Arizona republican., 1914-12-21
INCREDUL|1y
Of THE PUBLIC
W. j. Kingsburv Tested 1t
and Proved a Theory by
Offering $40 Gold Pieces
at a Discount to Different
People.

W. ]. Kingsbury of Tempe was talk
ing about fakes and fake advertise
ing and the consequent incredulity of
the people The conversation grew out
of the advertisement for several years
nj the Casa Iona hotel at Tempe of
which Mr.. Kingsbury is the owner, that
on any DAY when the sun didn't shine
there A"uld be no charge to the guests.
There was some difficulty in convinc-
ing the public uf the genuineness of the
hotels cffer. ConN CrsatiOn ON this sub
ject was provoked 'ast Saturday by The
third day in the salt River valley, tnis
wear when the sun was ashamed TO
show his face to a surprised, bewild-
cred and outraged people, made up of
old residents. new ones and tourists
who had been brought here by the rep
utstion of the climate for aridity.
The unwillingness of the public to
accept the Casa Iona advertisement at
its face value, left Mr.. Kingsbury to
remark to the cashier of his bank that
one could not sell $40 gold pieces at a
discount. The cashier with more faith
in humanity thought otherwise. Ac
cordingly Mr.. Kingsbury caused TO be
inserted in a conspicuous place in the
Normal Student, the organ of the Tenn
pc Normal school. the announcement
that his bank would sell $40 gold pieces
for Si9 II was stated at the same time
that some of them were off color
slightly and others were worn. The
milled edges were not quite as distinct
hoy xx-ba from the
mint.
In preparation for the rush, the
cashier picked out sixty of the most
worn pieces and those that were of
particularly dark or particularly light
color and threw them into an unpre
possessing looking pasteboard box. Two
days elapsed before there was any re-
spouse to the advertisement and then
man came in apologetically and in
quired regarding the bargain sale of
$50 gold pieces The cashier showed
out the box. saying: You will notice
that they are slightly off color and
somewhat worn but you may take your
choice tor $19." the man sorted them
over, hesitated and picking out one, he
said. This looks all right" He fished
out $40 and when he left the bank the
cashier saw him go to store across
the street and when the proprietor of
the store that afternoon sent in his de-
post. it included that $40 gold piece.
That was the beginning and the end
Of the rush produced - that advertise
ment.
Speaking of Casa Iona inducements,
Mr. Kingsbury said that when he was
paying more attention to the manage
ment of rhe hotel than he has lately
zen doing. he made one proposition
that he thought would be fetching. The
mosquitoes had been very bad and night
life was hardly worth living for those
who wanted to sleep cut of doors. A
friend of Mr. Kingsbury, who had late
IL returned from the Panama canal
zone where he had observed the sanl-
tary operations of Colonel Gorgas, told
Mr. Kingsbury about the elimination of
The mosquito Mr.. Kingsbury asked if
that could be accomplished in Tempe.
His friend told him how it could be
done and the matter was taken up with
the city council with the result that
-
Tempe.
IL was then that Mr.. Kingsbury
caused public announcement to be
made that if any guest of the Casa
Iona was bitten by mosquito While
sleeping on one of the porches of the
MOTEL, there would be no charge for his
lodging the following day. No guest
eyer claimed a refund
None of them probably were bitten,
but there was condition attached to
the proposition that perhaps would
have prevented guests from putting in
claims. The guests who should com
plain of having been bitten were II
they were males, required to show 10
the lady manager of the hotel the loca-
ton and extent of the depreciation OF
the mosquitoes. II the guests were Ia
dies they were required to satisfy Mr.
Kingsbury that their claims were not
unfounded.