welcome at the railway station and an
ovation in the public streets. In every town
there are men who will applaud anybody
and anything for a shilling an hour. A
crowd of these creatures are hired for the
occasion, and applaud the actor as he ar
rives in the town. They also follow his
carriage through the streets and vociferous-
ly shout his name and fame. This kind of
thing is sure to be Photographed in the
local papers, and pays infinitely better than
any ordinary advertisement.
1t is no uncommon occurrence for anna
teur music hall singers to secure an ova-
ton every night they appear, by employ
ing clique of paid patrons, who distribute
themselves about the hall and ardently ap-
plaud at the elected time. This is known as
drawing the house. and the praise thus
purchased and prearranged often proves
contagious in exciting applause of a more
general and natural character.
An amateur batsman of some notoriety
in the north is in the habit of bribng the
lads of the village TO applaud him as he
leaves the pavilion. For sixpense a rural
lad Will shout himself hoarse in praise of
any one, and los. or los. so spent by the
conceited cricketer produces applause po-
tent enough to please the most exacting
egOtist
A wealthy man in the Midlands has In
vented a number of eccentric but useless
articles, which he has placed upon the mar
ket at his own expense. To any person who
writes him a fiattering testimonial concern
ing any of these articles, he invariably
sends a letter of thanks, inclosing a postal
order for ten shillings. The testimonials he
thus receives-now numbering some hun
dredS-he preserves in albums made for the
purpose. and these books he keeps upon
his drawing room table for the inspection
of visitors.
An itinerant medico. of American origin,
while travelling in the provinces, was ac-
cuStomed to pay a certain number of people
to praise his goods in the presence of the
public. These folk met in the market
square every evening, and. ascending the
platform, gave personal testimony as to
the benefit they had derived from using
the various nostrums sold by the medicine
man. Some of the more fluent and accom-
plished of these prevaricators were paid
half a crown for their testimony. On one
occasion. however, an alteration took
place as to the payment of one of these
walking testimonials. So the secret leaked
out.
Certain candidates for parliament in past