Dodge City times., 1891-11-27

low OOttoIS l0OTc. Ssit II WOfAcu HUI
harm to Dodge City than is generall
thought by the parties interested in tn
move. We had on sewers! occasions ex
postulaied with the prOprie;ors Of Ger
tain grocery houses, and tried in reas
enable way to show them that they wer,
doing q positive injury to the business o
the town in thus trying to keep the price
up on these articles. Sugar was seilin.
Is pounds for Sl.O0 when 20 pound
could be had for the SAME 81 90 in ever
little town around us, AMI notwithstand
ing our informing them that the large
portion if not almost the whole of thu
east end Of the county was trailing a
Kinsley, that many people living IN thu
west eud found that dollar went further
in Cimsrron than in Dodge City, thai
Jetmore was receiving regular customer
from the north part of the county for The
same cause. these high prices were still
kept up. until, by means unknown to US
some OF them wers brought to theiI
senses. and met the cut In prices made by
competing towns. To day. you can buy
most of the articles even cheaper in
Dodge than in Kinsley. Jetmore or Gin
arroa, but this trade once driven from
our doors is not SO easily sega;ned. and
there is no use in trying to deny the fact
that Dodge City has teea y heavy iosel
and the above named towns the gamer
In this deal. and very large gamers too.
We had big part of the trade of Wheat
land township, in which live some u the
most thrifty psaple il our county. Some
have tried to account for this loss in one
way aud some IN another, but there is
simply one explanation and that is that
. man will trade where his dollar goes
the fsrthssI.
There IL another thing that has cut
quite figure in this loss of trade, and
that is this: Being q railroad division
there are thousands Of nqliars paid ou,
here monthly, this money is always sure
and is in no way effected by Q crop fail
ure. Is in the case Of the farmer, and we
want to ssy right here that this railroad
trade Ia undoubtedly the main prop to
the business Of the town, but notwith-
standing all it has Leen the cause of ouz
losing sight Of nearly all the trade ex-
cept it. We have in fact been conten,
to sit right down With the absolute as
sqrance that this trade Is Of itself enough
to keep Dodge City from going back
ward, and, like the government clerk
who receives a stated salary and never
expects TO receive any more. never ex-
poets to receive any less, and is we'll CON
tented to plod alGps this path to the end
Of his days-iust like him, we have been
we'll pleased to stand IDLY by with this
sure trade at our hack and see our neigh
bors forge ahead. 1t is the absolute
certainty of this trade that makes &C
many of our merchants little care
whether they gain any other trade or not.
We have the past two weeks made spe-
cial inquiries to find out how the bus-
ness of this fall compares with that Oi
last year, and to our surprise We found
very few indeed who could report ~
increase over last year's business. ani
this too, when Ford county has JUS
harvested the largest crop in tie histor,
IS a county.
The question that should be agitating
the minds of the business men of Dodge
City is, how can We regain lost trads,
and keep right on adding to it. A vel
organized board Of trade could undoubt-
edly do much In this direction, but ther'
10 still another and far more effective
way Of bringing about this mpch desired
result and that ls through iudicious ad
vertisipg. II Is often said that advertis-
ing does not pay, and unless done In th,
right way it dont pay. II grocer mer
chant nuts an ad. in . weekly paper stat
ing that he carries full line of groceries
and that he is located on such q corner
and You are inyited TO call and see hin
and never change tho reading Of his ad
he vii! he doing his business just a
much good by taking the money paid Ou
for such advertising and sticking Il i
the stove. But on the other hand h
places . good hls ad in q paper whicl
circUlstes among the trade he desires
securci he tells the people who hav
been trading elsewhere that they ca
now get more groceries fer a dollar |
Dodge than in Kinsley. Cimarrou. or Je'
more, which is the truth. that Dodg
daes now as it always has. pay more fo
everything the farmer has to sell tha
any town within Iadius Of 70 mile
that with three OF the largest dry good
clothing. and boot and shoe establish
ments in the western part of the stat,
with all other lines of merchandise equa
ly well represented: with sharp shrew
business men at the head OF these estal
Ilishments, who are able TO buy at II
lowest figures, with such vigorous cou
petition among them that the small maj
gin of profit is frequently in favor Of u
buyer instead of the seller; with all thes
I'd antages Of Dodge City as tradir
point for Ford and adjoining countie
plainly set before the people. there ca
bs NO question than Dodge City wou
almost double her present business.
When it is shown clearly to man tn
| he can sell his produce for more and bu
whatever he needs for less in . certa
town you may rest assured that tn
town will be his trailing point, and
ought to be. Just such place ID bod
City, now that the combination on gr'
ceEies has beel broken. But II bod,
City has al these advantages. what got
are they going to do her unless she do
, through some means let the outsi'
world know Of them. There are pro
ably some three or four busineaa Arms
the whole city Who in IN indiRs
q