The New York herald., 1922-03-12

the ancient Spanish prisoner fraud
the various exploiters of rain making
machines and the pepper mills that
consumed ordinary limestone and
turned out precious stones and gold.
The authorities were never able to
convict Lewis G. Tewksbury of any
infraction of the then existing laws.
1t was back about 1890 and on until
1906 that Tewksbury flourished
Calmly looking over the records it is
found that he had much to learn from
many of the successful bucketeers of
to-day. He was something of a pio-
neer in his line, although, generally
speaking, his methods were founded
on ancient principles.
Originated Colored Soda.
In 1888 this extraordinary man sold
the small drug store that he owned
and operated in Manchester, N. H.,
and came to New York. He was a
man of imagination. In his pockets
when he arrived on Broadway was a
comfortable sum he had accumulated
as the originator of the colored soda
water. 1t was Tewksbury who first
conceived the idea of co1oring soda
water fiavors with the hue of the
represented fruit. He was something
of a sensation even before he came
to New York.
The drug store soda water fountain
was by no means an innovation then.
Neither was it the most common thing
in the country. But Tewksbury, with
his coloring schemes. made the soda
water fountain as necessary to the
drug store as quinine.
All that. however. is but introduc-
tory of the man. He arrived on
endless nerve and a firm resolve to
shine (socially and financially just a
little brighter than his neighbor. He
had soul above soda water.
He opened banking house at SO
Broadway and called on the public
to let him have it's spare cash. He
sought and enlisted financial backing
and thereupon dropped on New York
a barrage of skillful advertising that
aroused but did not satisfy curiosity.
His promises were somewhat vague,
but not so vague as to repel. There
was Just enough lure to his writings
to incite the reader to experiment
Pioneer in "Modern Methods"
He fitted out his offices In a manner
calculated to assure the timid. He
was one of the first to replace the
old cumbersome and unsightly roll top
desk with the smart fiat top. He was
one of the first to break away from
the old soggy letter record press.
He adopted all the new schemes of
office efficiency and there are none
who can deny that his methods Of
keeping books were wholly original.
Tewksbury, having little except him.
self to sell, proceeded to advertise HIM
self. He installed Mrs. Tewksbury
tthe first one) in magnificent house
at 29 West Seventy-second street, pur-
chased the fastest pacing and trotting
horses on the market-John K. Gentry
and Robert ]. being among them-and
acquired membership In the Consoli-
dated Stock and Petroleum Exchange
and the New York Produce Exchange.
He was a handsome and somewhat Inn
pressive chap, meticulous In his ad-
herence to the latest and most minute
law of fashion, and 1t is said OF him
that even the heads of the oldest and
most reliable firms in Wall Street
spoke Of him as the shrewdest and
most resourceful manipulation the
financial district had seen in years.
For a while his Seventy second
street house was one of his most valu-
able advertisements. it Is said to have
cost him 100000. Large crowds obeyed
his summonses to he entertained there
in order that they might behold the
ceilings, which were starry heavens.
and the walls which. where not orna-
rented with near-Corots and pseudo
pa Vincis, had become barbaric back
grounds for almost any sort OF a car
niyal setting There were marble ball
ustrades and fountains In that house
and tapestries that we're SO close to
the genuine as to deceive the amateur
collector.
Nothing quite like It had been seen,
although this is not meant to imply
that there were not richer but less
garish houses in the city. The house
was to Tewksbury what the electric
sign to-day is to other businesses.
Announced Himself on "Insidc."
In the newspapers Tewksbury as
sured the public that he was no ma
gician; that he did not have TO resort
TO black magic for his results; that
he could not promise to take a mans
SO and return $1,000 to him the fol-
lowing day. But he did say that he
could beat the market and that he was
on the inside Of oil, gold, silver, copper
and diamond mine deals and ventures,
and that If any reader desired to join
him and profit thereby such reader
should act promptly.
The word propaganda did not have
the wide significance those days II has
now. II Is wholly likely that Tewks-
bury did not call It propaganda, but
the fact remains that he resorted to
advertising methods that would to-day
be so classified. He utilized every
thing from billboards. handbills and
fiamboyant calendars to the most
staid Journals and the ltra-conserva-