The Red Cloud chief., 1897-07-23
A Subscriber Says No.

"MR EDIroR:-In your issue of July
0 you published an article from the
Red Cloud Chief entitled Have our
Merchants Degenerateds' This arti.
Gle says this is u question that can be
answered yes. Taking this article as
referring to McCook and I say no..
This article goes on to say that several
years ago this town and its merchants
names were household words; that the
merchants advertised and the news.
papers were crowded for space, but to.
day the newspaper man must get down
on his knees for what few advertise.
ments he gets. Now, Mr.. Editor, (also
the editors of other papers,) | ask IL
you are not all to blame for this To n
great big extent' There is hardly a
publication but what you will see the
following notice among the personal
items, Mrs. - and Mrs. - have been
in Lincoln or Denver (Which ever the
case may be) two or three days shop
ping. Now, then, the public at large
who do not know all there is to this
deal, believe that there is something
wrong with the merchant ut home; you
do not go so far as to say these same
people ride on passes and that their
goods are all deadheaded in, which is
the case nine times out Of ten. Those
very same people who go away from
home to do shopping are people who
make their living of Of the degenerat-
ed merchant and who should be the
very last to go away from home for
anything; instead Of that they will tell
their neighbors what they can buy this
and that at In the city, not only when
at their " homes, but when they
happen to meet one another in the
store Of one Of these ~degenerated mer.
chants.
"Again, the article says, that q paper
filed up with advertisements, when
sent away from home gives the idea
that the town is full Of business. Again
what will the persons say who receive
the paper when they read about this
one and that going away to do their
shopping! There IL something wrong
some where will be their answer
"There is still another feature to this
question. When q Of these poor de.
generated merchants wishes to adver-
tise in the home paper he must pay for
the same, which is perfectly right,
Still by giving the people free notices
Of their going to this city or that city
you are simply giving the merchants
Of those cities free advertising which
they are not entitled to. as they never
benefit the small towns one cent In any
way, shape or amer There are
several ways to look at this question
and which could be prolonged long
enough to fill a whole paper. Now,
then, Mr.. Editors, when giving pub.
licity to these small items Of personal
notice stop and consider is this the
way that | would that Others should do
unto me-"
The above article appeared In the
McCook Tribune of last week. We
did not suppose that u article would
be noticed and commented on as far
away as McCook. We notice that the
writer Of the above article Is q believer
10 home industry which strikes us
favOrably for we believe that way also.
There Is one difference: betweenlMc.
Cook papers and Red Cloud In the
fact that 1t Is very seldom, II ever,
that we make personal items mention
ing the fact that persons have gone to
the city shopping. Red Cloud hasn't
got the pull in the way Of passes that
McCook has therefore our people are
not In q position whore they can afford
to go to the city to do their shopping.
II we understand the matter there 10 q
reason for McCook people buying
away from home and that 70 that
prices of goods are Outrageouslv high
In that place aud We understand that
Red Cloud gets lots Of trade from there
on account Il the big difference In
price.
As We said In our article the mer.
chants have ~degenerated and the Nc.
Cook Tribune (Which by the way Is one
OF tn best papers in the state) has had
TO come down from an-ail-hOme print
paper filled to overlooking with adj
vertisements, 10 "A patent sheet with
poor patronage, There is no doubt
but what the people of Red Cloud and
other towns send away for lots OF
goods and of,epitnes pay Us much or