Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work
"
"So much the better."
The lawyer grew thoughtful.
"I believe it's impossible," he ventured.
"Better yet. I don't say I'll succeed, but I promise to try. I want
something to occupy myself--something really difficult, so that I may
test my own powers."
"But, my dear boy! This foolish proposition isn't worthy your effort. If
you want to be up and doing we'll find something else to occupy your
mind."
"No, Mr. Watson; I'm set on this. It's a crime to allow these signs to
flaunt themselves in our prettiest scenes. My instinct revolts at the
desecration. Besides, no one else seems to have undertaken the task of
exterminating them."
"True enough. If you're serious, Ken, I'll frankly say the thing can't
be done. You may, perhaps, buy the privilege of maintaining the rocks of
the glen free from advertising; but the advertisers will paint more
signs on all the approaches, and you won't have gained much."
"I'll drive every advertising sign out of this country."
"Impossible. The great corporations who control these industries make
their fortunes by this style of advertising. The rural districts are
their strongholds. And they must advertise or they can't sell their
products."
"Let them advertise in decent ways, then. What right has any soap maker
to flaunt his wares in my face, whether I'm interested in them or not?"
"The right of custom. People have submitted to these things so long that
the manufacturers consider themselves justified in covering every barn,
rock and fence with their signs. I see no way to stop them."
"Nor I, at present. But there must be a way."
"Drive out one, and another will take his place. They pay liberally for
locations--"
"Pshaw! Ten dollars a year for a rock as big as a barn!"
"But they rent thousands of such positions, and in the aggregate our
farmers get large sums from them."
"And ruin the appearance of their homes and farms."
Mr. Watson smiled.
"They're not artists, Ken. They can't realize on appearances, but they
can use the money the signs bring them.
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There was once a king who was very powerful. He had great influence over the wild beasts and animals. Now the tortoise was looked upon as the wisest of all beasts and men. This king had a son named Ekpenyon, to whom he gave fifty young girls as wives, but the prince did not like any of them. The king was very angry at this, and made a law that if any man had a daughter who was finer than the prince's wives, and who found favour in his son's eyes, the girl herself and her father and mother should be killed.
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