The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1899-11-04


LIE COUNTY, SOUTH
Editorial Correspondence. :,
Iron Is King. There is no mistake
about II. The frea coinage of silver isn't
in 1t compared with the Importance OIL
iron just at present. Everybody ia won
deriDg when the advance will come to /.
standstill In the southern part Of this
state a projected railroad is up stump
because the price OF rails has gone to q
point where the funds will not reach
The promoters had plenty of money rails.
| ed to complete the road, but though the
grading is all done and the ties Ibid
there are not enough funds to lay more
than half the rails. For this reason,
think 1t is extremely doubtful about the
Milwaukee doing any railroad building
in our section this year or for some time
to come. l heard a travelling man tel
ling about retail hardware firm
who had made ever 5000 in Inventory OF
their stock, simply from the advance OF
manufactured iron. Most of the iron
mines Of this country are now in control
of q few individuals although OF course
the demand for iron has more to do with
its advance than anv malicious oper-
alton Of the trust. But Just to show the
hoggish nature Of these corporations, the
iron tsust is now trying to get control
of tho lake carrying trade, and with e
success which is alarming vessel owners.
The profit on a cargo Of iron from the
Lake Superior mines to Lake Erie ports
is at present very large. One Of the big
iron steamers will carry a cargo which
nets something like $4,000. The iron
trust naturally wants to gobble this
along with the other profits. AlreadYit
has bought up three-ifths of tho Vessels
engaged in tho business aud will soon
be in shape to dictate Rates. tits an eye
opener to see the mount .ins Of iron stor-
ed ri Cleveland, Fairp0tt, tpainesvi.le's.
hart0r) A-h'nari and other parts along
the south shore Of Lak,, EriN-- though
the three named are the principal re-
ceivlng ports. This Is where the pro
ducts of the Lake Superior mines meets
the cheap coal from the Ohio mines and
the raw iron of commerce is lnadr. 1t
is one of the. factors which has made
Cleveland tine sixth city Of the union III
population and commerce.
] dent think any of the present gei,-
Grafton will live to sac tl,e department
stores nonopolizs the retail business.
There has been a great change tho other
way during the past few years. SO far
as my observation goes, the small retail
establishments are more than holding
their own against the big department
stores. Their profits may not be as large
nor sales quite as heavy as before the ad-
vent OF the department stores, but tho
fact must always remain that while the
department store sells the goods kept by
the small retail store, the latter also sells
the identical goods kept by the depart
ment stores. So, you see, 1t is stand-off,
The department store sells more goods,
but its expenses are heavier in proper
tion, and from interest On capitalinvest-
ed to clerk hire and rent. When tho
department stores were FIRST opened, the
first thing they did was to pus In small
side line and cut the prices to pieces on
that particular line Of goods, relying on
their former regular line OF goods for the
profit. Since then the department. stores
have driftpd into any number Of small
retail establishments. as it were, com
bined under one roof, IS if dry-goods
store, gents furnishing establishment
and grocery had decided TO do business
under one management, All OF these
departments require head, who in turn
is responsible for.the success OF that par.
ticular department. 1t isn't true that
the phenomenal success Of the depart
ment stores is due to lower prices 81
much as to the novelty Of the thing ant
the advertising. The small. retail deal
ers before the coming Of the department
stores had gotten into rut. The man
ayers Of the modern department stores
showed them how to do business -ant
1 they lave learned the lesson. For on,
thing, the retail dealers are beginning
to advertise. Not only that but they ar
buying their goods just as cheap as tn
department stores and selling Them tn
same way. There is a common belle
that the department stores buy goods a
less money than the small dealer. Thi
| is not 50 except in exceptional instances
4 In the large cities the small dealers car
ny a much larger stock than the depart
ment storo does of that particular line
and such being the case, why shonlt nc
they buy their goods as well2 There ar
stores In the larger cities of the countr
that handle only one particular thing:
may DO shirts or it may be just hats. A
investigation will show, too. that thi
concern can and does duplicate an
prices made OH its particular line by tt
q department store. The trouble at fr!
was that nobody knewit Now the a,
vertisements stands side by side. 70
8 can go into any OF the smaller concerr
In any of the small cities today and b,
a pair Of shoes, q hat, suit at clothe
$ tailor made ladies' jackets, wraps. and
. OH al fully us low price as in any
q the big stores wEicl, sell little of ever
thing. All that one needs is a knowled;
Of the value Of goods. All! tho big d
partInent stores work on the theory th
E itiaEnot so much IN selling goods chez
s asili making people think that they a
: getting targain. This leads me to r
mark that II country people and tho
living in small towns or cities reno
from-the great centers OF trade could o.
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