I love this.
When Thomas Jefferson was upset at the many edits to his draft of the Declaration of Independence, Benjamin Franklin shared an anecdote about a hatter trying to name his store:
He composed [a sign] with these words: ‘John Thompson, Hatter, Makes and Sells Hats for Ready Money,’ with a figure of a hat subjoined: but he thought he would submit it to his friends for their amendments.
The first…thought the word ‘Hatter,’ tautologous, because [it was] followed by the words ‘makes hats.’ which shew he was a Hatter. It was struck out.
The next observed that the word ‘makes’ might as well be omitted, because his customers would not care who made the hats.
A third said he thought the words, ‘for ready money,’ were useless, as it was not the custom of the place to sell on credit. They were parted with.
The inscription now stood, ‘John Thomson: Sells Hats.’
‘Sells Hats,’ says his next friend? Why, nobody will expect you t’o give them away… It was stricken out, and ‘hats’ followed it…as there was one painted on the board.
So his inscription was reduced ultimately to ‘John Thomson’ with the figure of a hat subjoined.
I wonder if his store was a success.