New-York tribune., 1905-11-19


trarv. cannot and will not be doubted
or disputed by that large and in Are
creasing part of the population which
cars cars W BY
The ordinary street-car was once
a cheerless stupid cage in which an
unwilling, 1-natured public was carted from place
to place. Now it IS fast becoming Nerltable cir-
c1lating library of poetry and art on wheels. Inc
Dopu1ace enters ther6i in with the happy assurance
that while there is small like lhood of its finding an
unoccupied seat it is sure of meeting with many a
quaint and curious quaran of poetic lore calculated
to make those who must cling to straps forget all
their woes and worries in contemplating the plea
SAINT food for thought temptingly displayed on
every hand
We've heard about those signs plain that he who runs
NAV read -
B when it comes to street-car ads why there do not
To run bit but dlv sit all active movements stunning
As v the mile we ride while the does all the
running.
With what curious interest the street-car patron
has watched the subtle but all-conquerlng advance
of poetry into the cold commercial world that
was once deemed to be the undisputed realm OF
plain prose
Time was when poetry was este ened to BE- too
fragile too timid, too polite to appear IN mixed
asse nblages In those dear old delicate days it
was honestly supposed that a full breath OF real
business atmosphere would prove almost fatal
TO a tender triolet retiring rondo. But the
times change and we changed with them
Nowadays it is no unusual sight a sweet
senti ..ta1 sonnet and a brisk business-lke sand
wich going hand in hand, were, about the busy
thoroughfares of our bustEng cities.
To illustrate the manner in which poetry IS over
coming prose- let us take, for example, a certain
wel-known brand of hair which in the olden
davs when its name was first getting into pacard
tvDe saw its virtues modcst1y limited at in the
simplest of unrimed and unvarnished advertising
efforts:
Try Blinker's Hair Renewer for the Hair.
1t scarcely seems possible that there was time,
and not long ago when such mild, homely group
of words was thought to be advertising. Not so
to-day In these bustlng times everything in
general and advertising in particular must be speed
and srgar-coated if designed to have the public
bite at it. And 50 the Wde-aWahe francr OF up
to-date advertising takes that same Old theme
once so mildly treated, and brings it right home
to us through the medium of poetry:
II you'd have locks-long lustrous, rich
Use Blnker's Hair Renewer which
VIII grow upon the badest pate
Hair by the bushei while you wait.
Our ewes have become so accustomed to seeing
a number of lines of reading matter beginning with
capital letters on the hand and terminating
with words of similar sound the other that
would not pause to observe the simple request
Use Blums Stove Polish" which modest COM
bination of words used to be deemed sufficiently
forceful and convincing to attract public notice
To-day the subject is set forth ditferently
Blun's Polish makes the stove so bright
The cook declares it blinds her sight
And with every package
Present pair of goggles free.
So pronounced has become this desire to present
what were formerly considered purely commercial
themes in soft sweet, rhythmic, rafting poetry,
that in some of our more emil cned cities the street
cars are now recognized being the peoples true
rendezvous. They the CcnterS-the