The Yale expositor., 1908-06-12
THE ESSENCE OF ADVERTISEMENT
BY DON MARK LEMON
Copyright. by shOrtstory Pub. Coz

porium were in consultation. There
was a third party TO the consultation,
a dapper little bald-headed gentleman
who, an hour before, had introduced
himself as Z. Dodge, the inventor of a
new perfume called The Essence OF
Advertisement, which article he
sought to introduce into a few select
stores in San Francisco.
The proprietor and the general man.
ager had heard the little inventor out
without showing him out. Indeed, they
had listened with growing interest to
his dissertation on the value of The
Essence of Advertisement, and had
agreed to order heavy consignment
of the perfume, should the sample
prove a complete success.
The little inventor-demonstrat was
all confidence. Uncorking quart bot
tie of the essence, he went through the
store and sprinkled the counters with
a slight quantity of the stuff He also
dashed some upon the threshold of the
emporium doors and against the large
plate glass windows without, as well
as on the sidewalk itself, for, strange
to say, the essence was not to be sold
over the counter but was to be
sprinkled about the bazaar.
The fluid was as colorless as water,
yet as fragrant as white violets, and
soon the emporium was pervaded with
its delicious penetrating odor.
you see, gentlemen" explained the
little demonstrators, "all matter is
spirit and all spirit is matter. Or, in
other words, all things both physical
and spiritual are one in their final
element, and matter can be changed
into spirit and spirit into matter. This
Essence of Advertisement is material
lied thought. BY a certain secret
process collect the advertising
thought of number Of men of adver-
Using genius and force these thoughts
into the perfume of violets, somewhat
as gases are charged into natural min
eral waters, and breath of this pre-
pared perfume, when drawn into the
lungs, acts precisely the same upon
the person inhaling ii as a column of
choice advertisements would act upon
that person. Thus, by sprinkling the
essence upon the counters and before
the doors of the bazaar, every man
and woman who comes within inhaling
distance of the perfume is strongly in
clined to purchase-and purchase
heavily-those goods which you have
on sale, exactly as one would be
moved to purchase those goods imme-
diately upon reading some mastery
written advertisement By evening
your sales will attest in fat figures the
perfect truth of my assertions"
The proprietor drew a deep breath
Of the delicious violet fragrance, and
patting the little inventor on the back,
beamed graciously.
1--WE shall see," he said. 1--WE shall
see."
The cashier was perhaps the first
that day to be aware of a sudden and
excessive increase of trade at Cope
lands dry goods emporium. Money
poured into his Office, not by the dimes
and dollars but fives and twenties-a
stream of gold-for in California coin.
not paper, is still the everyday cur
rency-ran towards the rear of the
bazaar along the change" wire, and
returned stream of silver. The coun-
tiers were crowded with buyers, though
no special bargains were on sale, and
it seemed that every one who passed
before the great show windows of the
store stopped to admire, then hurried
in to buy.
Soon the tills were emptied of silver
change, and the manager was called
up and notified to that effect. He i'm
mediately reported to the proprietor
the happy state of affairs.
Beaming like sunbeam in clover
and dew, the proprietor received the
news, rubbed his hands, patted the
manager on the shoulder, and without
word of notice increased that gen.
tleman's salary a hundred dollars a
month
ut was the Essence of Advertise
ment that did the trick!" the manager
felicitated himself. What a lucky
stroke it was that listened to the lit
tie inventor and didn't turn him away,
as / was about to do"
The clerk sent out for that purpose
brought in two large sacks of silver
change, yet the cashiers office barely
got through the day without sending
for more silver, so heavy were the aft
ernoon's sales.
ooh. what delicious fragrance OF
violet" exclaimed a certain lady
patron, typical of all the bazaar's pa
irons, and turning to the solicitous
salesman she ordered a dozen silk
shirtwaists, whereas she had visited
the store intending to purchase but
one. What perfectly exquisite fra
grancel II reminds me of when l was
a happy, care-free little grill"
The next morning, when the in
ventor called to learn what success
had attended his essence, he was met
with wide-open arms. Policy would
have cautioned the proprietor and the
general manager to have received the