Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-06-29
NEg PUBLfcATIoss.

SEW P0BLfoArIOSs.
THE TRADING STAMP CRAZE" A
Farce in Two Acts. BY J. B. Bell. Will
mington: The Sunday Star.
In this bright and pleasing little
farce, Mr.. Bell, who is well-known as
the editor of the Sunday Star, has
aimed to show, in humorous manner,
the strong hold which the mania for
securing trading stamps and the great
bargains that follow in their train
has upon the shoppers of the average
community.
The characters in the farce are Mr..
Joseph johnson and Mr.. Robert Rob-
inson, two worthy and respectable
citizens whose home life is made mis-
cradle by the trading stamp mania
of their wives: Mrs. Joseph johnson
and Mrs. Robert Robinson, who work
trading stamps far beyond the limit;
Bridget, a housemaid, and Barney,
hostler, who are also materially
affected by the trading stamp craze.
The story told --and it is told in
delightfully."- humorous manner-is
of the completeness with which the
two wives had surrendered themselves
to the trading stamp mania, and the
heroic measures to which the husbands
resorted in order to effect cure.
The extent of tho disease can be
imagined, when Mr.. i,obinson dole
fully complained that his wife in
variably purchased a 15-pound roast,
when one Of four pounds would have
been ample for the. small Robinson
family, Just because she thereby Sc
cured larger quantity Of trading
stamps from the butcher; and when
the injured husband complained of the
consequent waste of good beef, she
expended $40 for a dog to consume
the surplus
The dialogue OF the farce is bright
and pointed, and the situations humor-
GUS to a degree. The climax is strik-
ing in its ludicrous effects. The pro
duction is bound to prove attractive,
and its rendition may be popular
feature of home entertainments.
The author disclaims that his merry
skit is intended, in any sense, as
an attack upon the trading stamp
business, and states that it was pre-
pared solely because of the many OPP
portunities the subject seemed to offer
for innocent fun. At the same time,
it cannot help proving a powerful
SATIRE and possibly an effective weapon
against the injection into the business
methods of this and other communities
OF q fallacious scheme that has set
nine-tenths of the buyers by the ears,
saturated them with the impression
that they are getting much for moth
ing, and even compelled level-headed
merchants who were opposed to the
innovation to adopt it as measure of
self-defence.
Tho rapid creation of deep general
interest in maritime matters and naval
affairs since the war with Spain, and
the fact that shipyards of all the
coasts, as well as the Great Lakes.
are filed with work for two or three
years to come, have contributed to
make the 1890 edition of the Blue
Book OF American Shipping, which is
just from the press, an apparent justi-
fication of the publishers claim that
it is the most valuable work on ship
ping ever issued in this country. The
Blue Book, known as the only marine
and naval directory of the United
States, is this year more handsomely
illustrated than ever, and is in more
handy form than ever. 1t is not only
a book of reference for the ship builder,
ship owner and naval architect, and
the merchants and manufacturers who
hhNo aoblibES Win luoSt
but it contains also hundred or
more pages devoted to statistics of
water commerce and to general in
formation regarding the merchant
marine and navy. Among noteworthy
features incorporated in the 1899 edition
is comprehensive history of the year
IN everything pertaining to the CON
struction and navigation of vessels. The
directory part of this publication con-
tains particulars of American steam |
and sail vessels, with names and ad- |
dresses of owners. separated as to |
coasts, Western rivers and great lakes; |
lists OF ship-owners, ship and engine
builders, naval architects, marine en-
gineers, vessel masters and members |
of various organizations made up from |
the navy and merchant marine; par
tIculars of vessels of the United States
navy; heads of government bureaus
in the United States and Canada con-
nected with shipping; steamship lines
including those operating to foreign |
ports-with details of service, principal |
Offices and names and addresses OF |
managers. The. Blue Book is pub |
lished by the Marine Review Publish
ing I'd, Q feyaland,9 and will be- ,fdr. |
warded to any address Upon receipt |
Of So.