The silver state news. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1907-1909, 1907-11-04
The Advertising
Man a Sermon

Under the title, ga Forgotten Freak If Nature, Fra Elberus, in the
Phnitne, delivers N excellent and interesting rmo on the value of
advertising. The freak of nature he refers to is the Mammoth " of
Kentucky. He reminds us that the time vas when it was me of the 20
dns of the world. 1. is there yet, he says, but only negro picnic parties
60 here now, or possibly a n occasional person wanders thither because he
remembers how, in days agone, his father nd mother made their wedding
journey there, and then came homeand talked about it for tn rest of
their lives.
Records car be seen at the Mammoth Cave hotel showing the exact
number of persons who have visited the cav inc this hotel was opened
in 1887.
1t is worth while to note that in the year 1874 an average of 90 persons
a day we're shown the wonders Of the Mammoth i've, while in 1905 the
average, lot counting local picnic parties, ws less than a Dozen. In 1874
the population of the United States vas less than 20 millions, and there
ws not a railroad in the state OF Kentucky. And yet people anne
here from all the New England and m middle statesb by the hundred. Edward
Everett Hale guided a party of New England school teachers here in the
summer of ls47. They m by way of Pitsbug, taking a steamer
thence tt Greensboro, KY, and then by stage a twodays rde-so miles
to the cave.
The hotel is here o practically a it vas then, and n car easily be-
ieve that no new furniture has been added.
From 1910 to 1870 scarcely a person If note the living but visited the
cave-t was a sort of finishing ouch to mes education, and people who
could not talk interigently of Niagara Falls and the Mammoth ave had
n standing in polite society.
Everett gave lectures at Harvard o the Mammoth cave Webster gave
a great speech at the " in 1854, and Emerson in his message several
times refes to his visit here, telling of the fish that have n o eyes to see
Barnum brought Jenny Lind here, anshe sat in a stalagmite chair that is
10Y proudly pointed out by the guide
From the year 1850 to the breaking out of the war in 1861, there were
held over 800 conventions If learned societies, college alumni and gath
erinys of prominent people from all over the world.
1t is worth while to nde the stern fact that ven the wonders of ere
alton do not attract any special attention until SOM advertising agent
gets rusy. The railroads really make Niagara Falls go. They are adver
Using it continually as a continuous performance, and filing people with
a desire to g there, then transporting them for a consideration.
In 1869 the man who owned the Mammoth cav died, and since then the
I'VE hs been a orphan. There were thirteen heirs scattered in different
cities throughout the United States, all valiant booze fighters, intent OF
spending the bountiful income that wa forced upon them from this mag
nfcntp paying property. Every person who went into the ca paid 50
for the privlege-t was a monopoly. People would come, of courses there
vas 40 oher ave to go to.
But soon the people ceased to come. The advertising maj vas dead.
Humanity slipped back into indifere nee. They forgot to think of caves
Of gently poopoohed them.
Caves are not necessary to human happiness. Caves are not necessary
until o la by astute advertising fills Ut with the desire to set them
cave, and for a week it was the capital of the United States. But has
Teddy yer been theres Not exactly, Tor have any of his cabinet and l
doubt me much if Grover Cleveland YER heard of the place.
The adverthig nan is dead That la who managed the Mammoth
IA in the good old days WAS an pathological specimen worth while.
He used to have folks lost in the ca and searching parties would go
to find them. To properly impress his patrons-for ne vas a psychologist
women in trousers and short skirts, and around the edges of the skirts
were tiny bells that tinkled as the fair ones walked. This vas so you
could find her if she got lost, or didn't The caps he provided were very
fetching. And IS for the mems garb, it vas sufficiently hdeous to be in