The real development of advertising as a factor in the distribution of commodities may be said to have begun only with the appearance of the steamboat and railroad, the modern pos tal system and the telegraph. Its rapid growth since then, especially in the United States, where the great distances between producer and consumer lessen direct dealing, would seem to indicate that it is a legitimate wheel in dis tributive machinery rather than a form of ag grandized puffery. In this sense, advertising is a modern development. In earlier times it had chiefly a curious interest. A full and entertain ing description of early advertising will be found in Sampson's 'History of Advertising from the Earliest Times) (London 1874).
Development of Advertis ing in the modern sense was first sparingly employed by retail merchants in large cities. About 1840 improved postal facilities in the United States gave opportunity .for broadened circulation of periodicals and brought into be ing the earliest trade, denominational, agricul tural and'general publications of national cir culation. These made it profitable to advertise over wide territory. Soon there were firms, chieflypatent nostrum makers, whose chief expenditure was for advertising, and the value of the new force was appreciated by charlatans, quacks and swindlers to such an extent that the public soon learned to distrust advertising. For more than a generation it was not considered reputable by the great majority of legitimate business houses. The power of advertising as a force in merchandising, however, eventually brought reputable interests into the field. The swindler began to retreat. Among the first classes of manufacturers to advertise widely were makers of commodities, such as sewing machines, typewriters, baking powders, infant foods, etc., then quite new for the most part. In recent years the charlatan has been practically forced out of American advertising mediums as legitimate business increased in them, and during recent years, with public confidence gained, the growth of both advertising and publications in the United States has been so great that pub lishing and printing now rank seventh in the country's industries, being exceeded only by iron and steel, slaughtering, foundries and machin ery, lumbering, milling and clothing. Where formerly the novelties of commerce were ad vertised, it is now the staples that predominate, such as automobiles and accessories, shoes, flour, cereal foods, clothing, sanitary appliances, etc. The advertising revenue of leading publi
cations is to-day so important that the more progressive publishers censor advertising, and investigate a doubtful advertiser before his announcement is inserted. The practice of the publisher making good to readers any loss they may incur through a swindling advertisement is becoming common in this country, and few losses occur. Moreover, the Government has thrown safeguards around advertising, and through the Federal Post-Office Department effectually prevents swindling operations by denying the use of the mails to an advertiser whose methods will not bear investigation. Advertising has had an immense influence upon the lives of the people, for it not only increases the standard of health by introduc tion of modern conveniences such as baths and sanitary appliances, heating and lighting appa ratus, the spread of means of culture, the en couragement of travel, etc., but also tends to improve the quality of commodities without a corresponding increase in cost. Competition in advertising takes the form of price rivalry much more rarely than might be presumed. Adver tisers seeking to create national demand for commodities sold under their trade-brands com pete rather in offering excellent staples, assur ing purity and marketing in sanitary packages. Advertising has resulted, in the invention and use of dust, germ and air-proof cartons, boxes and containers. Formerly it was a kind of puffery, but at present the widest advertising is characterized by the completeness with which it presents information and the logical reason ing by which it seeks to persuade readers. One of the most notable phases of modern advertis ing has been the liberal use of space in news papers and magazines by large corporations, such as the railroads, manufacturing concerns, political parties and associations, for the pur pose of influencing public opinion, it having been proved that this method of reaching and affecting current thought on questions of the day was quick and dependable. In recent years advertising in the United States has out grown that of every other nation in volume, and has also been conspicuous for its division into special channels, following the lines of the various periodicals and conditions of de mand for commodities.