The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-06-05
Richmond Has a New Product
Which Is Gaining a Void
Wide Reputation.
is DUE TO FRED M'MANlS
YOUNG MAN BY A NEW SYSTEM
OF ADVERTISING, is WORKING
WONDERS WITH THE ARTICLE
HE SELLS.


OF this city, was first placed On the
market ten or twelve years ago 1t
was, in trade parlance, a good thing"
but no one could make a success of
1t from a financial standpoint. This
state of affairs existed for some time
until about five years ago when Fred
McManis, hustling young man, was
brought to this city and placed in the
company in the capacity CT sales man
ager. The result of this move is that
the Vajen head protector is now sold
all over the world, the concern is on
paying basis and last but not least,
Mr.. McManis has originated a neS.
school of advertising
How all this came to pass is best
told in the words of Mr. McManis:
THE article we manufacture is
known as the Vajen helmet 1t is used
to enable the wearer of it to safely en-
ter rooms that are filed with fire and
smoke, mines that are filled with
poisonous gases, the holds of ships,
should fire break out, the amonia
rooms in cold storage plants, should
the pipes burst and the amonia fumes
fill the place, and dozens of other
uses that are being found for it from
time to time.
The Vajen helmet sells for 1925,
S137.50 and $3.50 net, according to size
Up to May L. 1903 l travelled from city
to city and from fire department to
coal mine demonstrating the practic-
ability of our helmet, but l couldn't
make it go. l put on another sales
mamie was no Improvement. l was
running behind about 5000 and was
certainly up against 1t. So l sat down
in the office and commenced to write
letters. | wrote long ones s\,d short
ones. | single spaced them and
double spaced them. | begged and
pleaded and argued and bluffed-by
correspondence and l sold the helmets.
road l had turned 5000 a month loss
into a $500 a month profit. Of course
kept on writing letters. During the
eight months commencing the 1st of
May, 1903 | dictated and signed with
a pen $4,000 personal letters. And
these letters, by the way, brought me
just $25, 900 worth of business-a dol
lar a letter exactly. My limit on let
ter writing appears to have been
reached but the 'dollar-a-letter' is still
holding good"
Tidal Wave of Letters.
This tidal wave of letters Mr. Nc
Manis turns loose upon the Richmond
post Office is about all the advertising
he does. Certain publications handle
quarter page adds for him now and
then and the bills for booklets and
circulars are few and far between
McManis and his personal letters
have turned the trick and incidentally
gained for him a prominent place in
the advertising world.
The Vajen head protector is han.
dy helmet that fits down over the
head, resting comfortably on the
shoulders. 1t is made of fire proof
leather and fitted with a reservoir for
holding compressed air. 1t is provid
ed with mica covered eye openings
and patent sounding devices placed
over the ears.
Its purchasers are found every
|
in the big department stores and no
tells of the large cities; in the fire
stations of all metropolitan depart
ments: in the navies of Great Britain
Chilli, France, America, Germany and
Japan, in the coal mines of West
Virginia and Pennsylvania; in the
large cold storage plants and brewer
les; in the chemical laboratories of the
large universities and other places toe
numerous to mention. The navy OF
Great Britianis supplied with 400 he'll
NETS and every ship in the Cfiliar
navy is also supplied with a helmet
1t is probable that in the nNlr future
every ship in the American navy will
be supplied with these helmets which
are of untold value in the case of
fire in the hold of ship.
! McManis Made Experiments.
Mr.. McManis has been deep into the
value of the helmet and his exper
fences have been many and varied. Or
several occasions he has rescued mer
in coal mines from death.
Mr.. McManis has hit upon a move
scheme which has proven to be /;
great success. Whenever anyone i.
rescued from places of peril by ths
use of Vajen head protector, the res
curer is given gold medal by the
concern. 1t was only few days tina
fireman in Dublin, Ireland, protected
with a helmet, walked into a sewe
which was filled with poisonous gases
rescued two men and carried out thu
bodies of three victims. Today he i.
the proud posessor of a Vajen-Bade
medal. In November, 1897 a fire il
the hold of the British cruiser IT,
tona" threatened to destroy the ship
Two sailors equipped with vajen bel
NETS went into the hold, defied tn.
smoke and flames, located the fire
and extinguished it, thereby savin:
the vessel and the lives of scores o
men.