The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-03-02
a SOUTHERN COUNTRY STORE.

A SOUTHERN COUNTRY STORE.
Stock, Trade and Patronage Of Re.
tail Establishment in
Alabama.
Picture to yourself q lofty room, 50
feet wide and $50 feet long, the walls
and the ceiling sheathed with brown
grained pine. Thus begins the de-
scription of an Alabama crossroads
store.
Counters run down the two long
sides of the room and the walls are COW
cred with shelves, filled to the ceiling.
Every inch of shelf room is packed
with goods, and the great floor space
is filled with more goods, piled upon
the floor or upon stout tables, set
so closely together as to barely leave
passage.
A dozen or IS men hurry about
among the piles of goods waiting on
customers.
The desk of the proprietor is piled
high with samples of cotton, each
sample neatly rolled in brown paper,
and the proprietor himself is pretty
constantly engaged in examining new
samples and fixing price, which may
vary by minute fractions of cent on
pound, usually according to the
cleanliness with which the crop has
been picked, tossing the sample on the
desk with the others if the planter
accepts his offer, or handing the
brown paper roll back to him if he
refuses.
November is the busiest month, but
the rush keeps up with little inter-
mission from September to March.
The sales of store like the one
have described will run from 5000
to 100000 year, and in this one
town of not more than 1000 inhabit-
ants there are six such stores.
Fayette, though 80 miles west of
Birmingham, on the line of the rail-
road, which connects Birmingham
with the west, is the busiest town
between Birmingham and Columbus,
Miss. Ten thousand bales of cotton
are marketed here every year. and the
trade which this represents is drawn
from widely surrounding country.
An Alabama country store in cot
ton market time boasts of it's ability
to meet any demand upon it's re-
sources. AS one man here told me:
I'VE can furnish anything from a
needle to a two-horse lumber wagon"
l started out to make a brief in
ventory. A row of cook stoves stood
nearest the door, and on them a pile
of bright-colored rugs, baby car
rage and boys toy wagon.
Beside a group of sewing machines
was long table heaped with un-
bleached sheetings. Under the table
was pile of rough andirons, for this
is country where freplaces still
abound.
A showcase near was filled with
women's trimmed hats. Just beyond
were a stack of brooms, so kegs of
nails, some chamber sets, against
which leaned dozen cross-cut saws
and pile of boxes of tobacco. and
near by were linen collars of good
style and excellent linen handker-
chiefs at reasonable prices.
Placed on the floor near the door,
a big empty box, perhaps two feet
high, and with an old blanket thrown
in it. attracted my attention.
While I was wondering why it had
been left there, where every inch of
space seemed to be utilized, family
party came into the store, one of q
dozen such in town at that time, FOR in
cotton market season the women and
children come to town almost as sure
ly as the men.
The woman of this party carried a
baby about year old. Evidently she
did not propose to be bothered by the
child while she was doing her years
shopping. for she promptly deposited
It in the box have described and, Civ
Ing it big red apple to play with,
left it there to take care of itself while
she accompanied her husband about
the store.
was interested in noting the re-
suits of an investigation as to the
places where the goods sold in this
southern store are manufactured.
l found that the stoves were cast
in Memphis; the soap. of which there
were from so to 100 boxes piled one
on top of another, was made in Nash
vile; the unbleached cotton was made
| in Admission, Ala, and a considera BILE
quantity of the cheap cotton dress
goods came from the mills at Tusca-
loosa, in the same state.
The heads of the nail kegs showed
that their contents were made in Ash
land. The rolled oats were milled and
packed at Birmingham. The boots and
shoes were manufactured in St. Louis,
Atlanta and Nashville; the furniture
in Memphis. and the tinware in Mem
phis and Atlanta.
The flour, naturally, came from St.
Louis, and the tobacco from Virginia.
The clothing, of which a very large
stock was carried, was manufactured
in Louisville, and the brooms were
made in the same city.
The only articles which I found
bearing northern stamp were the
sewing machines, made in Cleveland,
O.; ami the bleached cottons, which
bore the imprint of Providence, r. /.
Cor. n. Y. Post.
New Device for Shoplifters.
The latest and most ingenious device
of the female shoplifter is third arm.