Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1920-03-16
|ENGuSH CUSTOM
N ADVERTISEMENTS
ODD AND PICTUREsQUE-ENG-
LISH HAVE SENSE OF HUMOR.
ALSO ODD AND PICTUR-
ESQUE
ARTICLE XXIII.-By j. H. Bim.


The difference between England
and the United States impresses
itself upon the traveller in many
ways. No feature of daily life con-
tributes more to the impression than
the signs and advertisements. Not
only are almost all the brands of
goods used here different from those
at home but the attitude of the ad-
vertiser is different. He wishes to
give the impression that he conducts
an old and exclusive business rather
than young and hustling one. That,
l suppose, is the reason why one shop
and factory out of four sports the
royal arms and the announcement
Makers by appointment to His
Majesty the King. Established
1912" We eat one of the many
kinds of marmalade which his
majesty has appointed, and find that
he has very good taste.
English advertising started in the
good old days when not one person
in ten could read. Consequently
some figure or totem was hung up in
place of placard. This is the origin
of such delightful names as "Ye Olde
Mill Inne," "Ye Blue Boar Tavern .
'Ye White Harte,' and many more
A picture of a mill, or the stuffed or
carved head of a board or deer ac-
tually hung in front Of the building
UHurtunately, this picturesque old
custom has almost disappeared be-
fore the invading hests of education
The signs are usually furnished
gratis. in case of public houses, by
breweries, and merely read, "The
Old Mill. Jinks's Ale and Stout" A
few of the old signs fortunately re-
main. saw one not long ago in
Reading boar's head, whether
originally blue or not I cannot say.
l am not one of those who main
tain that the English have no sense
of humOr. / have heard too many
good jokes over here to believe that
for moment, and / consider
Punch" the most humorous maga-
zine published. But l must admit
that it is mystery to my American
mind why the English people do not
burst with laughing at some of the
signs they hang up.
On the English railways cord or
chain runs through all the carriages,
to be used by either passengers or
conductors to signal to the engineer
to stop the train in case of accident.
In all the trains belonging to one
railway company is the sign. do Not
Spit" and directly below it, "In Case
of Emergency Pull the Chain to Stop
the Train never heard of an
American railway SO obliging.
The manufacturers of Bovril, a
meat extract, have large blue and
white signs posted in the railway
stations all over England with just
the one word. "Bovril." on the sign.
Two Americans were once on their
way from Liverpool to London; one
looked out of the window as the train
stopped.
"What station is this?" the other
asked.
"Bovril," he answered, "but
can't find it on the may"
The butcher is very important
person in this meat-eating country,
and he has his own ideas about the
dignity of his calling. The mere
title, butcher" does not satisfy him.
Ours advertises himself as a Pork
and Family Butcher" which sounds
to me like confession of murder.
Another is "Purveyor Of Pork. :"
while one very enterprising man has
a large sign on his slaughter house.
"Piggot's Bacon Factory" We have
been getting a lot if this synthetic
bacon recently. and I suppose that is
where 1t comes from.
One trade is bad enough. but
where some gifted workman has two
strings to his bow the combination Is
often amazing In Basingstoke there
is a sign which reads. Scientific
Chimney Sweeper and Humane Horse
Slaughterer."
All these advertisements are at
least capable Of being figured out.
But what would my readers say was