Manchurian Books

The old merchant used to tote about commodities; the new one
creates values. Doesn't need to tote. He takes something that isn't
worth anything--or something that isn't particularly worth anything--and
he makes it worth something. He takes mustard that is just like anybody
else's mustard, and he goes about saying, shouting, singing, chalking
on walls, writing inside people's books, putting it everywhere, 'Smith's
Mustard is the Best.' And behold it is the best!"
"True," said my uncle, chubbily and with a dreamy sense of mysticism;
"true!"
"It's just like an artist; he takes a lump of white marble on the verge
of a lime-kiln, he chips it about, he makes--he makes a monument to
himself--and others--a monument the world will not willingly let die.
Talking of mustard, sir, I was at Clapham Junction the other day, and
all the banks are overgrown with horse radish that's got loose from
a garden somewhere. You know what horseradish is--grows like
wildfire--spreads--spreads. I stood at the end of the platform looking
at the stuff and thinking about it.


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