The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-10-27
MANNING STRUCk BY 4 CYCLONE.
Great Damage Done to Those Who Per-
SiSt in Demanding High Prices.

The commercial whirlisig OF Manning
was set in motion last Thursday by Hsrvin
l. Barron, and Some Of the other merchants
on our broadway" caught the inspiration
and ioined in to make things lively. Early
in the morning the t:onts of the stores be-
came imitation oriaata! bazArS, the side
walks were filed with goods and the avn
ing braces We're converted into hanging
places for al! kinds Of wares. 70 attract
the attention Of the pasSerby, yellow. rsG
and green streamerS were flying in front o:
these stores where especial sales" Were be-
ing offered. Harvin 4 Barron were the pl
cneers in this special bargain business, bat
the ever disturbing Racket man was hit
with the-excitement and he, too, proclaimed
special bargains JenEinsoD, 1T the other
end OF the block, put out a ''nigger" with a
bell, another .'aigger" with drum, another
"nigSer" with transparency, and with this
combination of noise be organized and put
into execution 4 street parade, directing
people to his store, where he was going TO
give them never. before heard bargains
All day long crowds Of people from every
section o: the county Were IL town taking
advantage OF the opportunities 10 bay goods /
cheap. and, II the merchants tel the truth,
the cash sales OF the day excelled any pre-
v,ous day Of the season. Il Was a day Of
hUslling, and the store that offered the big
gest bargains sold the most gooGs, but It
proved what enterprise can do. HaIvin Il
Barron, determined to start this movement,
they advertised their intentions. The re-
suit was, ii brought great crowds 10 town TO
spend money, aud IS another result, a most
active competition set II by those other
merchants who saw the opportunity to sell
goods.
These young merchants certainly have in
stituted more progressive ideas here, and
young active, energetic, up-to-date blood
has been infused into our comm merc!al
veins. These merchants who are cl!nging
to the old order Of things will either have
to rano@nce them or get out OF the way, be-
cause these young fellows have caught tbs
idea that smaller profits bring larger sales.
The clG fifty per ceat profit manner OF do
ing business Is being forced off tue busi-
peSs track and the winner now must come
to the small profit racket. The people who
have the money to spend take the newspa-
pers and in this day OF getting almost 10th
ing for their produce they are compelled to
spend their cash where the most can be oh
tained for their money. The question then
to u business man IS how to reach the peo
pie, and offer them sGch inducements as
will attract them.
The man with the cash in his pocket is as
independent as a wood sawyer. He does
not after he has paid his lien, feel under
Obligations to spend his cash at the same
place unless that merchant will sell him
what he wants as cheap as he can buy else
where. He picks up his county paper and
reads where another merchant IS offering
goods so much cheaper than he was paying
ali the summer. when his whole property
was It'd up IL Il ,"ortgage, and rs soon as
be pays of his debt, like q prisoner freed
fro:n bondage, he seeks the place where the
most advantage IS given him. Human ma
ture IS the same the world over. ana people
are going to throw aside al sentiment when
it comes to spending their money. No man
is going to give a merchant more for goods
because he had lien with him N the sum-
mer, when the other merchant will sell him
for less; these young merchants realized
this They did not do lien business the
past summer, and, OF course, t:ie leading
public cannot score against them summer
prices Therefore they think they have
an advantage and whether 1t IS imaginary
or real, they are trying to convince the pub
lie through the county paper and over their
counters 1t IS quite common to hear these
new merchants talk 10 their customers in
this way, Il bought very heavy stock and
my bills must be met. ! must sell these
goods with or without a profit; they cannot
stay on these shelves" Then very telling
argument now being made is. This IS
cash store and 1 cannot afford to carry over
my goods to force on people who are COM
PEELED to buy on credit in summer. The
credit man is not satisfied with small
profit because he can carry over his goods
and make his lien customers take wh's he
chooses to let them have. If a lienor II ine
month Of June wants linen duSter and
his merchant has carried over lot Of over
coats he can force off the overcoat and the
lienor cannot help himself" It IS rea!
funny to stand around and hear what IS
told in order to push goods off. Every
scheme and device is resorted to to create
demand for gooas,and the old-time quiet,
conservative manner Of doing business has
takcr up its quarters at the cross roads
shoA.s as the push, vim, thrift aud enter
prise Of the town has sent it into hiding.
The practical object lesson exhibited in
this town last Thursday Of how business
must be doing made some of our less push
ing merchants stand in their front doors
with their hands rammed away down N
their breecheS pockets, smiling with one OF
Brete Hart's grins; their faces wore looks
as if surprise party had struck them and
inwardly they manufactured maledlctions
upon the heads OF their wide awake COM
petitors. Let the ball roll. nobody will he
hurt except that hard-headed set who will
not move along with the procession of pro-
Grass anS If they will persist 10 standing
in the way they Will have to take conse-
queoces if the small profit juggernaut
crushes them out Of existence.