Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1908-01-24

est country, the most wonderful soil,
such advertising in among hundreds
of similar ads, to my notion, is of
small value. 1t confmses the reader.
If you are one of the hundred COM
munities which have the only best
soil on earth" why should anxious
reader" select you and neglect the
other 80? If Van Tooter's cocoa IS
advertised more than all other CO.
coas combined, you are apt to drink
It, But II each and every house in
towns bears a sign of some other
cocoa as the best. why should you
select Van Tooter's?
While such advertising OF a COM
munity is not all wasted and is
bound to brink you your pro-rata
share of the total results, ] believe
that the better way is 10 utilize the
space not TO advertise your special
advantages, or tell the whole story,
but to attract the eye and secure the
names OF possible settlers.
BE Truthful-Don't Lie-Don't Over
state.
After you thusly secure the names,
Il is up TO the commercial body to
go after the inquirer to draw him
out, then draw him on, and finally
draw him in. To answer his inquiry
and putting all other letters aside for
tho moment, answering his with your
whole soul, answering his every ques-
tion. Bat truthfully. Don't lie.
Don't overstate things. To illus
trate: one OF our Eugene men Is
said TO have made $3.50 an acre last
year in cherries. l advertise II in
lmy literature as "over $500" Isn't
that big enough from land that cost
him so? (Not 80 cents, but 80 dol
lars.) When my correspondent final
ly lands in Eugene, make II a
point to have him meet Mr.. Cherry
raiser. He gets him to one side
where Mr.. Booster can't give him
the wink, and he whispers In his ear:
How much did you make in cher
ries?" Mr.. Clergyman, not know
ling my modesty, answers: "750."
That's where Mr.. Newcomer drops
dead. And he tells the president
OF your club that the manager Is q
chump from Chumpyille, Kansas.
And the president says; Chess, "
and forthwith doubles the managers
salary. See the point?
The FOIlow-up Letters.
Secondly, confess TO being a
heretic in my disbelief in follow-up
letters. / know some of you dis
lagree with me. Some of you will
say: my, but his mother had fool
ish ehildrenl" But nevertheless,
have been pestered by the famous
follow-up letters and lit many a dear
little fire with them. Read them
Not on your spectacles. After some
fellow had inyeigled me into buy
ing a dozen Havana Stinkadoras for
a hard-earned dollar. making me be-
lieve / was cutting out the poor re-
taller, and after ! had smoked one
and given eleven to my worst friends
his follow-up letter made me just
love that man. IL kept reminding
me OF that dollar. And every two
weeks / would get another letter and
ii made my janitor tired emptyng
the wastepaper basket. No wonder
poor janitor died of a broken back,
No, / think that one good. whole
souled letter will be an opening
wedge and IL has been my custom 20
follow that up, not with urgent ap-
peals TO please-come-west, but with
catchy, novel publications, which
gradually convince him that II he
stays any longer in the country OF
icicles. he ought TO be placed in the
foOlish-hOuse.
We keep putting II up TO him. We
have written him; maybe he has an
swered and asked more questions,
which We have again answered in a
heart-tO-heart-way but whether he
answers or not, We keep putting the
facts before him which eventually
break his heart for staying east so
long. while Gods country is still
yearnlng for him.
Believes In Pictures.