Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-01-11

estate were infrequent, just as they
have been in Marshalltown for three
years past, but Mr.. Poag was not dis
couraged The effect ON Rock Hill was
little short of marvellous.
In the beginning Poag realized the
necessity of avoiding the methods that
had been followed by his predecessors
and Of adopting some aggressive
means to- bring himself and his bust
ness prominently before the people. He
began to advertise freely In the two
little weekly papers published In Rock
Hill and supplemented his announce
ments with signs and circulars. Wher-
ever he went he talked real estate and
doomed the undeveloped possibilities OF
Rock Hill. His enthusiasm soon be-
town began to feel that their proper
ties had value and renters became
ambitious to own homes. People OF
means began to feel that 1t was better
to put their money in land than IN the
bank and so, stimulated by his OPIUM
ism, the interest in real estate grew
and the town grew. Manufacturers
came and built mills, and as the de-
mand fer homes and mill sites grew,
the old fields about the town became
too valuable to raise cotton on and they
we're improved, laid out with streets,
and became well built and attractive
suburbs
Thru all this the energy of Mr.. Poag
was the dominant power. He develop
ed remarkable capacity for hard work
and gained confidence with each trans
action. He became a shrewd judge of
realty values. His honesty and success
inspired confidence, and he prospered.
Soon his reputation began to reach out
beyond his home town, and one day ne
received letter from man IN an ad-
joining state, asking If he could find
buyer for large tract OF timber lano
in q remote mountain district MI
Poag was beginning to think that
man could find most anything he earn
estly sought after. and he replied In the
affirmative. The property was listed
with him, and he advertised it in the
classified columns OF the leading New
York and Chicago dailies. In month
he found a customer and effected sale
without seeing either party to the
transaction. His commission was
handsome one, and that transaction
marked the turning point in his career.
1t was a forceful illustration of what
might be accomplished by advertising,
and as he pondered over the matter 1t
seemed that the results he had attain
ed might be multiplied Indefinitely.
Surely somewhere out in the world
bargains and buyers were seeking each
other. He would bring them together
by advertising.
With Mr.. Poag to think Is to act, and
a week later the Sunday edition OF the
Columbia, S. c., State carried a full
page advertisement of his wants and
offerings and his bank account was
considerably depleted, for he paid his
advertising bill in advance. When
asked recently how often he ran his
large advertisements, Mr.. Poag replied.
GAS often as find my balance at the
bank large enough to pay for one" II
he was following this plan at the time
he ran his first large advertisement, 1t
must have brought quick returns for
IL was soon followed by another full
page advertisement in the Raleigh, N
c., News and Observer, and half doz-
en- lesser papers. Then his advertise
ments began to increase In size and
frequency. In year they were occu-
plying two full pages then they began
to encroach upon the third page.
! With the beginning of the present
'year''Afr -Poag discontinued his adver-
Using in about fifty of the ,smaller9pa-
pers he had previously used and has
since used only the leading papers OF
North and South Carolina. 1t is prob
able that no other real estate dealer In
the world is using advertisements of
this size.
Mr.. Poag has prospered turnout his
campaign Of extraordinary advertising
and has incidentally demonstrated that
energy, pluck, and printers ink can
build up a big business in most un-s
promising environment. His main of
fees occupy the entire ground floor of
q building 35x150 feet on prominent
corner in Rock HILL and are equipped
with every modern business device, in
GLIDING card index systems, address,
ing machines and graphophones for
taking, dictation. He also has thirteen
branch offices scattered turnout the
Carolinas and maintains large force
OF travelling statesmen. His business has
attained such proportions as to render
necessary the services of other inter-
ested persons besides himself, and to