Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-03-29
SIGNS OF THE TIMES
Some in Rock island That Are Do
ing More Harm Than
Good.
ARE AGED, WORN AND UNsIGHTLY
Swinging Type Too Numerous OBJ
structing View The
Funny Side.

4
Funny Side.
The sign, like the newspaper ad, is
more than an aggregation of letters
and forms, and is pretty reliable
index as To the sort of enterprise
that characterizcs the party whose
name ii bears. In both cases the ell
ement of quantity is less important
in this respect than that of duality
or the makeup and the matter set
! forth. There is a great deaf of diff
ference between some signs and
Others. Some merchants proceed on
the theory that so long as sign is
decipherable il is accomplishing the
purpose for which il is hung up
They do not stop to consider what
the effect of "A cheap, rusty or dirty
sign is almost certain to have upon
a stranger looking for place to
trade or upon the more sensitive of
their regular customers.
Unfortunately Rock Island has
some signs that are probably doing
their owners more harm than good,
owing to their unsightliness. Among
rags that have outIived all trace of
responsibility and have been black
cncd by dirt and torn by the wind.
Muslin does very well for the AN
npuncement of special sales and for
other temporary purposes. but when
il comes to making them permanent
affairs they BECOME insufrcrable.
Swinging Sign EVIL.
Another tendency that is becoming
all too manifest is that toward
multiplicity OF swinging signs. These
obstruct the view in the street and
lend an appearance foreign To that
of a weli-kept city. They also form
Il sVhrcc of positive danger to pass
ers beneath them. fer, it is only Il
question of time when they will VICAR
cat their hanginga and fall. There
is Il city ordinance against their
ways stop TO consider the possible
maintenance.
The sign writer is not always a
scholar and his dictionary * not al
ways at hand. Neither does he al
ways stop to consider the possible
import of the announcement he pro-
mulgatcs. Several eases i'm point are
to he seen i'm Rock Island.
Marksmen of the city last fall shot
for turkeys at a shooting gallery
as the muslin sign in front had il.
The d., Il. !. 4: y. w. passenger
station has Il "smokcing' room, as
who looks above the door of !
the apartment can readily see.
y business man in the central !
part of town calls attention to his
stock with the dubious announce
mient, I'VE sell good goods. Prices
\ mechanic i'm the central part of |
town has provided his place of bust
ness with a superflous sign which
reads Tin shop" 1t requires only
half an eye to see that the place was
once tin all over. although part of if
is now rusted off.
Bad for Winter business.
Ice cold lemonade and hot pea
nuts" is the legend a street stand
bears winter and summer. The lat
ter is bad enough on clustering
lay in midsummer, but possible
customer would never read past the
first part of the sign when the mer-
curry stood about zero.
In front of Second avenue barber
shop there is a folding sign which
reads "Shine inside" Almost any
pnc would like to be a polished gen
tleman. but that seems to be going
a trifie too far.
One merchant is going out of bus
ness. When his awning is up his big
muslin sign read from one side makes
he frank announcement Losing out.
Must be sold April L." 1t is CLOSING
,ut' when the awning is out of the
way.
One can go down almost any alley
md see sign stencilcd on a half
nch board which says $50 fife for
cinders in this alley"
That is, one can if the pile of cinders
; not high enough to obstruct the
lew.
Out in Sears. where the horse rail !
way track with it's rails and pro-
ruding track parallel the wagon
Dad owned and neglected by the {
ity of Rock Island. each trolley pole
or distance of several blocks bears
his touching though suggestive APP {
zeal To transfers, please keep OFF {
he track.