The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-02-24
ADVERTISING AN ART
SOME ODD SCHEMES FOR GAMING
PUBLIC ATTENTION.

How washington Irving's "History
Of New York" Was introduced to the
People "A Psncil Makers Clever
ILea-Paintiag the OLD World.
Advertising 10 An old custom, dating as
far back a. the seventeenth century. The
advertiser of today therefore has over two
centuries Of experience In this direction
upon which he may draw. 1t Is not ut
all strange, then, that modern advertising
should be developed into not only al
ordinary business, but In some cases into
an artistic science, for 1t Is science to
be able to attract the attention Of the pub
lie in a pleasing way, and many unique
and startling advertisements have been
the result of the high intelligence and en-
ergy OF tho American merchant and adver-
tiser. It would perhaps be interesting to
note q few of the ways In which these men
have from time to time tried to attract
the public notice.
The reader may remember how Father
Knickerbockers History Of New York"
Washington Irving) was first introduced
to tho public. 1t is good illustration Of
tHo 8euAus ahu oAiS"oAAVy VI Sho nAAAoAA-
can advertiser.
One day there appeared in one Of tho
daily papers in large type an advertise
ment which read something like this:
MIssING-short, stout man, broad brimmed
hat, light knee brooches, rather eccentric,
calls himself Father Knickerbocker. Last seen
at Astor House two days ago. Any informa.
tion regarding him will be gratefully received.
Address box 3l4, this paper.
This advertisement appeared every day
for some time, and people began to won
der and ask among themselves who this
Father Knickerbocker could be. Wild
rumors were circulated Of an immense
fortune that was waiting for him, and an
enterprising newspaper came out with the
statement that he had been discovered,
drowned In the East river. Letters of in
quiry poured into box 314 Of the paper
which issued the advertisement, but not
one Of these received all answer.
In the midst of the excitement there ap-
peared in still larger type in the same
paper this advertisements:
DIsCovERED-A bag belonging to Father
Knickerbocker, the missing man. The bag
contained letter and a manuscript; the let.
Of New York." which Father Knickerbocker
wishes to have published az soon as he has de-
parted to parts unknown. The manuscript is
now in course of publication and will BE- Is.
sued in a short time
The book was then advertised in the
regular way. OF course when people be-
gan to SEQ through tho hoax they natural
ly felt rather chvap, especially the paper
which had printed the East river drown
ing incident, but the object Of the pub
Usher had been attained. He had got the
people talking. 1t is needless to say that
the book had a ready sale.
tbs usually clever piece Of advertising
of tho Indirect kind like the above that
brings the largest returns.
One very clever scheme Of advertising
was that accomplished by celebrated
pencil firm WHICH has large cedar mills in
Florida. This concern sent a shipload Of
superb oranges to New York from Its
plantation. Each orange was wrapped in
tissue paper upon which was printed,
"This orange was grown on Florida
plantation where the cedar Ia produced for
the - Co. pencils" Largo numbers OF
these oranges were packed in small bas-
kets, each holding half dozen oranges,
and then sent to MI sorts Of people. The
president and his cabinet, the United
States senators and members of the su-
prcme court each received q basket. They
wero also sent to all the great men and
women of every profession, including
singers, actors, authors, ministers, law
yers, bankers and editors of largo papers
The last named class probably did more
for the company than any Of the Others
by the highly complimentary press notices
which appeared soon after in their re-
spective papers.
America is far ahead of European coun-
tries in the matter Of advertising. News
paper circles in Paris not long ago were
electrified by an advertisement Of IN
American patent medicine company
which appeared in one Of their journals
for which II, 800 francs ($3, 5O0) had been
paid. No such price had ever before been
paid in France for an advertisement, and
tic concern was looked upon as company
of merchant adventurous.
One of the most novel feats Of advertis-
ing in recent years was that accomplished
by two young men not long ago. They
York, which provided them with plenty VI
money and instructed them to paint signs
wherever American travel was most frc-
quent all over Europe. They returned in
about two years and half In that time
they used about six tons Of paint and $40,-
900. A large portion of the latter had been
spent for space privileges These two
young men had been in nearly every coun-
try in Europe and painted signs on the
side walls Of large buildings In London,
Paris, Berlin, Rome. Constantinople, etc.
They went through the Alps, painting
their signs in letters 20 feet high on the
sides of some of tho great cliffs which tow
err over tho roads and paths through those
grand mountains. Just imagine an Amer
lean traveller far away from New York,
in tho heart of the Swiss mountains, who
should suddenly sec ahead of him, painted
on tho side of mountain, ono of those
old familiar trademarks of America,
"Use -" 1t would certainly leave q
deep impression upon his mind which
would last until he returned to America.
So they went on, painting signs every
where They arc accredited with having
painted largo number on the Pyramids
Of Egypt. They even tried, 1t il said, to
get tho sultan to allow them to put their
signs on the wall of his palace, but this
he did not allow them to do, strange to
say. However, they contented themselves
with signs on some Of the Mohammetan
mosques in Constantinople. The young
men slid they had better success in Con-
stantinople than anywhere else, for the
Moslcm Is lover Of bright co!ors and the
big red, blue and yellow signs seemed to
please him. One old fellow came out and
begged them to put sign on the front of
his dwelling. He seemed to consider 1t
quite decoration.
Sometimes when we ore In pOetical
frame OF mind we become perhaps some
what irritated by the advertisements
which one sees put up everywhere, per-
haps spelling the beauty Of landscape OF
making city hideous with many staring
posters. But when we remember that
each of those signs represents some great
Industry, which in turn is one Of the
financial pillars Of our great nation, and
that same industry has been developed by
the modern advertisement, then the great
saudy signs wear quite different aspect
to us-William M. Strong in New York
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