Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-05-31
The Crops and Trade.

From all that we can learn crop
prospects are generally good. If they
should turn out as good as expected
what will be the effect upon business?
Shall we in consequence have better
times? The answer to these questions
depends altogether upon the conduct
Of those whose condition becomes
improved. With the exception
of the comparatively small
quantity Of money brought into the
country by minors all the money
handled by Grant County citizens
must come through the hands of the
farmers. The much ridiculed Grang-
er feeds US all. Many of them claim
that for the past six months they have
only had money enough to buy their
sugar and salt and have gone in debt
for their clothing and machinery.
When the new crop is turned into
money, if the money is put into its
proper channels at home the effect
Will be mutual relief. We have known
men to purchase large quantities of
of goods at stores in the villages of
Grant County on credit and then
when they have come in possession Of
money, 10 take it to Dubuque and ex-
pend it under the impression that they
were getting goods cheaper than they
could get them at home. Those who
follow this practice will not learn that
for cash they can buy as cheap at
home as in the city. With fair test
we fully believe that with fifty dol
lars in sight man can get greater
value in goods at Nathan, Schreiner
81 Co.'S, or at John p. Lewis's than
he could at Dubuque. We presume
this to be true of Rogers 81 Baily or
Oswald & Shuttleworth, of Fenni-
more, of Ivey & Webb, in British
Hollow, or any other store in our
country villages. If a man who wants
TO buy a wagon goes to a city dealer
whore be is not known the deal err
thinks only of cash and names a cash
price. If he goes to his neighbor,
John Pollock, or Hough & Co, in the
village, these dealers must make al
lowance for credit till the next crop
or till job is paid for, and run the
chances on the purchaser then spend-
ing his money somewhere else for a
buggy or piano, and they must
gauge their prices accordingly. Thus
prices are seemingly higher at home
than away from home. 1t may be
remarked here that tradesmen are
themselves partly to blame for the
credit system. We find that in our
own experience many dealers offer a
premium tor credit and bad debts.
There are, we will say, two laboring
men, one of whom makes good use OF
every dollar he earns. He never
makes debt; buys everything for
cash. The other squanders the money
he gets and becomes debter to every
person who will trust him. The man
who pays is SIN it'll the debt man is
Jones. Now there are ajority oil
our business men, who, if they want q
Job OF work done will reason thus
"Well, Smith is the best workman
but Jones owes me; If | want my pay
| will have to take it ont in work.
And so the industrious, prompt pay.
ing man loses job he might have
had If he had made debt and had
the reputation Of being poor pay. If
we should list for inspection the
amount of business given and taken
in this way it would astonish some o
our business men. Perhaps 1t is jus
as well, but if it is it is not becoming
in our merchants and traders to con
denim the credit system, nor to sneel
at men who don't pay. If there is
premium offered for negligence in
payments the man is foolish who viii
not take the premium. But the poin
f we wished TO impress upon our read
f ers is the mutual advantage of keep
! ing their money at home. 1t mar
comes from another city or county
and offers You tea, cloths, or sewing
machine try first whether you cannot
do as well by buying of your neigh
bor IF You can and the practice be
, comes universal among us we will no
need TO complain of hard times.