Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1886-06-08
MISCELLANEOUS.
Merit the Trade Mark of Sue
cess.
oualfyfhe True Test Of Tatuc.

top so Quik Wei, 1t was this way.
We avoided time Concerns and bought
under the hamer. Upon the catalogs
was every conceivable item of mer-
chandize. We bought fndistrimi-
nately everything that was butchered.
regardles of regular lines or depart
ments, and when we got bargains we
sold bargains. The modest five per
cent we added was scarcely felt and
the grand leaders were big advertise
ments wherever they fel. We avoided
the fatal folly of piling on percentage
that would strip the sledgehammer of
its giant power, and as we found
prosperity and popularity in this iron
rule we urged upon all who were fight
ing for great results the absolute ne
cessity of placing a close and quic
prolific of twenty-five per cent. at retail
Upon all ther bargains and on special
leaders ten or twelve. All who had
the nerve to adopt and stick to the
principle grew into prominence and
became famous from the very jump.
Sales doubled and quadrupled until
1t seemed as If there could be no
limit. The periodical visits twice a
year gave way to monthly trips to the
metropolis interspersed with weekly
and often daily orders and with these
successful champions it wss no long
er question that tile modest little
percentage that swept the counters
and shelves and choked up the, con-
Germ With pepte and loaded the bank
account, had achieved the magnificent
result; of course. it was money
down" and i" always atfay Under the
Market" but it was the small mar
ging upon the real values that drove
credit competition from the path after
the fashion of cyclone upon the old
log cabin in the lane. These spiendid
fellows Who run the rule for its high
est Talte vii tel you that they found
more substantial results selling one
hundred dofars day at twenty-five
per cent, than fifty and one hundred
per cent. sometimes two hundred up
on sales that aggregated but one hun
dred dollars week. He who cut close
was perfect parallel With tft soldier
who fired thirty times with the re-
peater to every shot of the flint lock.
Otte boiled the business of ten years
down into one, the other took whole
year to do the work of a month.
Sharp rapid profits drove one to the
top. Unreasonable. percentages arm
in arm with credit dragged the other
down into oblivion. Look back over
the storm-swept field of the past. ten
years of our eventful history and say
in honest candor If these are facts or
fancy, whether solid reality or simple
theory. We believe our interests lie
in the same direction, and only ask
yort to follow over the short, strait
way where we have led.
Why are Dunn, Wood and Brad
streets weeklies with mercantile NOR
tality to the tune of two hundred mil
lions year? It is because the
masses of merchants do not know
where or how to buy right, mitch les
how to sci cheap, winding up by chalk
ing it down on the ledger (might as
well give it away and the customer
along With it) instead of raking in the
omnipotent-ttle fourth month note
comes due and the bank demands the
coin-not the worthless book accounts
but all this time there are close cash
coftcern pouring in their unanswer-
able fire at short range in flank, front
and fear, and yet you ask why de-
serving men sink to the bottom and
others With far les ability, standing
and reputation, go to the front. One
gets all he can the other sells as quic
and close as he can, and short year
demonstrates that big sales upon the
very narfo~est margin Of profit viii
smash indiscrimthateiy the big major
ity that hangs on to the old idea of
" making hay while the sun shine" "
the real champion believes in utilizing
the light of the moon as wei and makes
a dozen small profits against the single
one of credit competition, and when
day breaks the field is won.
Another thing about big values
Pay day people are almost ashamed
to risk refusal when you are so far
below the regular ledger prices. The
toughest old timber could scarcely
muster nerve to ask you to charge on
the Office bible. needles, pins, black
ing, soap and tape at one cent, other
leaders in proportien-Anda admitting
they had sufficient cheek they would
be crowded out by the masses of cash
buyers always on the jump for genu-
inc bargains. And it is a wei known
fact that those of our patrons who
have altered and shaped their bus
mess upon the basis of small profits
have doubled and trebIed and quad
rupled. partitions torn down. and
moved into adequate quarters to Civ
full and fair play to a system that in
sures success, immediate, rapid and
colosal-liliputians then, now giants
marching on with a giants stride
And when peple wonder at the me
teoric career and phenomenal success
the answer boiled down is that it was
the result of handling values at the
lowest ninimum of percentage, and
the enormous aggregate told story
nor were We alone in the grand march
there were others that caught up
the idea, saw the force of the simple
rule, followed it with an iron viii, and
frum comparative obscurity beat all
and stood at the top, leaders