Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 November 1874 — Advertising For a Boy. [ARTICLE]

Advertising For a Boy.

A notice in a city paper that a “ boy” is wanjted is pretty likely to be answfifed by a whole multiplication-table of boys, The New York correspondent of the London American, tells how he saw the thing managed at the corner of Fulton and Nassau streets, where a citizen was besieged by a brigade of applicants: “We are continually hearing of the advantages of advertising, but the disadvantages of that process for making known one’s wants have never been told. I will give a few instances. A friend of mine was walking through Bond street the other morning when he came upon a crowd of over a hundred boys standing in front ol a house. They were laughing and screaming, and completely blocked up the sidewalk. “My friend stopped to see what was going on, and was surprised to see the door of the house open suddenly and a man’s hand thrust out into the crowd, grab a boy, pull him inside, and bang the door shut again. “Such singular conduct excited his cariosity, and on going up to a man who was sitting on the front steps of the house he asked him what was the matter.

“‘Nothing at all,’ said the man, ‘only we advertised for four boys in this morning’s papers, and early as it is you see the result.’ There was nothing left for the man who wanted the boys to do but make his selection from the window, then grab the boy and pull him in.” The effect of advertising for “a girl" would seem to be still more perplexing. The same writer goes on to say: “My friend told this incident to a well-known merchant the other day, who -related—a- similar experience. ‘ Some time agPj’ said the merchant, ‘ I had occasion to advertise for a half-grown girl to take care of a child. I stated in my advertisement that the applicant must call at two o’clock in the afternoon. “‘I went down to my store as usual, but had not been there over two hours when a messenger arrived, saying that I must come home immediately, that the house was full of girls, and that my wife had been obliged to call in a policeman. Hurrying home, I found that not only the down-stairs hall was full, but that the halls up to the third story were equally filled with “half-grown girls.” “ 1 The front door had been closed upon them, but those inside took possession of the house and let the others in. They would not go even when threatened by the officer, and it took me the whole day to ask them questions and tell them they would not do.’ He finally settled upon a girl who came precisely at two o’clock, and she proved an excellent servant.”