Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-12-01
A LITTLE LECTURE
The Free Press Composes One for the
Attention of a Number of Our
Merchants.
An Embezzler is Caught and Then
Manages to Escape the Laws
Clutch.
A Former Pierre Printer in Jail in
Sioux City-The Local News
Resume.
Resume.

The FREE Press feels like indulging in
little lecture to the merchants and 9TH
cr business men of Pierre There is evil
IDENTIFY something wrong in the make up
of the community. for only small por-
tion of the money that should be spent
here for many small articlesis spent here,
but city merchants get the benefit OF this
trade. The mails are loaded down with
packages from the big department stores of
the cities, and express companies make
their heaviest profits from the same class
of business. Why is this so? Cannot our
merchants afford to sell as cheap as our
people can buy elsewhere? The expense
of postage and express must be paid by
the buyer. whereas the merchants get the
benefit of cheaper rates by freight. As a
matter of tact the FREE PRESS believes
that in many, If not in most, eases the
customer could do as well COR better with
local merchants than by sending away,
but the habit is formed and is hard to
break up.
One potent factor in building up this
outside mail business is that the city
sample newspapers with advertisements
giving lists OF Special!ics ard bargains.
These catalogues and ,.cN ;,"ptia ar TAX
en- home where they can be read and pom
dcred over at leisure. and the result is
that lists are made out and letters are
written ordering articles that may or may
not be needed, simply because they appear
a ~ II nj nj
merchants pursue the intelligent plan OF
advertising that the city merchants do,
and frequently go through their stocks
and select specialtics and advertise them,
and make q business Of looking up such
things for the advantage Of their custom
crs. it would not be long until large por-
ton Of this mail business would be cut oil
ana they would be getting the money.
In writing this article we have before MS
the latcs, copies of three of the Pierre
: newspapers, and yet do not find the ad-
vertisemcnt of a single dry goods or gen
eral merchandise store in one OF them,
and vet we have reason TO believe that
there are such stores in the city: this, too,
at a time when people are looking about
for the holiday purchases and rounding
up the winters supply of clothing and
other supplies. In view of this state Is it
any wonder that our people send their
money where they are invited to, and
when the merchants take the pains TO let
them know that they have certain things
to sell at certain prices.
Looking through the same three papers
but one establishment selling groceries,
fruits, etc, and that one is advertised in
all three. and yet We all know there are
many more Ii must be remembered that
every store and every branch OF business
is infringed upon by this mail business.
and yet when our merchants make no cf-
fort 10 hold il here how can they expect
to do so.
This is the capital of the state and the
natural superstition would be that there
would be hotels, restaurants and boarding
houses here, but careful pcruSal OF all
three papers fails to show that we have
any of these useful articles, although the
state legislature is billed to be here in less
than six weeks. Does this not indicate
that our people do not want business?
. THERE'S always something alta state cap
ital to make it necessary for outside par
ties TO employ lawyer, but In the three
papers we find the professional card OF
but one lawyer; how do our lawyers eX-
pect outside parties to know that there
are attorneys here? The same thing
might be said OF almost every branch OF
business.
Our state is now almost in the throes
OF another immigration boom, and no es-
tablished newspaper in Pierre but what
is getting many inquiries about the town,
the country, the prospects forinvestment,
ETC., and requests for sample copies, bu:
we find in the three papers the advertise
}ment OF but one real estate dealer, and
that in but one of the three. There
are real estate men in Pierre who are
spending lots of money in advertising,
but it would never be known by reading
the local papers.
This is the condition here, while in
most towns in the state the real estate
men are making big displays and using
the columns Of the newspapers without
the state. Why is this? This article is not
written for the purpose Of begging pat
ronage or of fault finding from selfish
standpoint, but to point out wherein we
believe our merchants and business peo-
pie generally are lying dormant and let
ting the money that should be spent here
go elsewhere, and letting the golden OPP
opportunities slip. There is undoubtedly
room for reform in more ways than one.
Didn't Like Captivity.
A few days ago Chief of Police Price re-