University of South Carolina Libraries
(Copyright 1007 by Henry O, Paganl.) A faco enough Uko Bismarck's to analto tho resomblanco startling, a ?lender, wiry, boyish figure topped by n white head, n manner soli-assured, lyot novor coarsely uggrcsslvo. There, din a nutsholl, ls tho personality of ono of tho most picturesque, Interesting flgures la all Now England-that of \V. JJ. Douglas, ox-Governor ot' Massachu setts. But it is not colony as ox-Oovernor, or Indeed 'is statesman ai all, that tho .world at largo knows Mr. Douglas, A quarter-mile of factories, a yearly out put of somothlng over three million pairs of shoos, ami a faco tliat looks out from tho advertising columns of eight thousand newspapers-Ihcso aro tho outward attributes that have made the namo of >v. L. Douglas so familiar | irom Maine to California. Tho story of the man who could make himself so woll known; his socrot of achievement, his lifo history and ids hints on business success will not only be of intoiost, but of prolU to every Claas of roador. For tho description of a hard climb, of u winning fight against circum stances amt tho "climber's" rules for victory aro always worth hearing. Tho world loves a lighter and takes ah in terest In his battles. And W. L. Douglas is a lighter, as even the most ?asnal student of human nature could g Dan from o?. glance at tho strong, prominent jaw. ibo level brows, tho linn sot of tho Ups. That cast of features soi Plsmarck to toppling European thrones. Tho same physiognomy (with a gentler mould of eye and mouth) hus caused Douglas to revolutionize business, to wring wealth from poverty and political power from "Newspaper advertising" ls his lifo motto in business. "First, bo .Mire you h?vo something worthy to advertise. Something just as good as you say lt i.s. Struggle to koop it as good, and then advertise it constantly. Tho newspaper ls tho Held In which my ad vertising has brought mo th? only per fectly satisfactory returns. And I havo triod many lines before settling down exclusively to that theory." Tho same "eradlo" served for Now England and for the man who was ono day to be Governor of Us oldest ??talo. For il was in ancient Plymouth, scone of tho Pilgrims' landing, that Douglas was born, In isr>. Illa was as pathetic and hopeless a childhood ;is ever Diek ens pictured for David Copperfield or other of his luckless hoy Iter?os, That Douglas rose from lt to any later posi tion whatever speaks volumes for tho Stuff ho was in.ulo pf. In lRf'O news came to a Plymouth .woman that her husband, tho broad winner or their largo family, had been drowned at sea, All tho chlldron were young. 'Ibo mother was almost with out means. Ho two years later she verbally "hound out" ono cf tho brood -a precocious boy ol' seven -to Ills uncle, a .shoemaker. The child's life from then on became ono lor.g ora of drudgery and hardship. His uncle sol bim at once, to pogglpg shoos by hand. This was a task for grown workers, bul tho baby lingers wore kopi at tho incessant toll of it from dawn to (turk. No holiday, no lot-up of any sort, and, Worst of all, no wages. 'Clio soven-yoar-old hoy was carrying unduly heavy weapons In his life-but tle, ile baa boon carrying them over since. His ability to do so explains ?why ho boca mo Govornor William i". Douglas, instead of merely Journeyman Dill Douglas. His uncle was a st.rn task-master, Apart from tho shoe-pegging, the child was called upon to perform a sooro of equally so vero duties. Among thom was the twlco-n-dny journey into tim woods, in bitterest Now England Wlntor weather, to cut and drag In wood for tho shop's lin s. Only at rare Intervals wa;; he allowed to leave his workbench for tho .school room. Hut at such periods ho proved so apt a .scholar as to make np for tho long lapSOS. Ho was greedy for ?duca tion ami .seemed ID absorb his scanty portion of lt without effort. It was only by this strange proficiency that ho .gleaned any loaming at all. Poi four years the slavery went on. Thon Douglas returned to Ids mother. 'Rut so valuable had he become In tho Shop that bis uncle induced him to como back to him at tho munltieent wage of $f> a month. Until bo was (If teen he continued to work thus, all tho time busy with new ideas along his own line. These. Ideas woro ono day to tocar fruit. Oneo, seeking to botter himself, ho .went to work In a Plymouth cotton tnlll at 3.1 couts a day. This meant fully %S a month, and tho $3 ralso seemed ?lot unlike a dream of wealth. Dut f:ito ? to NEWSP? ?ncu9 \bece l& IHow I ^^^^ Intended him (or hl3 original eallli [lon was a liter.il command of "Sh nakor, stick lo thy las'.'." For when Usobeyed tho Injunction a:, accident he colton mill put a quick omi to U.ins of becoming it weaver. DOOK AMS pulled out Of th?- debris with trokoii log. Thai onded his ootton-r IX :>erienees. lie went back to Ids mother. V/! .COVi rinii from his Injury he alten? icliool ami un.'i' moro planned foi lill education. Hut tho lash of po ve hat luis whipped DO many moil on ;r eat noss was busy ah.mi tho yoi ittidoat'8 shouhlors and drove him bi o the earning of a llvbij*, just as ?yns beginning IO rejoice in his sci progress. No lollgor content to work abide it one job and another. Douglas I iel about le.irnbu; tho bout and s mal ness from bottom io top, in .?il (ranches, From town to iowa vorked bin way, studying tho moth >f each ?hop mull lei h.td mast? ;very rudiment of his choson profess Lura of thc Golden West. Hy tho spring <>f 1S05 ho felt re.ulj ?tart iii for himself. Like many ither ambitious hoy, at that timo 'unclod tho future was brighter In ?ow West than nearer home. So Denver ho went, carrying along uirdly-ftcqulroil stork of cobb mo wi ed ge .md little ols?. Arrlviug tlioro, lie lound capital is needful In Colorado as in Ma .huseiiM. To acquire thin capital ook tina first work that ?Herid. ,vork ia question cha:;.',,! U) ho lot very congenial position of day lorer in a lime-kiln. .Not exactly a brilliant fulfllmcn !>>., uokloil promise of tho Wofct, ni Uriel adVlincoiUont toward succ?s ho shoo traill'. Bul Douglas won ho principio that success consists a holding a good band than in pla L poor hand well. Working hard and spending little it last saved enough to travel to .own of Black Hawk, whore, be leard, lived ono Zophontah Myer?, >f thu moat ?killed bootmaker* Vmorlca, From Myora the young earned the finishing touches that .sp iorfeotlon in his trade, and ha required BO wldo a reputation In uime business as to outstrip his t Douglas and anotbor mau forint :u\rtner??Mp and Marted a flourl? :>oot aim ?boo store nt Goldon Cit Hut Now Kn gi a nd alwayn call liOr sonu. Douglus board tho call ?.PER ADVERTI SH 'rumo back to Massachusetts. Working as jon moy man aiid lal? y ns foreman, ho passed t?io next few years, anil in July. is;.;, made tho plunge that began his real career. Ho borrowed '.<.> and started a factory <>f his own. This "factory" was Hiitall enough to he swab lowoil up in Ibo ino t Insignificant work shop of his present building, lt was j just 30 by CO foal (l.SOii l?ciuaro feet j Inj area. Vet it was tile nucleus of the i plant thal now hali an area of 293,000 ? s ??na re foot; Prosperity came, l ;'. did not iirrlvo I hist chough lo mdt tho ambitions j young lln?licicr. flo 1 >.>!;< ! ah.nt tor! moans of Increasing ii more rapidly, j Tho method ho cliwo wa? extensive and unceasing h?Wspaper advertising, j From tho llrst tho plan w as a success, | li has grown moro and mora iv:auaer:i- ? tiV? cai li year. "Il ive I tried any advertising me diums oilier than (lie n-w. ... ip? ! s ."' ho sahl recently, echoing a guostl?ii of tho writer. "I Should say s il Magazines, circulars, nlivot car Idgns and m my anoth :r. \Vby, oas- ! .i.-lindy 'p.ilnlod I a whole town red.' i spread my nd? vortlsemonta over its fonces and roofs ? and barns and ev.-ry whore my inen | could Hud space for aa 'ad.' uh, jes, I'vo tried thom ail. Ah ? tie- newspapers give hy far th.- best resulta." Vl'Jvon belier than toe magasines ?" "Mitch bolter. A a .1 for many roasons. In tho first place, a newspaper uti vor* I tlsomeut strikes tho oyo thu moment tho shoat ii opened. Thu .same udVor tlsemont would lio biddon among iii? pago.-; pf a niagazlno nut l the reactor ! found bis way (0 it, il be over did. j The busiest man'.; eye will be caught and his attention held hy sight of a ! strong advertisement ia his daily paper. I Whereas that same busy mau might not lind lime lo go laboriously through uh Ibo advertisements of a magazine. "Then, too, practically every man roads a newspaper. lOvory man does not read magazines. Take H village, fdr Instance, where the one loeal now.spapor bas perhaps 200 readers. If I put au advert '..'lenient In that paper, 200 people are going to see it. No one magazine nor, for that matter, nil tho mug;-/.hies combined, will circulate 200 copie? In that Hame town. Tho reasoning is very simple, "ThOrO 's no hamlet or tiny settlement on tho contlnont that ls not roached by nowspapors. There ls no placo whero newspapers aro not road with eager In terest. So by placing my advertlsmint In tho newspapers lt in a ?olf-ovldent proposition thal I will narnu moro pm VG THE KEY TO \goit hi fe ? nor of Iii wYSON TERHUNE fnk^fAi %. / ip1 ?lin ????y? J--! DOUGLAS.) fwloK?) - plo than any other rned'.ar.i could r. euro for ino. Key to Financial Z.\\z:xzz. "That la why 1 ?avorUro o" jits?Vi hi n?wsp.tpGfsl; i advert'.so .'a>t only tho pnpbi'a bf ?ill tho prlit ip il CUH hut also in .S.':,M ijpuiitry nowsjiiiperai' if tho cynical < -ialni 'hat Vnionoy thc fliinl ftrtjunvent" carries any tn: thea Xii*. Douglas':? .'.it e-t;. ia devi: in;; the lioW?lp?pOr HU) fol ?tno?d titi Vi Using medium cannot bo dnubiod. ' In I!tC<S ulpuo." he wen", en. "1 Sp! ?20?.OOO in newspaper ailvvirtlsontCnta. saoul.I not ??ave il.mo so were I not Ol the outlay was going to brina nie a. ??l?alo l'?'-?rn'J. 'Chat vas a lair sam oi' a year'? advertising expend v Figuring ?'ii thal '.....'is I ha vd np ?J,000,0?!0 in iiO'wspap?r Udvcrll?ihig dur tho past ten year.:. A fortune".' Y liai, as I nay, ta?? ros.lits warranted .'? hiv.- given ovary form of adv tisl ig thu fairest u?rt :' (Hill. I he with nev/spa ..?.:... ia 1..C '?'he re.-n woro aa good thai lalor I also adv llsod ia naca/iics. 'flt'.'. UDTL'lt Dil? NOT WA ll KA NT Mi". IN Ot TIN til NO, I withdrew my advert! monta from tho magazines, bat later trlid tia; expolian nt again, Unco m 1 took oui my advertisements, and si then I have used pilly koiv.ip?pors hiing my goods before the public eye '.During Ibo past iloi-a.de. Whllo I ' gpondlng $2,0(10,000 for newspapor .'uh lisomoatj, 1 Kohl ( basing u.o estima ti my ?X? roturas) l,UM,2l'j i a; es ol sh There are twenty-four pairs of shoe: a caao. that makes a total of palra ?o?- D?W, or ul,isl.e.-) palra for tai yours. At tho ivhok?iilu prie* J2.60 a pair, uuit would bo, for ibo ? ado. (79,454,400. Or. ut tin? r. tail rah SU.Ou a pair, lt would equal $111,230,10 "In my advertisements, as a. nil eal) attention lo my shoes, leaving local dealers In their own newsp; advertisements to mention tho tact they carry tho Douglas shoo. ' tty thu way, another OXcellont son for tho superiority of nowspi 0\|0r magazlno advertising rests In fact that In those samo local pa tho roador sees tho 'ad' every da; his life, while ho Kees lt, at best, once a month in a magazine. In o words, ho socs lt thirty times aa i In ii newspaper, and lt hits, there thirty timOfl au many OhOJiCOS of pressing him. Kvery man ronds pap or llrst. Then, if he has Hmo Inclination, ho roada magazines. Si i timos ho has neither, and tho mngr goes unread. I "? am not a bel.over lu spam SUCCESS ? S?tate m ' w ! .?:! :. s.??aoh !.~ du?! I Ihei'oaso my ilvertl! i :.f.s."!. That muy acorn odd. ?..any <h n't do it. Mut 1 do. .T v. ). m'" of lin- iiocrois; I think, 6i' : : Instead bf huhgjbs bach, wallhhj for ? slack s.?ai iii tb par?; 1 bel ev.> lp. advc.lUihi; ..'? Iba more. T.:-. p.": d ('pring, l'or example, wika bi. ?:v...:d a::! . d.i. It Waa bud for trude. ! did ex tr i? advertising. "Nor, at snieli tirites, do 1 ra Iso tbe privo of shoo;, lt would bot be tub' to make t!;c publie pay for the slowness Of ;i r ason. I d? liol lower w?gcS ill that cV'dh.t? olthor, as tb? UKW seato Will prov ft. T?ia scale for that year Illowa the average shoemaker s pay in tho United Slates waa $M?i, Ia .Massachu setts It was >.v:o. la Brockton, ; whiif at my .Montello factory it was $?C0. That .?oes not include, superinten dent-, e.ad high . ried m. a. Just thu workers, <>u tho union seale. "Another advertising theory of mina is Ilia; a good 'ad.' should be changed very seldom, of course |? tho ease of dry j.:o..d.i stores or id lier r aeos where special sa1 'a uro bold and new attrac tions offered from time to time lt la necessary to chango the form and In dUOOllicntS ol' na advertisement. Hut where ii man deals In a s agio staple artlele, I think he should write one strong, convincing advertisement and let thal Stand for a loni; time. "Lol I 'm make sure Hist that lt ls thu strongest, best-worded advertise ment h,. eau concoct. Then let it stund. "There aro good reasons for tills. Sup? poso a man bus gi.meed at my adver tisement for several days In Succession without reading it. Thon ono morning ho tb es road lt. That may bo the day whin (if I constantly change my 'ads.') I might havo a weaker, less attractive, less convincing one than usual, Por* haps I lose bis possible custom. "A good advertisement 'u an argu ment. Keinomber that. An argument. Not a boost, lt does not shout au Un? roasonablo command to buy something. It explains to you WHY you should buy the article. It appeals to your sonso of reason. It whould never oxag gorato In any way, but toll tho mero truth. Bass Claims on Merit. "An advertisement should novar olatrn 'for goods mora advantages than thar actually possess. An article, must liavo merit-real merit-and Its proprietor must light, every minute, to Keep tho quality high. Success must not lure him into letting up, ono atom, on high quality. if he does, In tho course of time ho will lose. Some people got to making money fast. Then they think they can lower tho quality (and, inci dentally, tho cost of production), and malo1 more. I havo mndo moro be cause my goods arc worth more. "It ls a strange fact that fully two fifths of tho shoos sold throughout tho entire week are .sold on Saturday. Whether because that Is pay Jay or merely because it ls a favorite shop ping day I don't know, hut the fact remains, and we regidatc our adver tising accordingly! making It heaviest toward tho latter part of the week. Of course, with a magazine (published only one" a month) Ibis would bo Im practicable. The Douglas shoe ia sold all over tho United Slate.; and also has a largo salo la Cana.'.a and Mexico, besides having created moro or loss of a European de mar., 1. I employ 1,000 persons In making and selling my shoes, and I own and operate seventy retail shoo stores In tho large cities. The vast area covered by my dealers renders lt nil tho moro nec essary for nv to uso local newspapers from ono end of the land to tho other t ) advertise my shoes, and ?nado lt tho inoro needful for me to Rtiidy out care fully Just what would bo the best mo di.nu through which I might reach tho people at largo." Concerning thone 4,MO employ eos whom Mi-. Doug lu s ri cismilly men tioned, aa ent re nrtlolo cf moro than common Interest might Lc written. Tlioy form a sort of Utopian fi mmcnlty whereof he ls lise head. At hu expense a!! of thom are provided vi a htodloal caro in Illness, and ts.ey aro Ia other , way- ?nado to feel his personal I merest I in them. I Tho labor question auiniros non* of tits bar.?;!.or foale-. ?* 'a i be DoU?jla3 I plant. Dy :?:<>.' .;. .; a .;>..?.?-a*., at ,l??.t v>?4r<? i Hie ' i ;. : PJ?iV.'?Tfts ari unknown onions tho Douglas workmen, 'and tuc pltanan test foeda;.; Ivis alway J . ex! tod bot wee, ii employer and Ora j ployed. ? .t;!ace tho beginning of hlj first cam? ; ?'ilga of newspaper advertising, In ?&33, Mr. Douglas baa gradual.:/ but steadily , bccoin? known t.. nearly every otto In America. Tho fae? thst looks out from j the dla mond-aha, <.. i fr:.nu In bia qd ; vcrilscmcnts is familiar to r.'.i. Yet tho I fa that accompanies th:.? ? rt. lt. ?o . I vc j la f..v lito.'O accurate i ' . i of tho Wil I lin in D. Dm;.-!!.; of to-day. Tho char I noter rehder may pur?ao there tho roa : ins Why a lowly start In life hud nd piSW?i' lo eiiock thU man's rise. liy . u ii? iona nev/si>apor advert icing j Do.igla i quickly "outgrew" factory lift?:; l. t.:;. until, in \p2, ho erected the hugo w irks now in use at Montello, j Just out of Dost bu. HIE Pay roi i Grew. ITero hi.; payir iii grow until lt num bered lt.; present 4,000 names. Hero, loo, gr< w tho fa. lillies for turning out shoos ?a unparalleled numbers-about i I?.i o cairs a day being tho capacity j nOW; In the jobbing house alone a half ; million pairs of Shoes are carried ai all I times in stock. I Tho factory-Or factories, for thora j il re two of them practically joined un? .!..:. ono series of roofs-cover as much i space as 11 ie walls of aa ancient city, ! anti are arrang?d In rectilinear lines, with wide-reaching whigs, like enfilad ing earthworks. Tho man who employed newspaper ad vert bing as tho magie wand to raise lids mighty structure from tho eartii still works as hard, in his own way, as did tiio seven-year-old carrier of wood and pi ,,'gcr of shoos. Outside office hours ho ls of simple, domestic tastes, Ills ono "rich man's amusement" taking Hie form of frequont cruises on his big steam yacht, the Maclilgotmo. lio has found time, too, cs all Now langland knows, to make a d sided Im pression In the field of polities. A stanch Democrat, ho lia.- served In holli houses of the Slate .--?'.islaturo, framed tho arbitration and A'Cfikly pay ment laws, was Mayor of Brockton In I SOO, and has four times been eboson as delegate to tho national conventions. His victorious campaign for the Gov ernorship of Massachusetts was such ?as to awaken national Interest. Through out his terni of Oovornor ho conducted, his great personal business Interests as well as those of the Stato In such a way that neither suffered from inatten tion. Ills wide uso of nowspapor ad vertising during tho Oubornatoiial con test was ono of tho most striking feat ures of tho campaign and contribu? od In no light measuro to his triumph. Why a man Uko Douglas, 'having made snob giant strldos In tho world of business, should havo sought tho Gov ernorship wa? a pir/Blo to many. And not a fow wondered that ho was not . .i hated with tho success ho had al roady won. Hut tho man who ls satisfied with suc cess would bo satisfied with failure, i I do not think William L. Douglas -would bo satisUed witto eithejv