“Your business is ours” (PIP #7)

By Louise Peloquin

Here’s what Louis-A. Biron has to say about advertising.

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L’Etoile’s mission is serving Lowell’s French-Canadian community. Therefore, presenting businesses which can knowledgeably cater to its needs and wishes is a priority. We want to offer readers information to facilitate daily life.

I make it a point to examine each advertising order. I ask myself whether or not the establishment, whilst legitimately aiming at enlarging its market, has its clientele’s best interest in mind. The concern for my industrious, hard-working readers is ever present and I believe they are well aware that L’Etoile inserts are worthy of consideration. Our newspaper team is part of the clientele was well after all.

My myopic eyes are quite strained from decades of juggling words in dimly-lit cubbyholes. Why bring up this infirmity? I suspect that some of you fellow Lowellians have noticed me at a certain downtown office, n’est-ce pas?

 When Joseph-F. Montminy placed an order bearing the slogan –

You do not go there blindly visiting 492 Merrimack Tel 6211  (1) –

 I did not hesitate to acknowledge the value of his order. Indeed, he has satisfied many a patient during his years in service and I am among them.

I must say that the discretion of this insert, and its the clever word play, evokes a favorite quotation of mine.

Le bien ne fait pas de bruit et le bruit ne fait pas de bien. Good does not make noise and noise does not do good.

Food for thought especially when consuming advertisements. But let us think about the kind of food that nourishes our bodies.

We French-Canadians are big eaters and most of us enjoy preparing meals. We do not skimp on ingredients. Adding a measure of this, a pinch of that, a generous dollop of cream, a thick pat of butter, a chunk of lard, a strip of salt pork, these culinary enhancements are always welcome. I wonder what Marie is preparing for our evening meal. When I left the house this morning, she was gathering ingredients for a pie crust. Perhaps yesterday’s roast chicken scraps will turn into a deep dish pot pie?

There has been quite a bit of talk about food price variations lately, which has prompted me to conduct a little investigation. We recently published the following brief in our columns.

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“The prices of food products”

We notice the changes below in the current prices.
Yesterday, flour increased by 25 cents a barrel and sugar decreased a half cent per pound.
Lard increased by one cent per pound.
Florida strawberries sell at 50 cents a basket which we do not consider very high at this season.
Potatoes increased by 5 cents per measure of 15 pounds or peck and sell for 55 cents while in other places they remain at 50 cents.
Spinach leaves are rare and are sold at 35 cents per measure of 3 pounds or peck.
Fish is rare and expensive. (2)

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Shoppers are constantly on the lookout for “specials.” Here are examples of what two of Lowell’s bonnes maisons (3) offer.

Ben Hur or Musketeer Flour, in wooden barrels only

Saunders’ Market 

Extra Special this Friday and Saturday

Cans of tomatoes at 12c.             Bottle of Tomato Ketchup at 12c

Cans of corn at 10c.                    Can of pears in syrup at 10c

Cans of green beans at 10c.        Can of clam chowder at 10c

Valued at 32c.    All for 25c.       Valued at 32c.    All for 25c

Pure Lard per pound  18c       Eggs first choice box of a dozen  25c 

Cans of peas at 10c.                      Pack of rolled oats at 10c

Can of evaporated milk at 10c.     Bottle of vinegar at 10c

Can of salmon at 10c.                   Pack of wheat at 12c  

Valued at 30c    All for 25c.          Valued at 32c    All for 25c

Butter  Choice quality for the table, lb. 37c.     Oleo “Swift” white lb.  23c

Tea New mixed tea or pure Oolong, 5 lbs.    $1.10.    Milk rich condensed 11 ounce can  10c 

Pillsbury or Gold Medal flour—————-Always sold

20 pounds of sugar in burlap bags lined with muslin—————-$7.10

Cans of sauerkraut 12c / 5 lbs. of granulated sugar / 5 lbs. of sugar in thick paper   37c /Large cans of new garden spinach  12c

Sardines In good oil 7  cans 25c.  Soap Hammer Brand 8 pieces  25c (4)

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All of the above are competitively-priced pantry staples.

Another market offers boucherie (5) and poultry items.

Union Market
173-175 Middlesex
Foot of South St 

Special for Friday and Saturday

The prices are lower than ever. The quality is the best.

Legs of lamb and Filets
Front quarters
Veal cutlets
Cutlets
Veal steaks
Pork meatballs
Pig ears
Pig snout
Pig heads
Freshly killed chicken
Freshly killed goose
Freshly killed duck (6)

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French-Canadian favorites are included here, those succulent pieces of pork which we so enjoy. Undoubtedly the Union Market also carries pork belly and pig’s feet. A ragoût pattes de cochon et ses boulettes (7) would allow us to usher in the winter season comfortably, wouldn’t it?

We print many more advertisements. If your establishment enters L’Etoile’s columns, your business will also be ours.

Augment Your

BUSINESS AFFAIRS

By Publicizing

The Merchants of Lowell
should retain a space in

L’ETOILE

in order to make known to the Purchasing Public what they have to sell

Augment your Business and Encourage
Your Local Newspaper by
Inserting an Advertisement

Our Printing Department is ready
to execute all sorts of work, from
calling cards to signs.

Luxury Work a Specialty. (8)

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1)        Translation by Louise Peloquin.

2)        Translation by Louise Peloquin of a brief published on January 3, 1917.

3)        “Good houses,” French expression used for reputable shops.

4)        Translation by Louise Peloquin.

5)        Butcher’s shop.

6)        Translation by Louise Peloquin.

7)        Hearty stew made with pig’s feet and pork meatballs simmered in a rich brown sauce.

8)        Translation by Louise Peloquin.