In a 1889 New York Times Newspaper article, a writer was investigating the recent trend of advertising. Before the 1880's many readers mistrusted advertising, thinking that if the manufacturer had to advertise his wares then there must be something wrong with them. This was back when most people shopped at their local general store and trusted to the clerk to recommend the best product.

Things started change. Wards and Sears began selling items through catalogs. People were reading more, and Advertising slowly took off. One of the first people to understand this was Paul Wirt.

The writer of this article asked several people if they paid any attention to advertisements. Many said that they often looked at the ads in passing, but they did not influence their buying habbits. The Writer then asked to see the pen and watch that the interviewee carried. He was surprised to see so many Wirt pens and Waltham watches, two of the most advertised items in the mid 1880's. Not exactly a scientific study to be sure, but it makes a point about the effectiveness of Wirt's ads.