Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-08-15

| was loath 10 lern anything from men WHO
were able to teach him. He had usually baut
his straw goods from first hands, and regulars.
We had gotten them under the Red Flag. And
what did this magnificent leson that had
coanged the whole cors of his busines life in an
hour cost him? Absolutely less than nothing.
Insted of being an xpense,i it paid him profit.
A nu era had dawned upon his brain-sum-
thing that he had never dreamd of before;
simply comon hors sense, bold down in two
words the ability to buy rite, and the COM
on sense to sci cheap. In other words, un-
derby undersel, scrape in the cash.
"The "Rouss System which has revolu-
tionized the mercantile community of our cum
try is in xact reverse antagonism to the GEN.
tury old lifelong methods, ava bak, far into
time. Their idea was TO make to make the
most of evry sale, caring never continental
for the advertisement swelling their capital
with evry turnover, increasing the amount of
their weth, by evry days chalking down on
the swet-book; richer and richer tha CRU, year
after year in anticipation and Imagination
At evry inventory, ther was AIDED so much in
convertible stuff TO the asets, and so much ded
certinty to the liabilities. 1t was simply a
qestion of little time, how long tha cud stand
it, rich, as tha thaut themselYs to be. The
hundred percent did not pan oht as tina chalkt
it down; tha wer getting porer insted of richer,
tha wer changing asets into an unOwn comod-
ity cald "Aladdin's Lamp" that STUFF which
never cumf to lite, in that-dream book that
never givs up that which is enterd in thos
musty, dusty pages of tears and SWEET. The
felo can't sleep for thinking about his bsnes.
| He cud not collect from the felo that owed
him, consequntly cud not pay the feo that he
owed. One short hour of life vii pul up the
dark red curtin, disclosing to the view the
brite panorama of the future.
As we hay repeated time and agen, the old
hundred percenter laft to scorn the idea OF
qik, sharp profits, for the Cash down. He
had been educated by generation after genera
tion his whole life depended upon making
the most of evry sale; he had ben taut from
his erly boyhood, that the greater the percent
age. the greater the results. His father befor
him had ben educated that evrything depend.
ed upon the hiest terrific tariff on eyry bisnes
transaction. The modest methods Of the
"Rouss system" ELECTED his utmost contempt,
until acroa the way, one da, the cornfield boy
apeared with his modest stock Of 500, which
disappeared almost as qikly as it was opened
That little acros the way had in an unquestion
ably short space of time becum q competitor, a
rival and at last master, buying in the old
timer, his CLERK, his stocks and himself at 90
cents. He telegraft $40 for cash to scoop in
! the whole thing-it was dun in a da. Then
the oldtimer red arite the living leson of the
living da, made up his mind that what this
cornfield boy at SO a month had dun he wud
and cud outdo.
Practical xample is eyrything. When felo
sees the crowds flock in to an obscure, unown
little outside shop, he knows ther is sum caus
for the truble Women vii talk and men too.
The felo had boosted of Hdkfs he had baut for
cents. He had made this boast to a man
who had paid % cents for the same article !;
tha laft and joked over it for an hour or two,
worrying down the beor at the same time. In
the morning, the little obscure, unown BEEHIVE
was SWdIIueu Mllu VIC AASiiSf AhN NANS7 cHN
relativs of the advertiser A telegraf order for
100 dozen Hdks, only to sho the marvelus eff
cacy of an advertisement that he had not
dreamed or even thaut of.
Passing thru oar Hedqarters he saw an arti =
Gle in the lace Dept Price was 45 cents per
dozen. He had sample from an importer
whose price was a dollar; his remark was, that
this was imitation of his. He happened to be a
fine iudg in thes goods and declared the sam
pie an xact eqal of his own, only shoing the
subterfuges to which thes respectable fellows
vii resort.
Their was another thing he had ben acustomd
to al his life and that was to xact from the
pamperd darlings of aristocracy, the very hiset
price he cud get-the hier it was sposed, the
better the vality. He slashtinto thes oldtimers
at the rate of % cents in the dollar. When
askt for an xplanaton his remark was "tha
ar the identical goods. Look fur yorself-the
only diferencd is in the price. The true differ
ence was this That the oIdtimer got nothing
for his goods, whilst the sharp-shooter got his
price. principal and profit al in the money
drawer.
1t is impossible for me to make palmer, the
rule and system and success Of the "Rouss
System" Agen and agen in our Monthlies,
we hav presented thes facts to our readers, in
the hope that tina wud listen and lern. Out Of
the millions of merchants of this Union, we
hay reclaimd thirty-two or thirty-thre thou
sands. This is glory enuf for start, but We
will not be srtisfed until we hay reclaimed the
whole number. In ten yeors from now, ther
vii not be merchant who dares to Offer his
goods over 20 per cent and the limits of this vii
settle the basis of credit-cash befor delivery
Underbuy first that means to buy wher L can
get yor goods for the least money. Undersel.
Not becaus U can, but bebaus L vii, daring to
name price that no competor can match, scrap
ing in al the time, the advertisement with the
cash.
Choosing a Husband.
/ "Of beauty Just enough to bear inspection,
| OF candor, sense and wit, good collection
Enough of love for one who needs protection.