Successful Advertising. 93 



get what he wanted. The fact of their having such 

 goods in stock drew more and more of the peddling 

 fraternity to them for these novelties. Still there was 

 not sufficient variety to obtain their whole custom, 

 and for giving them a part of it the pedlars met with 

 black looks at the other shops from which they were 

 still obliged to procure some of the articles they 

 needed. At the same time, the work was becoming 

 too much for young Mrs. Robertson to manage. 



For David to give up his situation and the pay it 

 brought in was a serious matter, but there was no 

 help for it. His father-in-law had a small printing- 

 press, which he was willing to let him use, and which 

 he turned to account as follows. With it he printed 

 some hundreds of small bills, which cost him little 

 more than the price of the paper. They were only 

 about four inches square. In them it was stated that 

 the lowest price would be asked and that no abate- 

 ment would be made, so that the child or inexperienced 

 person would have the goods at the same price as the 

 most experienced dealer. His plan was to begin to 

 distribute the bills first on the south side of the Clyde, 

 commencing at the east, and taking street by street 

 westward, till he had gone over the whole south side 

 of Glasgow. He engaged four clever boys and went 

 with them, sending two up each side of the street to 

 take house about, and serving them with parcels of 

 bills during the progress of the expedition. They left 

 home after breakfast and did not return to dinner, but 

 got some milk and bread on the way. By the time 

 they quitted their circuit for home, they had reached 

 as far west as Jamaica Street Bridge. The bills they 



