The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-19
How Printers Ink Has Been Made
to Pay Best.
PROFIT In ENTERPRISE
SOME DEFACE NATURE AND
ONLY WASTE GOOD MONEY.
Irving's Knickerbocker History of
New York Was introduced to
Public By Shrewd Use of News
paper Advertising Columns-Am-
orleans Astound French.

Advertising is an old custom, dating
as far back as the seventeenth century.
The advertiser today, therefore,, has
over two centuries of experience in
direction upon which he may draw. 1t
is not at all strange. then, that modern
advertising should be developed into not
only an ordinary business, but in some
cases into an artistic science. For il is
a science to be able TO attract the at
tention of the public in a pleasing way,
and many unique and startling adver-
tisements have bee~ the result Of the
ence and energy of the A.
erlcan merchant advertiser. 1t
would, perhaps, be interesting to note
a 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 Knickerbocker's History of
New York" washington Irving) was
first introduced to the public. 1t is
good illustration of the genius and or
iginality of the American advertiser.
One day there appeared in one of the
daily papers, in large type, an adver-
tisement which read something like
this:
brimmed hat, light knee breeches,
rather eccentric, calls himself Father
Knickerbocker. Last seen at Astor
House two days ago. Any infOrma-
ton regarding. him will he gratefully
received. Address Box 314, this paper.
This advertisement appeared every
day for some time, and people began to
wonder and ask 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 thta he had been
discovered, drowned in the East river.
Letters of inquiry poured into box 314
of the paper which issued the adver-
tisement, but not one of these received
an answer.
In the midst of the excitement there
appeared in still larger type in the
same paper this advertisement:
DISCOVERED.-A big bag belonging
to Father Knickerbocker. the missing
man. The bag contained letter and
a manuscript; the letter explains that
the manuscript is a History of New
York, which Father Knickerbocker
wishes to have published as soon as
he has departed 10 parts unknown.
The manuscript is now in course of
short time.
The book was then advertised in the
regular way OF course, when people
began to see through the hoax, they
naturally felt rather cheap. especially
the paper which had printed the East
river drowning incident; but the object
of the publisher had been attained. He
had got the people talking. 1t is need
less to say that the book had ready
sale.
1t is usually clever piece of adver-
Using of the indirect kind like the
above that brings the largest returns.
Speaking of book advertising reminds
the writer of an instance he heard of
not long ago.
y certain author Gane we shall call
him) had written a very clever book,
but for some reason there was no call
for it. 1t was a book describing incl
dents in one of the ancient wars, the
facts of which he had collected after
great labor. About this time one of the
great popular writer's came out with
book very similar to the one which
Lane had written. 1t Immediately had
an enormous sale and became known
tr~"-' ghout the English-speaking
world.
ne began legal proceedings against
the great writer on the ground that ne
had stolen his facts from his Uane's)
book. The lawsuit, of course, appeared
in the papers. and people began TO buy
Lanes book to compare it with the
great production. Its sale increased
enormously, as there was real merit in
the work. and. although Lane lost his
case against the great writer. his book
had at last become known and a good
income was the result
THE only reason 1 brought the mat
ter before the courts" he remarked af-
terward to a friend. was to get people
talking about my work" He had true
dvertiSing genius.
One very clever scheme of advertising
was that accomplished by a 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 a Florida plantation where the cedar
is produced for the -- Co. pencils"
Large numbers of these oranges were
packed in small baskets, each holding
half a dozen oranges. and then sent to
all sorts of people The president and
his cabinet. the United States senators
and members of the supreme court each
received a basket. They were also sent
to all the great men and women of
every profession, including singers,
actors, authors. ministers. lawyers.
bankers and editors of large papers.
The last-named class probably did more
for the company than any of the 9TH
ers. by the highly complimentary press
notices which appeared soon after in
their respective papers.
America is far ahead of European
countries in the matter of advertising.
Newspaper circles in Paris not long ago
were electrified by an advertisement of
an American patent medicine company
which appeared in one of their jour
nails. for which 1850 francs (S3.500) had
been paid. No such price had ever be-
fore been paid in France for an adver-
tisement, and the concern was looked
upon as a company of merchant adj
venturers." However. it has probably
opened the French merchants eyes to
the fact that perhaps that sort of ad-
vertising pays. after all, as they now
seem to be paying larger prices for adj
vertising than ever before.
In America, $500 for an advertise