Part 3

“Mind moves matter.” Therefore exercise your mind to advertise so as to stir the gray matter of the brains of the people and affect their pocket-books.

Good goods will sell to good people constantly. Poor goods only once. Don’t let people say, “after having praised their wine they sell us vinegar.”

“There is no lock but a golden key will open it,” except that of the people’s pocket-book. First class ads will do this with golden results. When people think they want a thing, they do want it and they get it.

To be prominent anywhere one must have marked characteristics. So it is with an advertisement in the crowded columns of newspapers and magazines; in order to produce the best results it must be clear, definite, conspicuous and fresh. Is yours of this character?

Free.

There’s the catch word of all humanity. Fifty years ago it was the most potent word in the language, and all the advertising experts who have developed since have not succeeded in devising one to succeed it.

Look over the papers which are read by the simple country folk, and note how that word stands out all over them. The article advertised goes in agate type below it. The particulars about what stamps or coins must be sent to secure the “free” article, go in minion. The ad. may occupy but an inch, and half of the inch may consist of the one word “Free,” but the advertising evidently pays if continuance signifies profit.

One sometimes wonders where the crop of gold brick victims constantly comes from, where the green goods men continually find patrons, and why confidence men grow more numerous as their wiles become better advertised. There is a greater crop of “Free” victims growing somewhere. It is hard to believe that anyone answers a “Free” ad. twice, but this class of advertising grows and prospers. This is a large country, and the boys who are growing up must all learn by experience what their fathers learned likewise. No youth seems content to be taught in any other way. It looks as if there was no danger of any lack of advertising to teach them.--Exchange.

The Old Story.

A man generally knows his own business well enough to make money out of it. When he attempts another business he finds that some other fellow has learned that business better than he has, evidently. Few men ever learn enough about more than one business to make both or all of them pay.

Profitable Catalogues.

Mr. John Lynn, of 48 Bond St., New York is a successful dealer in novelties; his catalogue is very attractive.

Another successful dealer is Chas. E. Marshall, Lockport, N. Y. His catalogue is a winner.

Montgomery Ward & Co., Chicago, do the largest mail order business in the world. Their catalogue is quite a large volume in itself.

Gets One on Depew.

This is one of the stories about Chauncey M. Depew and a railroad pass that is being told nowadays in local railroad circles.

The president of the Waupaca and Nishna Railroad company went to see the mild-mannered president of the Vanderbilt system.

“What can I do for you?” Mr. Depew asked, letting the smile he uses on such occasions have full swing at the visitor.

“I dropped in to see you, Mr. Depew, to ask for an exchange of courtesies. I am the president of the Waupaca and Nishna Railroad company. I would like to have a pass over your road and will extend the same courtesy to yourself over my road.”

Depew looked thoughtful for a minute. Then he said:

“Where is your road?”

“Why, it’s out in Wisconsin.”

“Is it rated in Poor’s manual?”

“Oh, yes, indeed; we paid a nice dividend last year.”

“Strange. I never heard of your road. How long is it?”

“We are operating sixty-seven miles this year.”

“What, sixty-seven miles, and you call that an exchange of courtesy, and the Vanderbilt system has its thousands of miles?”

Depew assumed his most cavalier air as he launched that question at the head of the president of the Waupaca and Nishna and then he waited for a reply.