Adams County news. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1898-1906, 1901-05-29
TWAS EVER THUS.

A good, glib and notwithstanding
talkcr can convince Macy people that
black is blue, or any other color for
that matter. The farmers of neigh
borhood not a til )uSound miles from
Ritzville have just had u spell OF buy
ing thirty-fve dollar sewing machines
which a slick-tongued agent convinced
them were worth sixty-6ve. And now
comes q groceryman who summed up
the needs Of some fifty farmers in the
line OF expensive spices, teas and COT
ices and convinced them that he
could save them money on their buy
ing a years supply OF him for cash.
And they bought. Any amount Of
t hem bought: and few days ago an
agent for the house delivered the goods
ut the depot. 1t looked like the good
old days of the Farmers Alliance cru
SADIE, when they would get car OF
coal, barrel or two of oil and sundfy
other parcels, and meet at the depot to
divide and get ahead OF the middle
man.
One of our merchants who had car
ried several of the buyers "until after
harvest" got chance to figure on one
of the bills bought. It amounted to
eleven dollars and sixty cents. Fig
uring his goods at what he sold these
same men en- time, the grocer found
that he could have supplied the goods
contained in the bill, OF much better
quality than was received by the farm
err, for two dollars and fifty cents less
than he paid stranger.
And such a bill it wasl He had
bought two pounds of pepper, two
pounds OF cloves, two pounds OF all
spice, two pounds of cinnamon, and
two pounds of tea. Spices enough to
last an ordinary home lifetime, and
which will lose all their strength, if
they have any, in less than year.
Better tea is sold here by our home
merchants for fifty cent a pound, and
the farmer bought for eighty. seven,
and they paid sixty-four cents for
spices inferior to what they could have
bought at home for forty cents pound.
| 1t doesn't seem to us as If it was CIV
ing the home man fair shake. Ii
one wanted to buy away from home
he ought to be able to show that he is
saving money. No need to go away
to be robbed, and yet, if one insist on
it, they really must, because home
man who has built up reputation for
square dealing won't rob you. You
must go away for that.
A par OF the fault is due to the mer-
chants in not advertising their goods
and prices. Had it been generally
known what figures were charged fof
supplies here it would have made the
agent work that much the harder, but
even then he would have caught the
man who can not afford to take his
home paper because he hasn't time to
read.
The agent sold coffee for few cents
less than local dealers sell it, and he
sold it that way as an advertising feat
ure.
He only had to sell one pound o
tea to make up for what he lost OF
ten pounds OF coffee.
These travelling agents pay taxes
help support the schools, and wher
crops have failed they come around
and want to carry you over till mex
year. OF course they do--in horn
And when the farmer comes to tow
with butter and eggs-sometimes but
ter that can climb out of the Wagon
and walk inland eggs that have beer
packed down for year-the traveliD,
agent is always on hands to meet 20,
at the edge OF town and swap grocerie
and cash for them at the tip top o
the market. So the travelling agent
with his subscriptions to the churcl
buildings and church expenses, ant
his way down prices, is good MAJ
in the commuity-over the left. H
pays taxes, employs labor and assist
in building up the country-nit. TIL,
home merchant only engages in til
sordid marts of trade, and in orde
to get your business will carry yor
until after harvest and will sell you
better goods at lower prices.