The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1901-08-07
A BRANDON BOY WON.

He Tells The Drygoodsman How He
Would Begin Business on a Cash Cap
itaI Of u ,0Oo--A Letter Pull of Bust
ness Sense.
Brandon News.l
The following essay, written by w.
NJ. Maxey, son of Mr. and Mrs. w. ii.
Maxey, of this place, will be read with
interest by their many friends. The
Drygoodsman, the recognized leader
of journals devoted to the mercantile
business, printed at st. Louis, Mo-,
offered prize for the best essay on
"How | Would Begin Business with a
Cash Capital of 81 ,OOO," and Mr.. Maxey,
who is now at Norwood, La, was the
man who showed the best business tact
out of several hundred contes tants
from all over the country. The mag
azine printed Mr.. Maxey' photograph,
and after paying him other compli
ments, says:
Mr.. Maxey was born at Brandon,
Miss, Oct. Ii, 1877, and is therefore a
years old. He was first employed by
j. d. Millsaps, of Hermanville, Miss,
and served this company four years
as bookkeeper and general salesman.
In November, 1899, he began work
with Norwood and Bell in the same
capacity, continuing with that firm
until the beginning of this year, when
the firm dissolved. Since that time he
has been head salesman for ]. ID. Nor
wood, successor to that firm. Mr..
Maxey has had just six years expe-
rience in merchandising, and shows an
unusually clear knowledge of the bus
mess, considering short term of ser
vice. In his article he has confined
himself strictly to the subject of the
| essay, "How | Would Start in Bust.
ness with Cash Capital of $1,000"
This is point most of the contestants
overlooked. By far the great majority
wrote from the standpoint of an ad
wiser; telling the other fellow how he
should start in business when he gets
the necessary amount. Mr.. Maxey has
| chosen the business he understands
best, and has given us infinitely de-
tailed account of how he would en-
bark in it.
Were to begin business with cash
capital of $1,000, should do general
mercantile business strictly for cash.
81 would select for the location of my
business town of about 700 inhabi-
tants on railroad. The town not to
be in section where it is subject to
overflow, nor where it required the use
of commercial fertilizer to produce
cotton and corn in paying quantities.
| should want the town to have at
least one large credit establishment, |
and the section around it to be very
thickly populated with negroes. The
land around the town | should prefer
to be owned by planters who furnished |
the labor on their places through the
credit establishment above referred to,
which is usually the case in small |
oo"ho III thc oOuGu NOulu SeleCI d
house for my business in part of town
that would not be easily seen from the
credit establishment, in order that the
proprietors of this establishment could |
not see those who might be in debt to
them If they visited my place. /
should do this because | have found |
that parties who trade at place on
credit will not spend any money at
the same place, and it is often the case
with negro that he is afraid to allow
his advancing merchant to see him
trade at another place, fearing he may
not give him any more goods on credit.
l should cater to the negro, to that
class of white trade which uses cheap
and medium class of goods, and to the
laboring trade of the town.
81 should rent frame building with
high ceiling and have it pain ted
white on the inside. ! would light the
store with gasoline lamps, as | consid-
er them as safe and cheaper than any
other.
81 would begin on a stock of $500,
paying cash for $3.50 and getting terms
on the remainder. My stock would
comprise cheap dress goods, shoes, no.
tions, cheap jewelry, furnishing goods,
hats, tinware, glassware, woodenware
and groceries"