Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1903-12-23

Many have wondered whether the
peculiar design used as trademark
by the Northern Pacific Railway COM
pany was adopted by them in a hap
hazard manner, or whether real sig
nificance attaches to it; whether 1t is
simply an ingenious geometric device,
or whether in it's origin, meaning, and
adoption there is hidden a story.
1t is not a creature of accident-in
the sense referred to-and there is a
tale and history back of it.
1t is not hard to relate it's origin;
it is easy to tell the story of it's adop-
ton; but when it comes to conveying
to the general reader clear idea of
it's original and ancient meaning, a
somewhat difficult task confronts the
relator, for reasons which will appear.
The original symbol, of which the
trade -hark is an adaptation, is Chinese
in invention. The diagram itself was
evolved in the eleventh century A. D.,
but the ideas which it represents date
back to more than 1900 years before
the. Christ child was Graded in the
manager at Bethlehem. 1t is really,
therefore, more than $500 years old(
and may, indeed, be much older. 1t is
known as the Great Chinese Monad'
or more commonly, perhaps, as the
Diagram of the Great Extreme.
Its Adoption
The design was discovered and
adapted to it's present use in 1898. Mr..
E. H. McHenry and Mr.. Charles S. Fee.
then. as now, the chief engineer and
general passenger and ticket agent of
the company, respectively, are princi-
pally to be credited with it's discovery
and adoption.
The Northern Pacific was in search
of trademark. Many designs had
been considered and rejected. Mr.. Nc
Henry, while visiting the Korean ex-
hibit at the Worlds Fair, was struck
with a geometric design that appeared
on the Korean flag. 1t was simple,
yet effective-plain. yet striking. At
once the idea came to him that ii was
just the symbol for the lons-sought-
for trademark. With but slight modi-
fication 1t lent itself readily to the
purpose. After Mr. McHenry returned
to st. Paul, Mr.. Fee sent to him sew
eral designs bearing on the trademark
idea, for elaboration in his drafting
room. Mr., McHenry added to them the
figure. Mr.. Fee was at once
impressed with this. added the words,
Yellowstone Park line" and sent the
trademark forth into the world en-
blazoned upon the company's folders.
The symbol impressed every one fav-
orably. and has, from the first. attract
ed universal attention,
Upon the organization of the North
ern Pacific railway--the old company
having previously been under a re-
design was formally
adopted as trademark. Mr.. Edward
D. Adams. chairman of the board OF di-
rectors, adopted 1t for the corporate
seal of the new company, and had it
engraved upon the company's securi-
ties.
Mr.. McHenry naturally supposed |
rom the circumstances under which !
ne discovered the figure. that it bore
I'm Oriental significance, and began a !
luiet search to ascertain what it was. |
AS it happens, one may examine a good |
many volumes of Oriental lore and dis
over no reference whatever to this
symbol, or to anything like it, and
hese researches were rewarded. tenn
,orarily, with little success. In the
meantime the design had been i'm !
printed upon the documents station
md from the windows of its ticket Of
Ices in all the large cities between the
atlantic and the Pacific the unique de-
Ice attracted the attention of the