San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-05-03
p,ogressiye.Business Methods.
Dallas AHerald

aoa sa;led with over 100000 liabili-
J. and with 100000 orless of good
ue ssts Some thirty years ago Mr..
s %s;shmann started in the cloth bus
sas in an humble way, and that
,n 's;ness grew until it reached the
D"ua'gnitude as above shown. 1t is true
i h while others have begun the same
E lu of business much more re-
uantlv than he, they have advanced
,nt;I their assets to-day are numbered
s u~ the millions of dollars, Mr..
Wscbmann, was man of great in
;~Sustry, severe economy, and scru-
nulous integrity. 1t becomes, there
t"rs,a pertinent inquiry why he failed
wben his competitors are succeeding.
IN an interview with New York re-
norter he tells his own story as to the
rsuses. He says: "The chief one is
that the whole system of the business
has changed in the last few years and
Twas slow to recognize it. 1 was
onposed to the new methods en-
loved by other houses, and stuck
r. The conservative rule of conduct
ting my house until l was
forced to succumb to the modern idea.
lam free to confess that I made
Grand mistake in holding out so long.
realize that I was behind the times"
The argument that applies to that
once prosperous house, applies to ev-
erv other industry in the country.
The lesson that is taught by it's bank
ruptcy is lesson that may be read by
every merchant, manufacturer, me-
chanic, newspaper, and all enterprises.
If we will stop to review the condi-
ton of things for the past dozen or
fifteen years, we will begin to appre-
ciate the vast changes that have been
made in every line of life. Business
methods are by no means an excep-
ton to the rule. Not long ago the bulk
of newspaper advertising was done by
persons who had patent medicines OF
something of that ilk to sell, whereas
legitimate trade was averse to such
mode of announcing it's goods for
sale. The former were seen to be-
come enormously rich through prin-
ter's ink, and one by one, regularly
established houses began to follow
suit and found it necessity, until
the exceptional cases were those who
omitted to advertise. Within the
last few years the system of drum
mers has grown in favor, and num-
bers of these latter are constantly on
the road with their samples. But
where they reach only a few men in
one day, the daily paper speaks and
proclaims to thousands every morn
ing what the merchant has for sale,
giving often the exact description Of
the articles offered, the scale of prices,
etc. We are proud, and correctly
so, to establish the general character
Of a man by one developing feature.
So, when we see man abreast of the
times, pressing his claims before the
communities whose patronage he
courts, we set him down as live in
dividual, and seeing that he pursues
the best modes to sell, concludes that
he has been equally awake in the
righteousness of his purchases to
the end that he may offer the best
bargains to his customers. Mr.. WEIGH
mann realized only too late that he
was behind the times in adopting cur
rent practices. So, it is with the
newspaper that fails to get the largest
amount and best quality of the latest
news, or to use the most approved
modern machinery to make the issue
the equal or superior of any competi-
tor. So with the factory, the me-
chanic, the dealer in all articles of de-
sire. The goods to be sold and the
name of the parties selling them must
be made as familiar as household
words, and the most effective way to
do this is through the columns OF the
paper that regularly goes to the hearth,
stones and counters of thousands OF
homes and stores. True this must
be done with wise discretion. There
Is beneficial and there is a foolish
way of advertising. The first sort is
asplendid investment, the latter an
absurd squandering of money. Ad-
Vertising, like effort, physical, mental
or moral, to produce correct results,
must be regular and permanent, and
not haphazzard and sporadic. Those
who observe well the rules, with 9TH
er points as well guarded as were Mr.
Weichmann's, never need fear being
left in the rear of ruin as he has been
as himcnlf nnrfnccnS and q nrOpreSS-