The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-02-21
A Little Checking Back.

VI. l.. Dunlap, Of Champaign, Il thoroughly
intelligent practical farmer, who for so many
wears has delighted and instructed the farm
crs of the northwest by his writings in the
Chicago TribHae over the name Of "Rural,
combines vast deal of good sense with some
harmless raillery in the following extracts
which we cut from one of his late contribu.
ions to the TytJWac. There is no doubt that
in their present zeal for reform, some of the
more enthusiastic among the farmers will
not be hurt by Il little occasional checking
back of this sort. Mr.. Dunlap's idea evident
| ly Is that there is possibility of slightly
OVERRIDING the best Of undertakings He says
While the Legislature has its hand in in re-
gard to the law Of cheats, it might benefit the
farmer to make that section in regard To ob
taiAing money and goods under false preten-
SEES little broader, so rs to include false
representations in regard to the sale of pat.
entS, notes, etc.
PEDDLING GROCERIES.
The selling of groceries at retail at whole
sale prices to the farmer is nothing new: but,
of late, the business has been enlarged in Oh
der to accommodate the Changers. Some DAYS
since one of these philanthropis,s gave Us
call. He could sell groceries of all kinds at
Chicago wholesale prices, adding five per cent
for freight, and making up into small pack.
ages; the goods to be delivered free at the
depot on certain day, where all the purcha,-
ers could meet TO get their goods. On an en-.
animation of samples and prices, | found
that, with few exceptions, the prices were
fully up to those of our retail dealers, and in
the case of syrups, about ten cents per gallon
higher But as there is no assurance that,
these bummers will send goods ACCORDING to
the sample, and, even if they did, nothing is
gained, | modestly declined to be put on
level with the Changers in this laudable en-.
tcrpIisc.
\ few days since received circular in
regard to
\ NEW BOON
that was to be sold direct to the farmer, with.
out the swindling interference of middlcmen. |
The induCement for me to act in the enter
prise in giving the farmer a cheap book was
per cent, or one-third of the gross
sale. This is very good arrangement as, in
case one farmer pays an extra price for the |
book, the agent, being another farmer, makes |
the profit, and thus, in this way, the farmer
becomes his own middleman. We have to .
hire lawyers, doctors, preachers, and school
teachers; why not take those from among US,
ana thus keep the money in our own hands {?
The farmer who has time to play book agent
has time to get up sermon, or he may teach
school, or get book of receipts and practice
medicine, or buy book of forms and di-
sest, and do up the law tor his fellows. This
IS buying goods at retail at wholesale prices
and dispensing with middlemen. The book !,
in question is sold at least fifty cents copy
in advance of trade prices; but no NATTER
he farmer who acts as agent gets one-thrd of
his for collecting the other two-thrds for the
publisher. This is certainly an
age of progress, and the ingenuity of man is
ar reaching to grasp the philanthropic meas
Tres that are to bless the Changers and the
farmers Clubs. Some will no doubt fail in
he good cause, while many will succeed. For
me, feel like subscribing to a monument to
he memory of all this class, in order to en-. {
outrage them to continued efforts L
\ book that is to tell the farmer all about !
lis mission, and to be sold to him without /
lie aid of the book store, is boon for which t
ye should be duly grateful We might abol. i
sh all the book stores and receive our books {
through the agents of our Clubs and Oranges, t
md thus secure to ourselves the profit that c
hese monopOlists now put into their own {
pockets. If we can buy plows and reapers at {
'etail at wholesale prices, we ought to do so
II the small matter Of books. |
There has been great deal said in regard i
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES. Ia
D none, but equal and exact justice to all ?
ut this is getting old, and should only apply Ii
} the Changers and Farmers Clubs,-more a
specially to the latter as they pay So each Il
the outset, and ten cents month thereaf. g
,r for the privilege. After all, this question "
middlemen has its difficulties and dangers, "
nd it may be some time before the thing o
i'll have become matter of history S
do not know but that it would be good g
ling for the farmers of the Northwest to
INT the
BOARD OF TRADE ROOMS, r
nd put in one man to sell the wheat; anoth- 81
r, the corn; another, the oats and 50 on il
trough the list In this way, twenty or thir- il
2 men could do all that is now done by the "
tx hundred or eight hundred members, and W
lakc vast saving in commissions, as we e.
ou'd get plenty of men who would be glad IL
I these situations for 500 month. ! throw :"