The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-07-11
SENSIBLE TALK.
Experience" Tells what Is Wanted to
Make Business Better In Rock
Island.

Rock ISLAND, July II.
Editor ARGUs:-"Get up and dust" had
better get down from the tree, and look
at the pride of the city from a horizontal
| basis. Why dust, the diluvium of which
only encircles the rich mans pride of the
! city-the COW pastures. But then it
looks so rural and puts them SO much in
| mind of their boyhood days. 1t renders
the cholera sign of stores for rent,
| less conspicuous, and the buildings have
more of a uniform color and require less
paint. Get up and dust! yes, that's just
what every merchant, with any snap in
him at all will do if the people that own
| the two will not exercise a more liberal
spirit of home support in every branch of
trade. 1t will not be matter of choice,
| but pure necessity. What, it is dull all
over the country you sayH Why, of
course it is; we know all about that. But
where the blood is constantly drained out
| of town. what else can you expect but
to ''swape it up and bury it dacentlyY'
| | will illustrate one cause of the dust
| applicable TO the plague in great many
instances. Several years ago the writer
was called to fine residence TO give an
estimate on some work After we'd got
through dickering on little job of re-
pairs, the lady asked me to make a tour
of inspection through the rooms and see
a lot of furniture, dry goods. fancy
goods. etc, which she had just received
| from Chicago, stating the price. | re-
piled that | thought it very narrow
| mil 10 Inn lyrncly In
our home merchants, especially as | knew
positively that she could have bought the
very same articles here for less money.
She said, "Oh, we never buy anything in
| Rock lslandl We make up list of
everything We want and then ge to Chi
cago and buy everything, as the assort'
ment is SO much larger there" Yes, but
you yourself have stores for rent; how
can you expect the merchant to keep up
an assortment, pay you the rent, pay
taxes to keep up the town, insurance and
| all other expenses if you take the rent
money he pays you and 60 to other cities
and buy the wares he has for sale2 Would
| it not be better to support
our merchants and keep our
stores occupied2 Such a disposition
on the part of the most influential citizens
will sour the most genial merchant spirit
and make him dust. Yet, now as we pass
by the stores, We see the city coat of arms
for rent, smiling like big sun flower
that floats along with the breezes. Why,
some go as far as to leave their measure
in Chicago and have to get their clothes
made there, just AS though we didn't have
as good cutters here as they have any,
where. suppose the next thing we'll
hear they will leave orders there for extra
large sizes in hats.
Rock Island is beautifully and most
advantageously situated by nature. our
artisans are as skilled and our merchants
are as entcrprising, have as good a com,
mercial credit, buy and sell as low as
they do anywhere; (and it has often been
commented upon as a wonder that they
do not fail more than they do.) But if
the citizens who buy the better class of
goods do not wake up and say Rock ISL
and first last and every time in preference
to some other place, the assessor will in
a short time have an easy job and save
much muscular exercise in gazing at the
signs ''for rent" Yours,
EXPERIENCE.