The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1882-05-25
MORE FUSS AND FEATHERS THAN TAR.

A few weeks since firm. who seem will
ling TO pay for their advertising. and whose
names we therefore gratuitously omit. open
ed out stock of goods in this city. with
big flourish of bells and red flags. After
some days they disposed OF that entire stock
TO one Of our merchants, at figures which no
doubt both buyer and seller did well. Rent
ing another and better room in few days,
another stock of goods was received by the
same firm and opened out. or the chagrn
OF our permanent merchants we have moth
| ing TO say and heard but little. But there
has been rule adopted by the dry goods
men of the town. humane, and, we think,
profitable rule, OF closing up at seven O'Clock
in order that statesmen and saleswomen,
| bookkepers and cash boys. may have rest
and the evenings TO themselves. IL seems
deputation of clerks waited on the new firm,
| and requested them 10 observe the rule
Very naturally the new firm told the boys TO
mind their own business, and very naturally
i'll feelings resulted, and hot words cropped
out through the columns Of the city papers.
Ii is reasonable TO suppose, in view of the
many long, hot and weary hours of possible
confinement during the coming summer
evenings, the boys resolved OF vengeance,
The trouble now is, instead of choos-
ing some legitimate means of annoyance TO
bring the stubborn newcomers to time,
they hit upon an unlawful one. They went
at the dead hour of night and stopped,
daubed and smeared tar over the front steps
and plate glass and stills OF the building
which the new firm had rented, and in which
they are quartered And great was the sen
sation next morning. Instead of taking
| some oil, or grease, or turpentinc, and re-
moving the unseemly work, and opening up
the store at the usual hour, they put up a
glaring sign over their door, "This is what
we get for selling goods cheap" A man
| offered TO remove the tar, leaving the
building perfectly clean, for five dollars; but
they didn't want it done. Sitting down
on a pile of boxes in trout, they dis
coursed 10 the gaping crowd of the out
rage, and then of cheap goods and damages,
and the penitentiary. For two three days
this was kept up. aud 80 did the ever won
dering and remarking crowds. This was
smart of course, and just As uine out of
ten men would have done under like circum-
stances. There was much bowling, much
indignation, and very much iudieious adj
vcrtising in the dodge. To all this we have
no particular objections. But that the mis-
chlevous actions and proceedings of a lot Of
indignant clerks has damaged Wichita ten
hundred thousand million dollars, Is sauzy-
is ridiculous nonsense. Other than the pro-
i,,t -
town was damaged to the extent of ten
cents. SO far a the new merchants are con-
cerned. they have not been out nickle.
They could have opened that store in ten
minutes by throwing down a few boards.
They could have had the tar all off in two
hours. But they didn't want it of, nor don't
vet. and neither would we or any man who
knows the value of advertising. On the ac
count of that transaction no man would hes
itate one moment in coming to Wichita TO
do business or To invest his money. and the
great blow to the contrary is either in the
interest of the new firm, or from shallow
brains. For such an outrage on common de-
eency the offenders should be made TO pay
fully the proprietor OF the building.
even double or triple the amount OF
five dollars; but this howl Of ruined
city. blasted town, and the peni-
Tertiary. is thin TO righteousness. The idea
that a united and superhuman effort should
be made upon the part of an indignant and
outraged public TO put number of our own
children, and respected old and prominent
citizens into the penitentiary, or even into
the Jail, for a thoughtless and unwarranted
action of that character, is "A proposition
that won't 90 down, and We have no tar on
either our hands or brooches.
While we would not encourage such work.
nor shield the offenders from the payment of
money sufficient TO make the proprietor OF
the building whole, we do not propose TO sit
quietly by and by silence give countenance
to a howl against honorable and respectable
citizens and business men OF the town, who
are permanently of us, and who are always
ready with liberal hand and voice to forward
every real and deserving interest of Wichita.