The Marlboro democrat. (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, February 07, 1908, Image 3
(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