Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-02-09
THE ALLIANCE STORE.

THE ALLIANCE STORE.
Prices Given at the Stores in Cresco
upon Articles Sold in Competition
with Like Goods Sold at the ALI
ance Store, which Dare Not Com
pare Prices IN the Public Prints OF
Cresco-Its Claim Of Lower Prices
Probably a Fake.
When body of men associate
themselves in business, persistently
decrying the town in which they are
located, impeaching the honesty and
business integrity of its dealers and
tradesmen, it becomes not only prop
er, but public duty to investigate
the charges and refute them if false,
or confirm them if true.
From the inception of the Alliance
store its leading members have pro-
claimed the merchants of Cresco ex-
tortioners, and dishonest in business,
the statements by them being re-
peated with great vehemence by
those least informed. A few days
since in referring to the annual election
Of the officers OF the alliance, intend
ing our remarks to apply only to the
line of prints, dress goods and mems
apparel, we mentioned their inferior
quality, as compared with like goods
by other dealers. To this some Of the
alliance people took exception and
asked correction. All that we ask
ed was proof that we were in error.
With view to ascertaining the ex-
tent to which we were out of the
way in our statement, we obtained
from our merchants, all of whom
were ready to show goods with prices
marked in plain figures, which are
given in the list which is included in
this article, a copy of which we gave
to Mr.. b. G. Barnes last Wednesday,
to be filled with the prices at which
the Alliance store held such goods.
Friday afternoon calling for the list
he had not filled it out and declined
to do 80, though when called upon
Wednesday he volunteered the re-
mark that should have investigated
before making the first statement.
A leading Alliance man wearing a
pair of captains bought there a few
days ago made the remark that they
cost 1925, which is IS cents above
what they should sell for, and the
price at which they are quoted in the
list published is $1.7O. Perhaps some
of the Alliance people may profess
to think that organization is to be
credited with what ever decline there
has been in prices when it has as lit
tie to do with it as the insect, which
alighted upon the fly vince. of rotary
engine, has to do with it's velocity.
If it is to be credited with whaterer
DECLINE there has been in merchan-
disc, it should be charged with the
decline in farm products, for both re-
suit from the same general cause, and
the alliance is to be neither charged
with the one or accredited with the
other. In other towns beyond the
reach of the influence Of the alliance,
better prices prevail on better goods
in prints, domestics and farmers ap-
parel, than 1t gives.
While perhaps the business mana
ger would not do this, a leading men,
Der end stockholder did. He paraded
the streets of Riceville, carrying a
new spade or shovel, proclaiming in
a loud voice that the Alliance store
sold such for 60 cents, other Cresco
stores for one dollar, when in fact
other Cresco stores sold the same ar.
ticle then, and do now, for so cents.
But some of these men tell us that
the farmers have made Cresco. Very
we'll, now let us see what Cresco has
done for the farmers. When Cresco
was in it's infancy, farms according
to proximity, could be bought for
from $12, $40, IS, Sc and IS per acre.
The same farms now command 800
rs, so, 40 and IS dollars an acre. II
has also built up people of 5000 as
consumers of the various articles pro-
duced upon the adjoining farms.
among which may be mentioned al
kinds of coarse vegetables too bulky
and too cheap to ship to distant mar
kets, butter, eggs and poultry, beef
mutton, veal, and pork, oats, hay
and corn for domestic animals owned
and kept in town, and a cash market
for thousands of cords of wooG
bought from the adjoining country
These are some of the benefits of the
country from Cresco, from which il
would seem in building Cresco the
farmers had been builded up also
The Alliance ideal for town is that
it contain one store, blacksmith
shop, lumber yard, grain ware
house or elevator, Cresco and Bon
air, marking the difference between
the two.
The ingratitude, intolerance, bigot
ry and selfishnrss of the management
is shown in the treatment of JOSEPH
Schafer and John Steinman, the twt
men, who, on their own personal re
sponsibility, bought its first bill o
goods. The one is turned down be
| ]. L. 4l.a-a4i,o. e.,