rtisements is more than a
privilege, more than an honor, more than art--it is _cash_! There have
been sandwich-men. There shall be _sandwich-artists_! Gentlemen, you
will make history. If you feel you don't measure up to the job, you can
get the hell out of here!"

They not only signed, but begged to begin on that day, even though it
was Friday. But H. R. was adamant.

"Monday!" he said, "and no more remarks. Report at nine A.M., dressed
like gentlemen."

Andrew Barrett reported enthusiastically that nearly every shop on the
Avenue was ready to sign contracts if Valiquet's began. There had been
some skepticism, and expectations were keyed up to the snapping-pitch.

Mr. Gwathmey sent a dozen designs for boards and the model of the
Ultimate Sandwich. It was really a beautiful piece of work. H. R.'s luck
was with him. The young Frenchman who did it came into his own years
later.

H. R. accepted them on official stationery of the society, ordered one
hundred of each size, and also asked that the designs of the
sandwich-boards be engraved in color. He told Barrett to get Valiquet's
written acceptance of his order.

On Sunday all the newspapers were impressively notified that there would
be some novel and revolutionary advertising on the Avenue. To insure
attention, the newspapers were simultaneously informed also that the
Fifth Avenue Merchants' Guild had decided to advertise more extensively
in the daily press. New York would give an object-lesson in optimism and
confidence to the rest of the country. This would allay all fears as to
the fundamental soundness of the general business situation. Wall Street
might be in the dumps, but the legitimate merchants, up to the full-page
size, were more truly representative of the metropolis.

Fleming had been told to detail himself, Mulligan, and the four most
typical sandwiches in the society to act as the advance-guard. He and
the five were at the office early Monday morning, so were the four
histrionic artists, so was Max Onthemaker with nineteen injunctions,
writs, and legal documents neatly typewritten, three process-servers,
and thirty copies of a statement for the newspapers.

Each sandwich-man received his board and a copy of his own speech. It
was a plea for equal rights and the cessation of hostilities against a
poor man simply because he had no money, a prayer for the enforcement of
the Constitution, and three quotations from that obsolete Book that
taught sandwi