Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1913-02-07
old TRADEMARKS.
Identifying Devices Used Hun
dreds of Years Ago.
WERE CRUDE, BUT EFFECTIVE.

| Origin Has Been Traced to the Runio
81 Characters of the Early Norsemen In
Connection With Their Religious
Worship.
The origin of trademarks and their
development to their present wonder
full ramifications into all departments
of trade, commerce and manufacture.
ing are among the most interesting
features of our civilization.
Not everybody probably is aware
that long before the generally recog-
nized trademark came into use there
was a system of private marks which
dates back to very early times. These
private marks were the progenitors, as
it were, of the trademark.
THE private or personal mark had II
long and interesting history, says 4
bulletin of the United States Trade
mark association. Probably the most
familiar form Of the personal mark is
that still found on ancient documents,
w
and serving as a signature, appears
the we'll known cross sign as between
the first and last names.
This use of the cross as a personal
mark goes back to the time when
handwriting was a fine art practiced
only by the favored few, and when
seals containing some distinctive mark
were used on legal and other docu-
ments to identify the writer or the
Signer.
But the use of personal marks goeSi
back to more remote period than
that just referred to. 1t has been
traced to the runic characters OF the
early mortimer in connection with
their religious worship. These runic
characters, or "runes,' used also as Il
means of augury. were. parallel
straight lines, usually vertical or an
gular, impressed upon the wooden
amulets on which they were employed.
With the advance Of civilization the
sacred character of these runes disap-
peared, and they came to serve in Il
very modified form as distinguishing
marks for property of various winds.
In England they survived as land
and immortal marks to Il comparatively
recent date. With them the English
woman marked also his sheep, cattle
and his personal goods. FROM the sim
pie form of the early Morse runes they
now came to crudely represent objects
of everyday life, such as the oven, an
arrow, pothook and the like. "A
The same idea in more elaborate form
is found in the marks which the ma
sons and builders cut into the walls Of
English churches and abbeys of the
period. EH
The use Of property marks was not
however, confined to Europe. Among
the Arabs of northern Africa many evil
4 dences of their use have been found OH
stone pillars, walls, rocks, well rurbs
and tombStones or wherever 1t was
necessary to assert Il claim to the adj
iacent pasturage or water courses. The
Arabs marked Also their camels and
their other animals with brand show
i ing their personal mark. The mark
was simple, usually consisting Of
straight line terminating in a circle
and crossed in many instances by
shorter lines. .--.,.
Among the EskimoS Of Alaska the
use of property marks seems to have
been regulated by law. They were ex-
tensively used and are found almost
exclusively on weapons used in hunt
ing large game, which, after being
hurled. remained in the body of the
victim for the purpose Of identifying
the killer. In this way whales were
often hunted with harpoons having no
line attached. In case the dead whale
drifted to some distant island the name
of the owner was revealed by his
mark on the harpoon, and he was noti-
fed of his capture. The law regulating
the killing of sea offers provided that
when more than one arrow was found
in the dead animal the game should be-
awarded TO him whose arrow was
nearest the head, his claim being at
tested by his mark on the weapon. The
marks we're Of simple design, usually
consisting of crossed lines, often IN the
form of a Y, though more elaborate
ones occur. Each boats crew, family
or village group seems to have used q
single mark.
A somewhat later development OF tho
idea underlying the use Of property
marks and one which must have had
no small influence on their subsequent
employment as trademarks was the
custom of affiXing seals to public docu-
ments as sign Of authenticity. Orig
inally used by both private citizens and
public officials, the use Of seals now
survives only a means of attesting no.
tarial and corporate signatures and or
state documents. ,, .,
In England the use Of seals was prob
ably introduced by the Normans and
became very general after the conquest
tloDo'"n 'nf:~ a. :el. .p s", j ,j4
.''
Sure Proof.
| .urhov ramind me in their interDreta-