But his energy was not exhausted. No one ever knew what it cost in labor
and material to erase those three signs; but after ten days they had
vanished completely, and the boy heaved a sigh of satisfaction and
turned his attention to extending the campaign.
On the farm nearest to Elmhurst at the north, which belonged to a man
named Webb, was a barn, facing the road, that displayed on its side a
tobacco sign. Kenneth interviewed Mr. Webb and found that he received no
money for the sign; but the man contended that the paint preserved his
barn from the weather on that side. So Kenneth agreed to repaint the
entire barn for him, and actually had the work done. As it took many
coats of paint to blot out the sign it was rather a expensive operation.
By this time the campaign of the youthful proprietor of Elmhurst against
advertising signs began to be talked of throughout the county, and was
the subject of much merriment among the farmers. Some of them were
intelligent enough to admire the young Quixote, and acknowledged frankly
that it was a pity to decorate their premises with signs of patent
medicines and questionable soaps.
But the majority of them sneered at the champion, and many refused
point-blank to consider any proposition to discard the advertisements.
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