The Waterbury Democrat., 1933-12-14
In New York
BY PAUL HARRISON

1 aDOuL Ine sentiment IHdFkeL lHiS year, though they're not sure that
 their own prosperity is sign of
 generally better times. The fact is that the sending out of an unusual
 ly large number of Christmas cards
 Is an indication that fewer gifts
 are being exchanged.
 Lots of well-wishers are com
 promising this season-mailing
 gift cards" which cost from S1 to
 $2 each, and look it. Etchings and original water co.ors mostly, and
 suitable either for inconspicuous framing or for saving to send on
 to some other friend next year
 The sentimental and religious re-
 naissance continues. Repeal wise
 cracks and depression gags are
 finding favor only for New Year greetings.
 About the only touch of l mOdernity in Christmas cards
 is in the depletion of mOth- l CTS; instead of snowy -halrcd, bc-shawled old ladies, they're | shown as trim and charming matrOns.
 Tho Idea'S Young
 CT than you'd guess. Back in l
 Henry Cole had an artist named Horsley design Yuletide folder for him. and sent out scores Of them. These first Christmas cards are collectors items now. The
 ones which have turned up bring about $250 each.
 The Idea has grown until today
 there are dozens of manufacturers
 in the United States doing a total annual business of some $75,000- | 900. and maintaining an associa- tion with headquarters in New
 York. They deal in all kinds of
 cards, of course, from Easter to
 Thanksgiving, from Thank You for Your Gracious Hospitality to Condolences on Your Approach ing Visit to the Dentist" There also are cards wishing avaitors
 happy landings, cards congratu-
 lating great-grandmo others on their Don't You Come. up and See Me Sometime?
 Source of Sentiment
 Where does all this amazing diversity of sentiment come from? It's all ground out by professional and free-lance writers with a
 knack for boiling a thought down to a few words. New York pub- fishers receive hundreds of patches of sentences and stanzas every |week, cull out more than 09 per cent and pay for accepted mater ial at the rate of 25 to 50. cents Q line. Each of the creative depart ments" has an expert whose job is spotting .plagiarisms. He has to have read all the greeting cards ever printed, as well as practically all the poetry. famous and ob- scure.
 Gagsters We'll Paid
 There are a lot of people. though, who make a very good living com posing greeting and congratula- tions and such. One woman in Yonkers N. Y.., earned $500 in one year as Q professional senti- mentalist. Before J. F.. McEvoy became so well known, he drew $10. 900 a year for three years from a
 concern in Minneapolis. McEvoy specialized in jokes and puns, and some of his numbers" are still selling by the thousands. After leaving the ''mush factory" he crashed in all over again by writ ing a novel ana some snort StOrleS poking fun at the greeting card business X. The biggest figure in the game today is Edgar Guest.
 The firm that has an exclusive contract for the greeting card rights to his verses pays him a
 huge retainer and royalty each year.
 People keep sending in new ideas. One fellow who had been in the Orient proposed printing
 cards for the Chinese in this Coun- try to send back to friends in the
 land of their ancestors. Two of
 his snappiest numbers were Con dolences on the Beheading of Your Respected Parent" and Congrat-
 ulations on Your Safe Deliverance From the Looting of your Hon.
 ored City" .@