vertisement was scarcely more than an announcement of runaway
apprentices, articles lost, auctions, and the hours of stage-coach
departures. Even after the great London fire of 1666 , the offer of
the London Gazette to publish the new business locations of those who had been burned out met with little response . It was long before the advantages of advertising were realized, — the advertiser was at first humble and obsequious in craving the patronage of those who read his announcement. Even
as late as themiddle of the nineteenth century he " solicits a call,” “ respectfully informs,” “ has the honor to announce,” and con siders that “ thanks are due his customers .” Not until about 1890 do we find the beginnings of the enormous volume of advertising matter that has threatened to overwhelm both periodical and
reader . The advertisement to-day, from the briefest " want ad ”
to the single and double page daily advertisement of “ big busi ness ” is the great instrument used for securing business. Every thing bought or sold is advertised , wants of every description are advertised, and it has apparently come to be generally accepted that the newspaper is the best medium for advertising a large number of well-defined classes of business.
Of this situation the newspapers themselves are quick to take advantage. They advertise their own supremacy as advertising
mediums and the extravagant claims of some are kept in check only by the sworn statements of audit bureaus of circulations.? They indicate in what lines of advertising they specialize and show
by figures, charts, and every form of graphic illustration that they lead all competitors in carrying the largest number of ad vertisements of art, automobiles, department stores, dry goods, finance, bonds and securities, foodstuffs , hotels and restaurants,
legal matters , lost and found articles , the publishing business ,
real estate, pleasure and health resorts , recreation and amuse ? It is interesting to note the early opposition to this check ,now universally welcomed by the press as one of its chief business assets and advertised by it as such . In 1869 a contributed article in the New York Nation opposed strongly the " advertisers' bill' introduced at Albany compelling newspapers
(but not magazines) to declare in each issue the number of copies printed of the preceding issue. - April 1 , 1869, 8 : 252.
3 Parke Godwin , connected with the Evening Post from 1836 to 1881, states that he originated the real estate advertisements in that paper. He went to the leading real estate dealers in New York City and induced the
