davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
The Right Way to Write Letters
BY@ Sherwin COdv E------7
author of the Cody System Write Letters That Pull

personal solicitation, and so Judge the
best method of. appealing.to the aver
age man. =: - s:','':' ~ :.:>.:., =.
A pulling: letter must start with
something that will fix the attention
of the customer SO he won't throw the
letter in the waste-basket. This does
not need to be freak statement.
Nothing is better than some phrase
that exactly touches an existing need;
such, for example, as Letters That
Pull" at the head of a letter to inter-
est customers in an expert advertising
service. That phrase was worth thou.
sands Of dollars to me. =:
The letter should begin with clearly
stating the need of the customer as it
actually exists, so as to bring it WV
idly to his mind in such form that he
will recognize it.
Then you should demonstrate to his
reason just how you can meet that
need. If you state your case so he
will see that you have something he
has been waiting for he will be very
likely to believe you.
But to convince him you should
offer some sort Of proof. Then you
should tell him just exactly what to
do, even to saying Sign your name
here" Directions must be given to
the minutest detail, as many persons
act purely on instinct and there is al
ways tendency in human nature to
do as it is told. $500.
But more than anything else. the
thing that makes a person feel like
doing what you wish is your intense
enthusiasm, which will be contagious
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
HOW TO Write, A PULLING
il: LETTER.:

The "pull' in a letter is the skill
with which the mind of customer is
led along from the thing he already
knows and likes and has faith in to
the point where he feels that he must
have what you offer for sale...
The first requisite, therefore, in
writing pulling letter is to under
stand perfectly the mind of the Gus
toner. II you do not know what he al
ready thinks and feels, the precise
points on which he will compare what
you have to offer with competitive
offers, and what it is reasonable to ex-
pect him to do, you cannot hope to
succeed.
No letter writer can get this infor-
nation about the mind of the Gus
toner by sitting in his Office. He
ought to 60 out and see the customer,
talk with him, try to make sales by
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
CORRECT TITLES.

Some business men may say the
points I am now giving may be all
right for grammar school boy, but
they are not interested. The chances
are that they themselves are guilty Of
many little slips, just as in social in
tercourse their manners, are full of
little faults. They leave too much to
the stenographer. They ought to see
that the stenographer follows the
best form. 1t is all matter Of custom
and passing style; but it is well worth
while to be in the style, in business
letter writing as we'll as in social in.
tercourse.
Many American business houses
omit all titles, but it shows considera-
ton and politeness to insert mr." be.
fore the name of a man, Mrs" or
Miss" before the name Of woman.
and "Messrs." before a firm name. In
England 'Messrs." is inserted before
corporation name like "Messrs. Sys.
tenn Company" but we feel this is a
slight strain, little OVERRIDING of the
matter, and prefer "The System Com
pany," "The Illinois Trust and Savings
Bank" THE John Jones Company"
though we write, "Messrs. John Jones
& Co." (Observe that the short form OF
"and"- should invariably be used in
firm names, though in general corpora
ton names like illinois Trust and
Savings Bank" custom differs).
In writing to business house, q
woman should always indicate whether
she is married or single, but If she
fails to do so, and the business house
has no means of knowing her condi.
ton, 1t Is generally considered better
to omit the title rather than run the
risk of being ridiculous through using
the wrong one.
The address of the person or firm
written to should always follow on a
second line, and If it is long third
line should be used. General custom
indents these address lines from a
quarter of an inch to an inch, but some
business firms affect to write them
flush with the margin, in order to be
different and follow the latest fad.
There is no special objection to this,
but it is not likely to become estab-
lished usage.
A comma should follow the name,
and after the entire address the best
usage places a period, though I myself
think logical considerations require a
semi-cOl0n.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
By: SherWin Cody

with small letter, and some business
houses write it. that way. Here. isAa
point where fde antique usage seems
to stick, however, and I myself have
gone back to capitalizing the werd,
though know that doing so is incon-
sistent with established principles
In a formal business letter Dear
Madam" (the English fo,m, not Ma.
dame the French form) is the correct
salutatton after all names Of women
("Dear ladies' is probably best for
the pluraD. Occasionally we see Dear
Miss" after names of single women,
but this is very poor style. A business
house is not supposed to know whether
a woman is young or old. II the writer
knows he is ADDRESSING young girl he
ought to use her name and write
Dear Miss JONES'" or in case of very
young girl he should use her given
name and write Dear Miss Ethel"
Business colleges are the principal
sinners in the use of the Objectionable
Dear Miss without the name.
When the person addressed is suff1-
GENTLY well known to the writer, the
name may be used in the salutation,
especially in the case of a woman,
since Dear Madam" seems considera-
bly, more formal than Dear Sir Ac-
cording to strict rules, the name and
address should then be transferred to
the end OF the letter, so as to avoid a
repetition at the beginning, but the
custom Of keeping the name and ad-
dress at the head Of the letter, even
when the name Is used in the saluta-
ton, is we'll established in the United
States.
The salutation should always be
written flush with the left-hand mar.
gin, and not indented, as some Of the
books show. 1ndenting the salutation
is antiquated usage, like Dear Sirs.'
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
lampton's Inventions.

w. J. hampton, the long, lank poet
from Kentucky, has two inventions of
which he is more proud than of his
most peculiar poetry. They are a
cinnamon splash-a drink that is worse
the next day than pink elephant whis-
ky-and toothpicks with punch.
II don't know why" explains. the
poet, that nobody else ever thought
of serving toothpicks TN punch. a
toothpick to a glass. How else can
you pick out the strawberries and
pineapple and cherries with which
they fill most punches here in New
York, I'd like to know?"-New York
Press.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
BE UP-TO-DATE IN
LITTLE DETAILS.

Nothing so quickly betrays ignor-
ance OF modern business usages as IT.
Irregularities in the little. details of ar:
rangement. capitalization and punctua-
ton of the formal parts of the letter.
They are like the cut Of the clothes Of
the city man as compared with those
OF the country man, or the manners Of
the person of education and breeding,
and the roustabout. In this case it is
not at all q matter of education, but
rather experience in business and lack
Of experience.
1t Is unfortunate that very many Of
the teachers in our business colleges
are profoundly ignorant on some of
these points, because the books they
use teach customs long since aban-
doned by the business world. For ex-
ample, the best American business
houses now use "Gentlemen" after a
firm name to the exclusion of Dear
Strs," though the latter is well estab-
nshed in England and Gentlemen is
looked on as barbarous American
ism. The salutat1on should be fol-
lowed by a colon, or colon and dash.
The colon alone is used by the most
careful and fastidious writer's, but the
head Of the commercial department OF
a great city high school was found to
be teaching the use of a semi-colon
after the salutanon because he found
this given In his textbook, though, "a
a matter of fact, any high-grade
American business house would dis.
charge stenographer who habitually
used a semt-colon instead Of a colon.
The public school teachers, who also
teach business letter writing in the
general school courses, are still more
completely ignorant Of the fine points
OF business usage. Social letter writ
ing is very free in it's style of writing
the date, placing the salutation, writing
the name and address, etc., and the
average school teacher is not aware
that very strict business etiquette
exists on these points. That is one rea-
son why our public school graduates
make such poor business letter writer's
when they get into Offices. -
Women, of course, represent the
more strictly social side of the com
hunity and are very fastidious about
their stationery. and the way they ar
range their notes and letters in every
detail; but either they do not know
that the business world has its fine eti
quette Of arrangement and punctuation
in letters, or they are ignorant of what
1t is, for the business letters of women
are usually a source of amusement to
the expert business correspondent.
During the coming week I shall try
to indicate some of the more important
points Of formal business usage.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
BOY HAD TRAVELLED BEFORE.

Ralph was crossing the ocean on a
big liner last year, and was having
a beautiful time learning all about
ropes and things and ships upon the
sea-" But all of a sudden one fine day
the boat stopped in mid-ocean. OF
course, every one was much surprised
and excited and began asking whats
the matter? What has happened?"
But Ralph, who was used to travel
ing, and had been all the way across
the American continent, was perfectly
serene and said calmly to the trou-
bled passengers:
"Oh, you needn't worry at all; it's
probably COW on the track!"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

as to balance itself very amusingly.
Get a piece of wood about two inches
in length, cut one end of it into the
form of a mans head and shoulders,
and let the other end taper of gradu-
ally to fine point, as shown in the
figure. Next furnish the little man
with waters, shaped like, oars, in.
stead Of arms, which waters may be
somewhat more than double the
length of his body. Insert them in
the shoulders and he is complete.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
CORRECT SALuTATlONS,

have already spoken of the fact
that while many books give Dear
Sirs' as the correct salutation after
firm names, and this is the well-estab.
lished usage in England, the best
American business houses now use
"Gentlemen" exclusively. Dear Sirs''
may be correct, but it is Anticipated, II
is the style of other years.
The rules Of modern capitalization
indicate that "Sir" should be written
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
Garbage in London Post Office.

Not always is the parcels post In
England a thing Of delight. Hunters
who shoot: woodcock and quail and
fishermen who have"a successful day
send the trophies of their sport to
friends at remote points on the little
island called Great Britain by parcels
post. In the holiday season, when
there is the vast mass before it can
be delivered, and: there. IL, a rush Of
garbage linen and garbage wagons to
clean It. out.-New>; York 4Pressx .<...-
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

Fuel 8riquettes Have Stood Test.
After several years of test and ex-
pertinent report has recently been
made by the United States Geological
Survey on. the subject of food bril-
quettes, which is exceedingly favor
able. In all tests the use of briquettes
seems to have increased the evapora-
tive efficiency of the boilers and gen.
orally decreased smoke density. The
report of the survey recommends the
use of briquettes in place of coal in
locomotive firing. .
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
Hygiene EXPOSITION.

In connection with the Fourth Latin
American Medical Congress an inter.
national hygiene exposition will be
held in Rio Janeiro in August, 1909.
There is every prospect that the expo.
sition will be a great success. Ar.
gentina, Bolivia; Chile, Ecuador, Peru.
Panama, Mexico, Uruguay, Cuba, eau.
temala and Paraguay: have already ap.
pointed co operating committees, With
other South and Central American
countries to follow, r..
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
RIDDLES FOR BOYS AND GIRL S

Why is the letter S like. thunder
It makes "our" cream sour" cream.
why are records brittle things? -.
Because they cannot be lowered
without breaking. .
!, Why, when you paint a mans por-
trait, may you be said to step into his
shoes?
Because you make his feet yours
(featnres).
When is coffee like soil?
When it is ground.
Why cannot person starye on the
beach in Atlantic City?
Because of the Sandwich" is
there.
Why is a cat which catches his tail
like 4 good manager?
Because he makes both ends meet,
" AoI I4dC "uANu We OIleu return
but never borrow?
Thanks.
When is young lady not a young
lady?
When she's sweet tart (sweet:
heart). ="
Why is clergyman's horse. like a
king?
Because he is guided by. minister.
Why is miser like one with short
memory?
He is always forgetting.
Why is a mailman like two men?
Because he is always beside him.
self.
What is that which cat has. but no
other animal?
Kittens.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
NICE COMP IkIENT FOR PAPA.
little Daughter Pretty Wayref -
pressing Appreciation Of oaddy's s.:
- ThouahtfuIness. - 3s = sSs5

i It was jqst four O'Clock, aPd fheiaxs
Epf the rising sun had began TO peep
over the Eastern hofizdn. The ia
stherZ had gotten up,to light the fires to
get The house harm, sand sneaked into
the little daughters bedroom to see
that she vas ven covered up. In
pulling the bed clothes up and tucking
them In, he aroused the sleeper. and
with half opened eyes, her face GOV.
cred with curls, she asked:
~ Il don't have to 90 to school yet,
+ do II"
No; NO; daughter replied the IA
ther. tits only four o'clock, Turn
!, over and 90 to sleep.".s xs~. T. u
=; Little curly head, with half open
eyes, pulled up, the covers and said:
you're the bestest papa l ever
had" - = i y
And who dares say that even such q
little Kindness, as letting your, uttls
girl sleep until daylight is not appre-
ciated? go:
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

Roosevelt Square Deal Oil Slickera
er or Goodyear Rubber Co., st. Paul, MINI.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

Diagram TOT Tres'oent Game.
place it lands in. A block that does
not reach the White House or any of
the four spaces around it does not
count anything.
Any number of points may be
agreed upon for the game, and the
blocks may be redistributed if de-
sired.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

Some men exercise as much imag-
ination on their own excellences that
they have nothing left but judgment
for the good in others.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
Not That Kind Of q Girl

Not That Kind Of 4 Girl.
Him-What> would you say IL I'd
kiss you? - ...,.
Her-Sir,> l. wish: you to understand
stl,at I'm too much Of a lady, to use
sulh language. Leader. y,
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

We buy cream. Write desk No. 3 for prices
CRESCENT CREAMERY CO., ST. PAUL
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

'8' II 's1S 'N''o 0Q0N' 60
lem here is to reduce the number of
squares to two only by the removal of
eight matches.
Fig. shows how this is accom-
plished.
AS the figure left forms the plan re-
quired for the puzzle previously de-
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
A>FAcER.
How It Happened.

How It Happened.
Dear me-" said the kind.bearted Pc
destrian, pausing and putting OF, hid
pince-nez, have you fallen through
that coal-hole?"
mot at ALL" replied the man, who
was still endeavoring to extricate q
leg from the hole, smiling winnfngiy.
LAS you seem interested in the matter,
I will tell you what happened. I
CHANGED to be in here, and they built
the pavement round me-"
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

Another Operation Avoided.
Chicago, Ill. ~ want, women to
know what that wonderful medicine,
Lydia E.. Pinkham's Vegetable Com
pound, has done for me. Two Of the
best doctors in Chicago said T would
die If I did not have an operation, and
I never thought of seeing a we'll day
again. I hada small tumor and female
troubles SO that 1 suffered day and
night. A friend recommended lydia
E. Pinkham's Vegetable, Compound,
and it made me well woman.
AA;L:vENA SPER1Na, II Langdon st.,
Chicago, III.
Lydia E. Pinkham's Vegetable Com
pound, made from roots and herbs.
has proved to be the most successful
remedy for curing the worst forms Of
female ills, including displacements,
Inflammation, fibroid tumors, irregu-
!arities, periodic pains, backache, bear
Ing down feeling; datulency, indiges-
ton, andnervous prostration. Itcosts
but q trf6e to try it, and the result
has been worth millions to many
suffering women.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

WE BUY CREAM-WRITE FOR PRICE
Miller & Holmes st. Paul, MINI.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

A true friend is one who makes u
do what we can.-Phelps.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

s you suffer from Fits, Falling Sickness,
my New DiscoverywfllFe lievo them, and aliyor
are asked to do is send for FREE Bottle Of
DR.. Mays Epilepticido Cure.
II mas cured thousandSw where everything else
failed. Sent free with directions. Exnreaa
Prepaid. Guaranteed-by May Medical Lab
oratory, under the National Food and Drugs
Act, June 30th, 1905. Guaranty No. l0o7l,
Please give AGE and full address.
DR.. W. II. NAY.
DO Pearl Street, New York Cify.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
WHAT'S:
Your Health Worth?

You start sickness by mistreating nature
and It generally shows first in the bowels
and liver. A 1oc box (week 8 treatment)
OF CASCARErS viii help nature help
you. They will do more-using them
regularly a. you need them-than any
medicine On Earth. Get q box today:
take cASCARET tonight. Better In
the morning. It's the result that makes
millions take them. ga
cAscARETe roc q box for 4 weeks
treatment. al drugKists. Biggest seller
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

OF the 147,000,000 Of Russia's pop.
ulation 100.000.000 are peasants.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

A brother 10 4 mirror that never
matters.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

Shake into Your Shoes
Aliens Foot Ease, a powder for your feet.
1t cures painful, swollen, smarting, sweat
ing feet. Makes new shoes easy. Sold by
all Druggists and Shoe Stores. Don't &C.
cept any substitute. Sample FREE. Ad-
dress A. s. Olmsted, Leroy, N. 7.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
Losing His Mind


Mother, guess you d better send for
tn DOCTOR gasped Uncle Charlie
seaver, as he sank into chair and
rocked back and forth, holding his
gray head.
"Sakes alive, We haven't been an
got tn misery in yer he'd, have We, ST.
las?" gasped his astonished wife.
doping pie tin.
II don'no what tn matter, but i've
alwus had bunch my mind'd go some
time. It's cum, guess. l noticed tn
trouble fust last week when plum for.
got to go up and swear of tn 500 as.
sessment till it was too late Then I
neglected to 60 to tn school meetin'
last night to fight agin the new CON-
missioner. But wuss and wuss. I
didn't guess within eleven pound and
seven ounces the weight of Wal Wea-
ver's big hog killed to-day. guess
my mind has gone all right. I'm
about all in."-Puck.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14

Fig. 2.-Two Squares Left.
scribed of the lake, island and bridge,
the latter may conveniently follow
in demonstration.
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
A LITTLE FIGURE BALANCER.

A little figure may be made on the
principles of the foregoing trick, so
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
CORRECT FORMS OF BEGINNING
BUSINESS LETTER3.

Business letters are usually written
on printed heads, which include thu,
address of the concern from which the
letters come. Some firms affect the
omission of the town, giving only the
street address, as on social noteheads,
and then write in the name of the town
on the typewriter with the date: but
this often leads to errors. The date
should be written close to the address
line, and relatively high on the letter
head, not several lines below, as some
stenographers fall into the habit of
doing.
The short form of writing the date,
as "2-10-09" is suitable only for notes
within the business house, and when
used in general correspondence gives
the impression of an abrupt, boorish
manner, as if the firm wouldn't afford
the time to have the date written
properly. -. 49,;
The correct way Of writing the date
is as follows:< March 16, 1909" Writ
ing the month in full is little better
form than to abbreviate it. The day
of the month should not be followed
by "th,' nd" or the like, and it is alb
solutely wrong to write 10TH" with a
period after the letters, since the form
is not technically an abbreviation but
rather symbol or short form O;
writing. Nothing is saved by abbre
Waiting the year to '*'09," and it looks
hurried and discourteous.
The name and address of the person
or firm addressed are usually placed
at the head of a business letter, and
should begin flush with the left-hand
margin, the address being on a second
and sometimes even on a third line
each line after the first ! being some
what indented from the left-hand mar
gin.
Some stenographers crowd the name
| close up to the printed head, and some
drop it down almost to the middle OF
the page. A sense OF proportion
should be used. If the letter is very
short, the name and address should be
dropped down three or four lines: but
if the printed head is large, and the
letter long, the name should not be
dropped more than one line.
Margins should be nicely proper.
toned both at left and right. This can
always be done on the typewriter by
setting the line stops just right. :; A
margin Of a full inch to an inch and a
half, making the body of the letter
about six inches wide on the ordinary
letterhead for letters of average
length, is about right, but very short
letters, or those in elite type, should
have still wider margins.
Copyright 1909, by Joseph B. Bowles. J
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-14
SQUARES ) lilllli MADE Of MATCHES. Is
How Trick That At. Flint Seems In
usually Hard Can Easily Be E
= Accomplished. -, * -

With "a matches disbosed ;as lin
Fig. !, form nine squares. The prob: