The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1894-07-21

no business Won must make business,
you must compel the country stores
TO shut up, by attracting people to
your own stores and giving them bar
gains Quick sales and small profits
are the order of the day. You may
sell cheap, but country people must
know if.
We are sorry to say it, but we have
not a live merchant in the town, and
we have often thought how our slow
town merchants who sit down on the
sidewalk waiting for customers would
fare by the side of progressive, ener-
getic merchant who would know how
to sell goods, in lively manner.
Truth sounds sometimes harsh, but
it is good that it should be told.
Providence is not different from any
other town; if it pays elsewhere for a
merchant to advertise, to bring out his
goods, why should it not pay here ?
The last copy of the Monroe Bulletin
has one whole page used tor the
advertisement of Meyers Star Empor-
ium, with retail prices of many arti-
Giles. Meyer is fine, prosperous
merchant, who does not advertise
simply to throw a few dollars in the
way of the Monroe Bulletin, and it
must pay him to advertise or be would
not do it.
We want the merchants of the
town to understand that we are not
writing this for the purpose of solicit
ting advertisements for the Banner.
Democrat we even think it may
have contrary effect, for often peo-
pie get mad when told of their faults.
The Banner-Democrat has lived all
these years without advertisements,
and can do without them yet; but we
write this in the interest of the town,
because we see the trade growing
smaller and smaller every year, and we
think the progressive ways of other
cities might be well given trial.
As a practical illustration Of what
other towns and cities arc doing to
extend their trade, the city of Natchez
is a good example. AS soon as the
New Orleans s. Western r. r. was
completed from Natchez TO Bastrop,
the Natchez people got up al excur-
sion and offered free trip to the peo-
pie of Bastrop to come and visit their
town. Five coaches, full of Bastrop
people who ayailed themselves of this
opportunity, came to Natchez. The
Bastroeians were dined and wined, and
of course, spent freely their money in
hotels, stores, etc. Ever since that
time, they have felt under obligation
to the Natchez people, and now in
stead of getting their goods in Mon
roe as they used to, they get them from
Natchez. We counted nineteen adj
vertisements of Natchez merchants in
the Bastrop Clarion of last week.
This Bastrop excursion must have
paid the merchants of Naichez, for, a
short time after, they got up a steam
boat excursion, to bring on the G. D..
Shaw all the people of the Atchafalaya
country who wanted to visit their
town. AS result, the Shaw makes
regular trips to the Atcbafalaya coun-
try, and has thus far cut of New Or
leans Of tie trade she used to have
there. The Natchez merchants are
doing well, making money and getting
rich there is life in that city it is not
dead like our town.
II would be, of course, preposter-
Gus for US to adopt means of that
kind, giving excursions, for instance !;
but why cannot our merchants, who
have little to do, devise some means of
increasing their business, and bringing
back to Providence the trade that
some years ago used to come to iii?
1t is high time to help the sinking
ship.