Curious Advertisements

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 253, 25 April 1888, Page 4

Curious Adve rtisements

Tin following ad\o tisement, w Inch apI peaiccl in Lho hist numbor ot the ' Times ' 1 (published 1788), i» doul>ly interesting as being a specimen of the advcitisemeutb ot <i bundled years ago, and as fining us a peep into the early hi>toiy of the celcbiated Dr. Abemethy . — ' Anatomical Leetuies. — Mr John Abcrnethy, a^istant surgeon to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, will begin a Co u i so ot Anatomical Lectuies, at one o'clock on .Satin day, the 19th of January, at No. 17, Bartholomew Close ; whose pioposals may be had.' Christmas announcements generally iurtiish amusing reading to the young folk, but the following, Mhieh appeared in a London newspaper in the year 1840, is a perfect gem of its kind: ' Chiistma- Pre- i sents. — The Feslixe Season. — Dr Moitar begs to call particular attention to his choice selection of medicines for the present reason of goimandi/ing. A box of Christmas pi events will contain two bottles fine black di aught, one bottle line liqueur tinctuie of jalap, one bottle best decoction ot aloes, one box antibilious pills, one do/en ounces puiiHed Epsom salts. The abo\o will be sent, on receipt of P. 0.0. for ten shillings and sixpence, to any part of the kingdom.— Address, Dr. Mortar,' &c. A good specimen of ' how English is wrote' at Shanghai is the announcement which an enterprising Chinaman has had piinted on labels and affixed to all packets of his own special make of cigaiettes : ' E. Leo Sung, Manufactured & Co., revolve the defreut minili, Fiankmensc. and Cigarettes and Finest, Tobacco l oiled all by bigbest class. Please regards to E. At Hong kow Road, Shanghai.' After reading this, it would bo useless to dispute with those who a^seit fcluit English is to be the universal language of the future. ]n ancient times there have been some veiy curious announcements on parish church doors. The following, which we lind quoted in the ' Spectator ' of 1712, is a somewhat striking illustration of this . ' Advertisement : From the Parish Vestry January 9.— All ladies who come to church in the new-fashioned hoods are desired to be there bofoie Divine service begins, least they divert the attention of the congregation.' One Sunday afternoon, about two years ago, a scene of an exciting chaiacter took place in the principal street of one of the largest cities in America. A man suddenly appeared at a third-stoiey window in an unfurnished building and seemed to be making preparations for commiting suicide by leaping to the ground. As may be supposed it was not long ere a fair-sized crowd had collected to watch the movements of this f crank.' Strange as it may seem, however, to us in England, at any rate, no attempt was made to arrest the evidently suicidal intentions of the man at the window. He removed his coab and looked down as though estimating the distance. Then he took off his waistcoat and necktie, after which he took another bird's-eye view of the ground bolow him. The crowd began to ask one another whether he in tended to commit suicide. The man moved, placed himself square in the middle of the window, threw his hands above his head, and said, — 'Ladies and gentlemen, — I take the present opportunity to inform you that on Monday fortnight, the 27th in&t. , I shall commence business on these premises with a well-assorted stock of — But the last of the crowd had just turned the corner.