The herald., 1911-06-15
Bv ELIZABETH WEED

/
| that there isn't anybody reads EN-"
"If people didn't read them. Mr.
Hobson, the periodicals and newspa-
pers would have to close up
II say people don't read 'em, and
that's all there is about it I'm busy;
get out o here"
II see, Mr.. HObsOn, that | can't do
any business with you without first
proving to you the value Of what
have TO SELL / will give you an ad-
vertisement free for that purpose.
Kindly mention the name Of some ar
ticle you have for sale"
"Oh. take our preserved ginger and
| let me alone. I've more important
work on hand than staving off solicit
| tors"
Several days later Mr.. HObson motto
| ed that his mail was much larger than
usual. The first letter he opened con-
| tanned an advertisement cut from a
newspaper Of Hobson's prepared gin
ger Mr.. HobSon first read the letter
| inclosing It:
Dear Sir-I would call your attention to
| the fact that ginger does not grow on
trees. especially In northern climates. II
is a root and is Indigenous to tropical
| countries. Yours respectfully,
MARIA L. WILBUR,
Principal Of the High School.
Mr.. Hobson glanced at the ad. with
surprise and vexation. 1t read as fol
| lows:
Our ginger is growed especially for US
| in Norway, picked from the trees and
cured on the spot. There amt no ingre-
dents in It that would hurt a baby. It's
all carefully peeled and put to soak IN
vinegar, after which it's boiled In lemon
Juice and put into jars. In this way we
Git a flavor that there amt no discount
on.
Mr.. Hobson colored and his eye fired.
He opened another letter:
Dear Sir-I have read your ad. and beg
leave to call your attention to the fact
that there is no peel on ginger. Yours
truly, MARGARET ASHLEY,
OF the Blakely Cooking School.
Other letters were as follows:
That ad. Of yours is a corker. don't
know anything about ginger, whether II
| Is from a Norway or a South American
tree; but. having a thorough knowledge
or the EnRllSn ldHsudSo, i sAouio ihS ~
| write your ads. for you.
In the inclosed advertisement you have
used the word "growed" incorrectly. II
should be grown"
This ad. is ridiculous. You might as
well try to get walrus fat out Of the Car
ibbean sea as to try for ginger In Nor
way.
Mr.. Hobson had opened and thrown
into the wastebasket hundred letters
from lawyers, doctors, housewives
merchants-indeed, all sorts Of persons
and was about to get at his daily
work when the postman came In and
unloaded another bundle. And such
was the case whenever a batch Of mai
was delivered. Mr.. Hobson was oblig
ed to open the letters lest he should
throw into the wastebasket something
of importance. The next day there
were but two or three comments on the
ad. and the day following none.
On the third day Dixon appeared
Mr.. Hobson faced him and said:
what do you mean by disgracine
my business by putting in that ad
about my preserved ginger? Only Al
ignoramus would have said what vol
did"
THE question is not as to the writ
ing of the ad. don't pretend t
know anything about ginger. | wished
to prove to you that ads. are read"
young man, I'm convinced that peo
pie do read ads. But I'd like to know
5 where you got your learning"
"Tm a college graduate"
"Well, all I've got to say is tina
they'd better burn down the colleg
where you graduated. A college grad
uate as don't know any more than yo'
about ginger and how to write com
!, mon language had better put his hea'
to soak"
j ''If you are convinced that advertise
ments are generally read and will Civ
> me an order you can write the mex
ad. yourself"
"You bet I'll write it myself. l don
5 want no more such wrong informaticl
: and bad writin' about my goods. Sc
. down there a few minutes and I'll tall
e to you"
; Dixon set" awhile, but 1t paid him
He left the store with thousand do
\ lar order for advertisements. An
e Hobson was convinced from the sud
den dropping of Of the letters he ha
r received about the test ad. that advel
. tisements must be repeated to be o
value. The order was continuous.
The business thus gained proved tn
, foundation for large clientele tina
was very profitable to Dixon. Cor
Z stantly out In the air he grew rugge
e and well to do at the same time. TIL
n ingenuity he displayed in getting Hot
v son & Co.'S business was developed i
other directions, so that it was no
o long before he had all he could atten
to. Finally having established hi
J health he gave up his calling and r.
sumed his chair at the university.
The Thieves Were There.
A former mayor of New York receiy
ed letter one day, apparently from
} citizen properly indignant. saying tina
there was a notorious resort 70
thieves and vagabonds at the corner O
Center and Leonard streets. The may
or passed on the complaint to the chic