The Delta independent., 1889-07-23

changes has the following to say in regard to
building up n town:
would like to call your readers attention
to the much talked-of booming town and
building up the village The first thing
absolutely necessary to a complete success is
to work together for the real good of the town
to be doomed. am talking to the merchants
who read this paper, and shall talk of class
they are familiar with, namely, themselves.
1 start out with the assertion that every farm
er's team driven into the town is a benefit not
only to every dealer in that place, butts bene-
tit to the property value of the inhabitants.
Ifv"u live in a town and own any property
there, its worth is always enhanced by lively
appearance on the streets, caused in no way so
easily as by lots of farm wagons in the streets
at all times of the day and evening. Strang-
ers are FIRST impressed with this particular
phase ofa villages prosperity, and, if looking
for n new location, the choice will light on
that town that shows the most life on the
streets when they are there. The main thing
is to bring the farmers to the place, and, when
once there, to use them in such q manner that
they are bound not only to come again but to
tIlclT HelSIDDTS. WHO VIII come also, ana
in this way a lasting "boom" will light on the
place aud stay with it. My own experience
in this matter ofbringing farmers to town and
holding their trade will be of lasting benefit,
as the experience is actual and the benefit
sure. Two years ago adopted the plan of
paying the very top price for butter and eggs,
often paying above the market quotations for
A No. stock. Of course 1 only and always
paid III trade, by which was able to pay far
above the standard price for these two articles
so near to the average farmers heart. Some
weeks, when the other dealers would cut down
the prices of these things, would raise my
price sometimes to such price that all the
profit on ton of butter and 80 crates of eggs,
or rather on the goods that paid for them
with, would be nothing at all or very close to
this, Right here was the secret ofmy success,
paying as much, in to cents, as was for
butter or eggs. This fact was spread for miles,
and more teams could be counted on the
streets in one day than we were used to seeing
in a week. Do notsuppose that received all
the benefit of this influx, but then got the
large end. Every mar in the town did as
much again business then as they did formerly,
but this did not harm me in the least, for the
trade that secured to myself more than paid
any occasional loss, while the rise in my real
estate was considerable. Often at business
mems meetings, the other merchants would
try to combine and run down the price of but
ter and eggs to paying basis, when would
advance rs much as they would fall.
One time last spring in particular the price
agreed upon for eggs was cents when we
were paying IL cents. l heard "l,oard of
Trade price is cents for eggs and l2 cents tor
butter" from dozens ofsources in the next day
or two. Ny course of action was plain. l
would pay IA cents for eggs and 16 cents for
butter. / paid only in trade, SO that for the
week that held this high price there was no
profit at all in the sales, nor was there any
loss, and the amount of free advertising that
got more than paid for my labor, while the
town received benefit that will last a full
year. Dozens of teams were driven here for
20 miles that never would have come but for
the extra price that paid. Property values
advanced, the general business of the town
doubled, my trade for the month was five
times the same as for the previous year, and
the net profit more than double for the month.
Again, wishing to stir up little enthusiasm
in the place, l advertised to sell all kinds of
spices at the uniform price of 90 cents per
pound in full pounds only. The result for the
two weeks was nearly 800 pounds Of spices
sold at about 10 per cent profit on an average,
and the streets full of teams from morning till
night. That was the last two weeks in May,
and 1t is safe to say that more teams were in
the village in the two weeks than in the month
of May and June, 1887. Do you think itpays
to work cheap for few days, or would you
rather trade one. fourth as much at full
profit? The conclusion is easily drawn. IF
the farming community will go elsew where to
sell their produce their cash goes also, and the
opposition town will get the plums. would
suggest that the farmers produce be held at
its full value at all times, as nine out Of ten
farmers would sooner pay 25 per cent more
for goods than take cents less for their pro-
duce, which is usually n large part of the
farmers cash. 1t may take little backbone
to follow the plan that ] do, but it pays.
More than this, the influence of SO much extra
business will work wonders in ones general
and cash trade. In this way town can be
"boomed" by one man alone, but action in
concert will be more satisfactory and the re-
suits better, while the balance of profit will
be on the right side every time. In conclus-
ion will say, that universally high prices
for farmers produce will add more to towns
prosperity than any other thing will lido, while
the reverse, uniformly low prices, will exert
q damaging influence on the trade ofthe town.
Then, fellow merchants, use your full powers
to keep up the value of farm produce and
your reward shall be great. In my next ]
will show how the merchants wife and
daughters, as well as himself, can hurts Will
ages prosperity and stand in the way ofany-
thing like boom.
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The following is taken from one of our ex.
changes in the northern part of the State and