The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1901-07-23
SARCASM IN SIGNS.
ADVERTISEMENTS THAT AT TIMES
BECOME "A MOcKERY.

BECOME n MOCkERfs
"reminiscences of Men Who Had
Seen Worse Days and Irritating
Announcements When They Were
Hard Up and Ont of Employment.
The advance agent met the leading
man Of another show the other night,
and, as they had not seen each other in
seven years, there was a warmness
about their greeting that was refresh
ing.
"Dear old Tomr' said the leading
man. Il was thinking Of you not FIVE
minutes ago. Sit down, you dear old
fellowi passed bakery not five min
utes ago, and thought of you. Why,
here's Willisl I was just saying to
Tom that / never see bakers that 1
don't think of him. Tom and / were
poor oncel Mighty poor too. l re-
member that we had been turned out
of different homes on the same cold
night and met each other for the first
time by chance. We shared the COM
forts of butchers wagon that night
and went upon rummaging expedi-
ton the next day. We halted IN front
Of German bakery, half starved and
Disguised with life generally. There
was huge sign In the window which
said, There Is No Cake Like Ours We
hadn't a penny between us, but Tom
stepped in and asked for a sample of
the cake. The Dutchman didn't ap-
preciate the humor of the request, so
Tom said, You may keep your cake,
boss; but, say, give me a chunk OF
bread, quick, or I'll cut out your giz-
zard.' I'll never forget that cake sign
because it took us hours to get away
from the police who were attracted to
the scene by the bakers cries for help"
But that was not my only expert
ence with peculiar sign" remarked
the advance agent after hearty laugh.
1.-THE year before went on the road
for the first time was In as hard luck
as ever man was. had pawned ev-
erything in sight and was almost starv-
ed. found an umbrella in the hall
way Of down town building, and the
1anttor told me to keep 1t. 1t was a
fairly good rain shield, and immedi-
ately carried it to mine uncle. didn't
know this particular relative. although
I had formed the acquaintance Of hun
dreds Of his people. His place was on
Sixth avenue, and he gave me IS cents
on It, which gladly accepted. AS he
was making out the ticket he said:
"'Do you want to save it from the
mothsY
eyes answered.
"'That will cost you IL cents. Per
haps you would like to have 1t insured?
1t is always advisable, but 1t will cost
you IL cents MORE replied my friend.
"'All right / said Take good care
OF it. He could have eaten 1t for all
cared, for / never intended to redeem
it. was about to leave the place when
I saw big sign on the far wall. 1t
saidi
"'No extra charge for putting watch
es and jewelry in the safe in the office
Watches and jewelryl 1t brought
the tears to my eyes, and as crawled
into my 10 cent bed that night
thought Of diamond necklaces, pearls
and rubies of priceless value and-cake.
Oh, the curse of some signs! How they
mock the poorr'
They were all silent a moment, but
the one addressed as Willis was the
first to resume conversation, and he
said:
@There's my friend, Big John Smith.
4 Y<,% TT. In nfo
are talking of signs and hard luck. let
me tell you of the time that had to
leave my trunk at the old Stevens
House, on lower Broadway, and light
out by the shades of midnight to get
away from a hotel bill that l couldn't
pay. Everything l had In the world
was locked up in that trunk, and as
could not remove anything without ex-
citing suspicion / thought 1t best to
keep out of jail by leaving everything
behind me. l must have walked the
streets at least q week famished and
penniless. One afternoon l was pass
ing along an up town street, hoping to
die, when happened to look up and
saw sign as big as my hopes were
small. This sign read:
awe Are Not Daylight Robbers.
TrunksI Trunksi From the Battery
to the Harlem Bridge to Your Room
For % Cents
IF that sign was not the irony of
fate in my case. do not know what
to call It"
"Oh, that's a small affair alongside
Of my experience" said Smith. ut is
only few years ago too. had been
unemployed for several months. and as
I had six little shavers to take care of
did not have much trouble spending the
little money had saved. I didn't seem
to have a friend In the wide world to
turn to, and I spent my last copper for
a paper to examine the employment col
umn. It was about Christmas time,
and dreaded going back home to face
the scoldfng landlord. recall that I
stopped in front of the Harlem office
of a newspaper to see the holiday
crowd go by, and as l did SO I saw
sign that made my blood run cold. 1t
said:
There Is No Reason Why You
Should Be Idle. Insert a Want AID.
Four Gents Line
"The pranoun was printed in i'm
mense letters, and l had the greatest
trouble dissuading myself that it was
not intended for me, and me alone.
OF course it wasn't, but that sign burn
ed into my memory, and I have
thought of it innumerable times since"
"Oh, pshaw" rejoined the leading
man after pause. 81 suppose it is i'm
possible to please everybody with pub
lie signs. saw one In Buffalo once
which said: Attention, blind men.
Read this and be cured which referred
to new treatment for the blind. All
signs canno, be expected to satisfy the
ideas Of everybody."-New York Mail
and Express.
Quaint Hannibal Hamlfn.
To the day of his death Hannibal
Hamlin was figure that men would
turn and look at second time on the
street His tall form, which in old
age was but slightly bent, was always
clothed in the old fashioned black
swallowtail suit, and he always wore
tall silk hat, generally back num-
ber," tilted slightly back on his head.
For years he was famous as a man
who never wore an overcoat, and to
his death he never burdened himself
with that, to him, unnecessary gar
ment except on the most severely cold
days. For a half century he never
changed the style of his clothes. He
walked with swinging gait and had