The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-06-14
HOW ALVIN ADVERTISED.
His Jewels Brought Business Until
They Were Taxed.
New Orleans Times-DemOcrat)


THE late Alvin Joslin Davis made his
money by shrewd advertising methods"
said an old time theatrical man last even
in, land his long suit was diamonds.
When Den Thompson scored his first big
hit with The Old Homestead Davis saw
a good chance TO jump into the minor
/ circuits with play on similar lines, and
the result was Alvin Joslin.' He took the
title role of the guileless New England
farmer himself, but as he was a mighty
bad actor, and had sense enough to know
it, he realized that he would need some
thing beside his art to stir up public in
terest and by a happy inspiration he lit
on diamonds. When he started out on
the road he wore a solitaire in his shirt
front that looked like the bottom of
beer glass, his collar was fastened by
another blazer the size Of a filbeTt, his
cum links were stones that must have
weighed fifteen carats apiece, and his
watch, watch chain and charm We're
crusted over with huge blue-white old
mine gems worth small fortune.
Besides these, his fingers were loaded
to the knuckles with miscellaneous as
sortment of rings, all with superb set
tings. Such a mass of diamonds on one
man was never seen before or since, and,
naturally, he created a sensation Wher-
ever he appeared in public. He made it
a point to mention incidentally that the
diamonds had all been bought with the
/ proceeds of his play, and, as nothing
succeeds like success, the piece soon
gained astonishing prestige. A great
many people mistOok it in advance for
The Old Homestead, about which they
had read so much, and business at the
one-night stands was something phenO-
menal.
Davis worked the diamond racket
without any setback for a couple of
highly prosperous seasons continued
the old timer, but he finally struck a
formidable snag at Butte City, Mont,
and the result was iudicrOuS expose Of
his methods. He arrived in town with
his usual flourish OF trumpets. / forgot
to say ne carried q party OF musicians
which he called the Alvin Brass band,
and spent several hours dazzling citizens
about the hotel with his aggregation of
gems. Afterward. according TO his Gus
popular jewelry store to be displayed in
the window. They Immediately drew a
[ big crowd and everything was moving
along beautifully for a big business that
night. when the town marshal walked
into the hotel and handed Davis a bill
for 81 500. special ! per cent tax on S150
600 worth of personal jewelry. The tax
was levied under a new law that had
Just been passed, and when Davis turned
Dea-green and swore he wouldn't pay
cent the officer quietly stTOlied up to the
store and attached the entire collection.
when the news Travelled back to the
hotel Davis went wild, and rushed out
bare-headed to find a lawyer. He was
told by the best attorney in town that
he had a hard fight ahead of him any
way he looked at it. but, to everybody's
surprise, a new figure suddenly appeared
on the scene at this Sage of affairs, in
the person of an insignificant looking in
dividual who travelled with the company,
and whose status in 1t to no one exactly
understood He explained briefly that he
was the agent Of firm OF Maiden lane
diamond dealers, who really owned the
stones, and that he accompanied Mr..
Davis to see that no harm came to them.
The Jewels had merely been rented for
so much a month, ard while that let
them out as far as the tax was con-
cerned. il ruined their value for adver-
Using purposes. To the best of my
recollection, they We're abandoned after
! that season"