A Sampling of Pemaquid Messenger Advertisements

I've been poking through our collection of Pemaquid Messenger editions. One of the first things that jumps out at anyone reading old newspapers is the advertisements and our Messengers are no exception. The ads range from about-what-you-might-expect to humorous to historically significant to the truly outrageous. I clipped a few from each category and invite you to take a look.

Note: You can obtain a copy of the DVD with all of our issues of the Messenger by contacting Jack Lane Photographs. He will make copies available on an 'as is' basis for $22.50 including first class postage.

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"The Eagle Screams" (apparently because each dollar of was squeezed so tightly) was the motto for the Grand Central Grocery for several months.
Here Grand Central's competitor, Woodward's, sheepishly admits to a rise in some prices but assures readers they remain reasonable. "Live and let live" was Woodard's curious motto. The competition between Grand Central and Woodard's, as evidenced by the ad campaigns, was fierce.
Here is a listing of the train schedules for the just up and running Knox and Lincoln Railroad
Interested in 1889 prices for raisins, pails and brooms? Check this ad from M. C. Dodge.
G. E. Gay's had just installed a new coffee roaster and roasted twice a week. (Also note the dandelions for 25 cents a can.)
Daniel H. Northey manufactured road carts and grocery wagons and included prices in his ads.

And here is a sampling of the many health and beauty aids of the day. Lets see, I found baldness cures, an insomnia treatment, a cleanse of sorts, and treatment for, ahem, male weakness to name a few. Sounds a lot like 2009!

Here is one of several blood purifiers. This one cures cases of humors, dyspepsia, catarrh, liver and bowel disorders. Other products touted even longer lists of ailments cured.
Ayer's Sarsaparilla boldly claims that it will keep you out of the insane asylum!
The market for baldness "cure" is apparently nothing new. Ayers had a product for that also.
Johnson's Anodyne Liniment cures nearly everything from asthma to lame back not to mention the more ominous bleeding from the lungs.
Dr. Reed took on patients regular doctors had sent away and cured 80% of them. Being clairvoyant came in handy; if you couldn't make it to the office you could just send in $2 and he'd cure you from a distance.
Here is my favorite: Dr. Sanden's Electric Belt. This device was for men only and while it was said to cure several ailments, its main purpose was to address a certain "vital weakness of a personal nature." It appears to be quite an elaborate device.
A postscript on the Sanden Electric Company's belt: Dr. Sanden's belt apparently was a big seller for many years. In 1914, some 25 years after this advertisement appeared the New York City Post Office took on the company and entered a fraud judgement against it and stopped mail service. In that hearing the postmaster reported Sanden was receiving 500 letters a day. Shortly thereafter, Sanden was charged with fraud in criminal court but was acquitted. Still need to know more about Dr. Sanden's amazing belt? Read on: Nostrums and quackery (1921).