The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1902-08-09
THE EAST AURORA SHOP.
Ebert Hubbard'S Former Business
Ventures.
SUCCESSFUL SOAP MAKER UNTIL Us.
An Impartial Account of His Business
Methods.

When all other arguments fail Of
effect there is one last epithet that
can he hurled at Ebert Hubbard.
Call him a "Soapmaker. :" That is
certain to fetch him. The term is
not very wicked, Of course, when you
analyze it, for soapmaking is useful
modern industry, quite within the
bounds Of law. But the ''soapmaker"
looks beautifully damnipg in brewer
type-looks as though the writer
could call Hubbard other things If he
were not merciful. The story OF
Hubbard's soapmaking career is a
pretty good Advertising tale. 1t shows
that the East Aurora sage believes 10
publicity, that he knows how to write
it and how 10 back it up with a
definite plan for taking care of the
returns. The foundation Of the Lar
kin Soap Company, Buffalo, which is
one Of the largest plants OF its kind in
the world, was laid in 1875 by Hub
bard and John d. Larkin. Until 1888
the business ran along the usual
grooves Of trade, selling to wholesalers
and jobbers, slowly gaining in volume.
Then Hubbard saw that the tendency
Of modern business was to lessen the
distance between maker aud con-
sumer, and that the manufacturers
who got upon the new basis early
could secure a foundation that gives
great advantage over competitors.
Sharp eyes we're needed to see the
trend in those days, but the company
had been selling to a few consumers,
and Hubbard proposed that they in
crease this class of trade. "But the
wholesaler and jobber will never buy
of Us again if we do that, :" was the
protestant it was a terrible thing
to incur the severe dlspleasure of the
middlemen in 1888. "Well, wen try
to get along without them," said
Hubbard, and after careful planning
the Larkn Soap Company adopted its
present method of selling combination
boxes of soap to families, giving pre-
miums with each ten-dollar combina-
tion ordered Advertising was used
literally at the outset. The appro-
prlatiOus for the first three years
were, respectively $50 600, s3O,OOO
and $4,000. This money was spent
chiefly in magazines and religious
papers, with the purpose Of reaching
families, and the results were so good
that the Larkin Soap Company now
does an enormous volume Of business
upon comparative ly small advertising
expenditure, The first premiums
given with ten dollar boxes of soap
and toilet requisites were desk and
a piano lamp, but the list is now a
large one, and a clubbing plan is used
whereby ten families buy box
together and take turns ia selecting
the premium The company ships
between 2, 800 ard 3 900 boxes per day,
and the system takes on new patrons
almost automatically. A large sum is
spent every year for publicity, but the
greater part OF it goes into literature.
A monthly house organ, the Larkin
Idea, is It's chief advertising medium,
! about 100000 copies of which are
printed each month
Hubbard drew out Of the firm ia
1898 because he disliked routine work
and had literary aspirations. The
: story of he founding Of toe Roycrofb
Shop in 1895 is 100 well known to
; need repeating, but perhaps little
more light can be thrown upon it's
business aud advertising methods.
! Apart from It's artistic, literary and
socialistic sides, the RoycroIt Shop is
one Of the most successful mail order
establishments in he United Stlte .
1t has strong individuality hat i
practically trade mark and Of = e
dozens OF imitators that have adop ed
its methud4 there is no single on
that can cain to be rival or even a
competitor Twenty thou>aud per.oiiS
vislied u during tue Buffalo Expo
sition, and during the present SUNNI I