Newspaper Page Text
Page 12
Those Little Want Ads Are
3,000 Years Old, Still New
If you have something to buy,
sell, rent or swap chances are
that you’ll place a want ad in
your local paper. Want ads, which
will be spotlighted April 21-28
during International Want Ad
\veek, have been around for about
3,000 years.
The first known want ad was
written in ancient Thebes and
posted on a public building after
a Syrian slave had escaped from
his owner, an Egyptian weaver.
The weaver sought the assist
ance of a scrivener, a profess
ional public writer of his day
when few could write.
Taking fresh papyrus, the scri
vener and the weaver composed
the first want ad, the former lab
oriously inking it in hierogly
phics. This papyrus was later
discovered by archeologists in
the ruins of the once-famous
city. It reads:
“The man slave, Shem, hav
ing run away from his good
master, Hapu the Weaver, all
good citizens of Thebes are en
joined to help return him. He
is a Hittite, five feet two in
ches tall, of ruddy complex
ion and brown eyes. For news
of his whereabouts half a gold
coin is offered. And for his
return to the shop of Hapu the
Weaver, where the best cloth
is woven to your desires, a
whole coin is offered.”
This was actually two want
ads in one and any modern Ad
visor would have leaped at the
chance to increase the lineage.
Notice the reference to “where
the best cloth is woven to your
desires.” This has nothing to
do with the runaway slave. Ei
ther Hapu the Weaver was a
pretty sharp fellow or the scri
vener was the first ad man.
Not only scriveners but priests
somethlmes penned want ads tor
citizens unable to write. During
the Middle Ages want ads were
tacked on the front door of the
local church because everyone
went there and because the priest
had probably helped compose
them.
Not all want ads were written,
either. Before newspapers were
printed an enterprising mer
chant could pay the town crier
to call out his merchandise as
he called the news and time about
the streets.
Invention of the printing press
in 1450 stimulated advertising
because now handbills could be
printed. The first printed ad
vertisement appeared in 1480 to
promote a book. Somewhere in
that 30 years there arose the
first argument between the print
er who wanted an order and the
town crier who had been making
some extra money hawking ad
vertising.
The printed ad Is ever-present,
can be read at leisure, many
times. The spoken ad requires
the hearer to be In the right
places, at the right time and with
both ears attuned to every word.
The argument has never been
settled.
By 1600 bills and posters were
In wide use and the first newspa
per appeared in London In 1625.
Modern classified advertising
began there 41 years later after
most of London had suffered the
disastrous fire of 1666. Then
some 13,000 homes were des
troyed, families were separated,
furniture and household items
were abandoned. In all the chaos
a newspaper offered to print paid
notices. In this way a large num
ber of citizens was able to comm
unicate their wants and needs to
each other through the printed
word at modest cost. They have
been doing it ever since.
American history has been
Children Helped At faster Seal Center
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DABBLING in finger paints (top pnocojis part of occupational ther
apy for this handicapped youngster. The treatment he is getting at
an Easter Seal center helps him learn to use his hands and brain.
TRAINED FINGERS (bottom picture) of a speech therapist help
this speech handicapped girl shape words. The training she gets
kat an Easter Seal center helps her keep up with others in school.
Best Coverage: News, Pictures, and Feature
written in classified ads from co
lonial days to the present. George
Washington sold lands he held
along the Ohio River with a want
ad. Benjamin Franklin placed a
classified ad to recover his wife’s
prayer book that had been taken
from the family pew. President
Thomas Jefferson obtained
someone to fill the Secretary of
the Navy post in his cabinet with
a want ad.
In modern day politics, a New
York advertising man placed a
series of classified ads appeal
ing for funds that started the
Eisenhower For President boom.
Richard Nixon began his polit
ical career in answer to a want
ad calling for a Republican can
didate for the 1946 congressional
race in California.
Modem business success stor
ies have been written in the want
ads. Harlow Curtis, a former
president of General Motors, and
Walt Disney got started in their
fields by answering want ads.
Several weeks ago Tom May,
president of Lockheed, intro
duced the President of the United
§ News Notes From §
§
A By Mr j. T. W. Binford §
Quarterly Meeting was held
in our church Wednesday even
ing. Dr. John Tate of Oxford
presided. Refreshments were
served by the W.S.C.S. following
the meeting. A good crowd at
tended the meeting.
♦♦ » »
Rev. E. W. Walton filled his
regular appointments here Sun
day. He and Mrs. Walton and
Kathy were dinner guests of Mr.
and Mrs. T. W. Binford.
** * *
Ladles visiting Mr. Paul Har
well last Wednesday and Thurs
day afternoons were Miss Pauline
Hardman and Miss Miller of Por
terdale, Mrs. Henry Adams, Sr.
of Covington, Mrs. Peck, Mrs.
Mattie India Sigman, Mrs. Hill
Patrick, Mrs. Clarence Hays,
Mrs. P. Carroll and Mrs. James
Benton of Mansfield.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Sams, Mr.
and Mrs. R. D. Murrelleand Mrs.
Doyle Smith attended a Masonic
Banquet at Shady Dale Tuesday
evening.
»* ♦ »
Miss Sandra Brown who Is at
tending Georgia College at Mil
ledgeville, spent the weekend at
home.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Chamber
lain, Jack and Sallie of Atlanta
spent the weekend with Mr. and
Mrs. Guy Jones and attended
church here.
** * *
Mrs. R. D. Murrelle, Mrs.
Doyle Smith, Mrs. Paul Harwell
and Mr. and Mrs. T. W. Bin
ford attended the District Annual
W.S.C.S. meeting at the Bel
vedere Methodist Church last
Thursday.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Shy of
Atlanta visited Miss Alice Shy
and Mrs. Luther Polk Sunday.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Danny Covington
and Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Moss
of Atlanta visited Mrs. L. J.
Pharr, Mrs. Sara Jean Baker,
Jean and Patty Baker Saturday
and Sunday.
«♦ ♦ ♦
Congratulations to Sammy Oz
burn on being elected president
of the Student Body at Newton
High School.
States at the roll-out of the
world’s largest plane. Mr. May’s
career began at Lockheed when
he answered their help wanted
ad.
They have been used by the
rich and the famous, but want
ads, like no other media, belong
to the common people. Today
hardly a need arises that can
not be met with a want ad.
A Virginia news columnist
wrote of the fellow who came in
to his office to advertise for a
wife:
“He looked like a bum, but
he said that he had lots of mon
ey...be sure to put that in the
ad. He looked to be about 50
and said that he didn’t want
a woman over 35. We fin
ally got the ad written and
said that prospects should
write a box number care of
the paper.
“You should have seen the
mail that fellow received. It
turned out, he didn’t really want
a wife. He had an argument with
his girlfriend and just wanted to
prove that other women were
Interested in him.”
Marital discord had led to many
want ads. A Northern paper once
ran a famous Joe and Lucy series.
Lucy left Joe and an exchange of
want ads finally wound up with the
two arranging a meeting on a cer
tain day at a downtown intersec
tion. When the time approached,
the police had to be called to di
rect traffic because everyone in
town turned out to discover the
identity of Joe and Lucy.
Want ads are Informal, to the
point, inexpensive and have mass
appeal. Most want ad depart
ments take care that services and
goods offered are not fraudulent
or harmful. Ads are automati
cally suspect that offer informa
tion at a price, offer to Introduce
you to a charming girl or a hand
some fellow or offer enormous
profits at small Investment.
Most want ads look grey to the
reader but to the editor they are
gold. The success of modern
classified advertising is one of
the big business stories of the
times. Last year U. S. adver
tisers Invested some 1.348 bill
ion dollars In classified ads. The
year before was about the same
the 17
years from 1950-1966 the am
azing total of sl4 billion, 344
million dollars was invested In
want ads. The dollar volume
more than tripled in this time.
Classified far exceeded local
display and national advertising
In American newspapers during
this 17 years. In 1966 it was
greater than total magazine ad
vertising for the second time.
It exceeded total radio by over
342 million dollars, and was
more than seven times greater
than total outdoor advertising
and was almost three times
greater than local television re
venue.
Not too well known in Georgia,
but popular elsewhere In the na
tion, are free want ad pages for
boys and girls. These are off
ered to certain age groups, must
be signed by parents and repre
sent small fry enterprise.
“I AM A GIRL. I’m good
for ruff, tuff and hard to dia
per kids and rm 11 years old,”
read one.
Here boys and girls swap comic
books, offer baby and pet sitting
services, boys sell bicycles and
electric trains they have out
grown and girls dispose of “Com
plete Ken, Barbie and Tammy
dolls plus suitcase and ward
robes. Cheap.”
Some are candid “I’VE GOT 3
SISTERS and a drum,” wrote one
six-year old boy, “I need some
one to help me build a tree house
to get away.”
Want ads are full of oddities
and therefore full of news. They
reflect the times and they are
prompted by the same common
human needs. The Grand Old
Man of Advertising Is popular
with folks the world over be
cause everywhere the world ov
er people benefit from them.
John Fleming
Elected College
Council President
John Fleming was elected pre
sident of Emory College Coun
cil, Emory University for the
ensuing year, 1968-69.
John, son of N. Bond Fleming,
Dean of Oxford College, and Mrs.
Fleming will be a junior next
year.
R. L. Cousins High Bond Prior To Departure For Albany
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The R. L. Cousins High School Band preparing to leave for Albany State College where they stayed
at a college dormitory for the State Band Festival. The band consisted of 84 members, two chap
erones, Miss Southerland (elementary Counselor) and Mrs. A. Williams (a parent); Assistant Band
Director R. Chester and Band Director, T. K. Adams, Sr. From left to right are Rev. Enus, who
presented a prayer for the band; C. J. Tinsley, Miss Southerland, chaperone, R. L. Stewart and Mrs.
C. Robinson made remarks; Mrs. A. William, in the rear center; Roy Chester, Assistant band dir
ector and T. K. Adams, Sr. Band Director. The band, director, and two chaperones left at 12:00
noon Friday and returned at 11:30 P.M. Saturday.
*
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DANDY, THE 2-YEAR-OLD PET of Susan, Danny and David Sullivan, has left home twice recently
only to be recovered each time through a Covington News want ad. The reddish-tan Shetland pony is
gentle but not completely broken says their mother, Mrs. George T. Sullivan of McDonough Hwy. She
has learned to rely on a call to the NEWS want ad department for help when Dandy disappears. LOST
AND FOUND is one of the popular classified columns in The Covington News.
| News Notes From §
With §
§ By Mrs. Will ie Brown \
Mrs. Essie Butler, Mr. and
Mrs. Olin Pinson and daughters
of Athens, Mr. and Mrs. Perry
Butler, Perry, Jr. of Monroe
and Mrs. Mae Fincher were Sun
day dinner guests of Mr. and
Mrs. Horace Butler.
** ♦ ♦
Mrs. Stacy Storer of Colum
bus spent several days with her
mother and brother, Mrs. Flor
ie Dobbs and Ronnie.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Rhollie Butler
and sons have moved to Cov
ington on Wheat Street. Wel
come Neighbors!
♦* * *
Mrs. Vate Reynolds and Har
vey Lackey are patients in Em
ory Hospital. We wish for them
a speedy recovery.
♦* * ♦
Phillip Aaron and Mack Can
trell were weekend guests of
Mr. and Mrs. Ora Lee Aaron.
** * ♦
Mrs. Loy Skelton is on the
sick list. We wish for her a
very speedy recovery. We al
so wish others that we don’t
know about a very speedy re-
Cousins Principal Is Proud Os Plaque
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COUSINS PRINCIPAL Robert Stewart proudly holds the State Band
Superior Plaque awarded to the band at the recent State Band Fes
tival at Albany. Only four superiors were awarded at the festival
among the 36 bands present and Cousins Band received one of
those.
THE COVINGTON NEWS
covery.
♦♦ * ♦
Major and Mrs. J. A. Fin
cher visited with Mr. and Mrs.
Joel Brown, Mr. and Mrs. Hor
ace Butler and Mr. and Mrs.
Doc Brown recently. They were
enroute from Thailand to Mont
gomery, Alabama where Major
Brown will be stationed in the
Air Force.
** ♦ ♦
Mrs. Sally Layson, Mr. and
Mrs. Doc Brown and Mrs. Mae
Fincher were the Tuesday night
supper guests of Mr. and Mrs.
Horace Butler.
*♦ * *
Mr. and Mrs. Phil Moon and
Charlotte, Mr. and Mrs. Claude
Cheek of Athens, Mr. and Mrs.
Troy Rowe of Atlanta were Sun
day visitors of Mr. and Mrs.
Ray Rowe.
** * *
Danny Long left for service
in the Army Monday.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Williams
visited Miss Pearl Aaron in At
lanta Thursday.
Want Ads
Pay Off
(Our Advertisers Are Assured of Best Results)
Clarissa Spears
Tapped For
Honor Society
Clarissa Virginia Spears of
Mansfield, Ga., has been tapped
for membership in Cwens at Au
burn university.
Cwens is the national honorary
for sophomore women.
Addison Terry
Initiated In
Okla. Fraternity
NORMAN, Okla.-Addison N.
Terry, Covington, has been ini
tiated into Sigma Alpha Epsilon
social fraternity at the University
of Oklahoma.
Terry, a freshman in Univer
sity College, is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Addison Terry, Route 3,
Briar Patch.
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BEVERLY JOHNSON BAILEY returned to The Covington News make-up department in ■:•:•
March after an absence of the past three years. She previously worked in this depart- KJ
ment which composes ads and pages for the paper as well as for printing jobs. :■:•:•
Bev’s particular jobs are ad make-up and want-ad page composition. She can also
operate the news typesetting machines.
A native of Newton County, she graduated from Newton County High School in 1964
and married J. F. Bailey, 111 of Salem in December 1965. The two reside in Conyers Sj
where her husband commutes to Atlanta daily for his job with ITE circuit breakers.
During their absence from Covington the Baileys lived in Forest Park. ®
Xv Bev lists reading as her main hobby which is like taking a postman’s holiday. In
addlton she shares an enthusiasm for antiques with her mother, Mrs. Thomas Digby,
and her brother, Jack. One of her prized possessions is a round pedestaled oak dining i#
table with four matching chairs that she helped restore. Another in her duplex apart- W
g: ment is a roll-top desk.
Bev is one of the talented young people on Hie Covington News team. She leads a $x
busy life as a career girl and modern homemaker and she reflects the youthful spirit $x
® that we like to think is part of The Covington News.
<Lhr (UDuingtnn NpiusJ
Cousins Band Received
State Superior Rating
On Saturday, April 20, 1968,
the R. L. Cousins Band parti
cipated in the Annual State Band
Festival sponsored by the Geor
gia Interscholastic Association.
The festival was held at Albany
State College, Albany.
R. L. Cousins was one of the
four bands to receive a superior
rating. Thirty-six bands parti
cipated in the concert perfor
mance which began at 9:30 A.M.
and ended at 6;00 P.M. The
R. L. Cousins selections for
competitive concert were “Cosi
Fan Tutti” by Mozart and “Over-
§ News Notes From J
A By Mrs. A. A.Guritz A
Sunday guests of Mr. and Mrs.
Charlie Berry were Mr. and Mrs.
Luke Darnell and Mrs. K, G. Tay
lor from Atlanta.
♦* * *
Mrs. Jeff Smith has sold her
house, and she moved to Deca
tur Tuesday. We are sorry to
have Ruth leave the community,
and we will miss her very much.
♦* * *
Mr. and Mrs. Giles Richard
son from Jackson Lake and Mr.
and Mrs. Billy Richardson from
Kansas were Monday supper
guests of Mr. and Mrs. Otis Law
son.
♦♦ ♦ ♦
Friends of Edgar Wallace are
sorry to learn that he isn’t well
and hope he will be better soon.
♦* * ♦
An enthusiastic group attended
the Square Dance Saturday night
at the Clubhouse.
** * *
Mike Kitchens spent the week
end at home with his parents.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Fouche
and children visited friends in
Atlanta Sunday.
** ♦ ♦
Mr. and Mrs. Brice Barnes
and Mr. and Mrs. Danny Barnes
spent Sunday at Jackson Lake.
*♦ * ♦
The four year old son of Mrs.
Trellis Strange fell off a Go-
Cart Sunday and was badly
scratched up.
♦♦ ♦ ♦
Mr. and Mrs. Leon Hall and
family and J. C. Lawson and Ann
enjoyed making ice cream at the
Ralph Wyatt home Sunday.
** ♦ *
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Ralston
and children visited the Edgar
Thursday, April 25, 1968
ture for Band” by Beyer.
The adjudicator judges for the
R. L. Cousins Band were Mr.
Marcus Rowland, music instruc
tor at Clark College; Mr. Lucius
R. Wyatt, Director of Bands at
Tuskegee Institute; and Mr. Ray
mond P. Jordan, Assistant Band
Director at Savannah State Col
lege. The sight reading judge
was Mr. Bobby G. Jordan, Band
Director at Booker T. Washing
ton High School, Atlanta.
Mr. T. K. Adams, Band Direc
tor at Cousins, was the festival
coordinator.
Wallaces Sunday afternoon.
A large crowd enjoyed an ex
cellent barbecue Sunday at the
Community House sponsored by
the Almon Lion’s Club.
** * *
Mrs. Margaret Ray and Judy
spent Saturday and Sunday with
Mr. and Mrs. Otis Lawson.
»♦ ♦ *
Guests of the Jack Clarke fam
ily for dinner Tuesday were their
cousins Mr. and Mrs. R. M. Fra
zier and sons, Gary and David
and daughter, Peggy, from Chi
cago; and friends, Mr. and Mrs.
Claude Albert from Caribou,
Maine, and her brother, James
Coggins, Mrs. Coggins and Sher
ry. Wednesday night visitors
were Mr. and Mrs. James Mor
ris and sons, Devon and Dwayne
from Stone Mountain, Mr. and
Mrs. James Frazier and sons
Dwayne and Charles, and daugh
. ter, Beth from Decatur, and Alma
King from Covington. Mrs. Mor
ris and James Frazier are sis
ter and brother to R. M. Frazier.
Sunday afternoon twenty-one fri
ends came by to visit the out of
town guests.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh McCart
visited Mrs. Artelia Kinnett re
cently.
* * * *_
Mrs. Fred Lee and Mrs. A. A.
Guritz were among those from
the county attending the N. W.
District Meeting of the Exten
sion Home Economics Club at
Callaway Gardens.
Singing At
Canaan Church
There will be a Benefit Singing
at Canaan Baptist Church on Ap
ril 27 at 7:30 p. m. The special
singing groups will be The Cru
saders, The Lordsmen and The
Chordaires. Proceeds will go
to the needy in the community.