The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-05-15
A WORD TO BUYERS.

Il WOhD III bU ~ no.
In conversation with Herald man
yesterday, a local merchant delivered
treatise on buying goods that is
worthy preservation. Among other
things he said:
We locate in town, buy or rent a
home, support our family, affording
the producer a home market for his
products, contribute to churches.
schools, local taxes, good roads, public
local enterprises, employ the farmers
sons and daughters in our stores,
shops, schools and offices, thereby
aiding them in obtaining knowledge
of business methods and an individual
start in the business world.
We are continually striving to bene-
fit, build up and beautify our local
community and surroundings. Our
business success depends entirely up
on winning the confidence, good will.
friendship and patronage of our
neighbors, their success and prosper
ity becomes necessity to the home
merchant The price of the farmers
land and the desirability and pleas
ures of his home is measured by his
distance from live, hustling town,
good schools, roads and markets.
History plainly shows that when for
any cause a town Is on the decline,
every land owner, every local interest
and resident suffers in proportion, and
we go up and down together.
Is it wonder then that the home
merchant sends warning to his rural
friends when the slick tongued light
ming rod agent, range peddler, buggy
trailer, patent right swindier, quack
doctor, sewing machine agent, piano
sharper, or others of his kind appears
with his friendly smile, and tempting
allurements to rob the farmer out of
| his hard earned cash, making money
scarce anu thereby injuring local
| business?
The wrecks caused by these rascals
line every roadway, and yet they still
find victims daily, at every phrase OF
the transaction the farmer Is impress
| ed wl,n the Importance of secrecy.
The Green Goods swindler, the pat
ent nostrum for weak men, the lottery
| ticket, the firm who sells whiskey
direct to the deacon? at less than
wholesale price, all continually assert
mo one will know it." we ship in
plain cases, our names will not ap-
1 pear elIutI OA thC IVA PdSho5C Va
| tag-"their deeds are deeds of dark
ness, they shun the light of day, they
| cover UP their tracks" The latest
people to adopt this plan are the
| Catalogue houses. In a late booklet
they say 'On any goods purchased
| from us there will be no mark on any
box or package to tell where you
bought the goods. Every transaction
will be treated as strictly confiden.
tial, so that no one can know what
goods you have bought or where you
bought them. Neither will our name
appear on any article of merchandise.
An established merchant is glad to
have his name appear upon an article
of merchandise that has merit. 1t is
no disgrace, neither is a customer
ashamed to have it known when he
buys goods of his home merchant
their name on the package is guar.
antee that it is o. X.
The only reasonable explanation oi
this new departure is:
1st. Some people send money away
leaving unpaid debts at home.
End. Home merchants assist, acco
modate, encourage, befriend and pa
tronize their neighbors, these dealer:
might discover how these fayors are
returned if the facts become known
3rd. This element of secrecy will
prevent customers making fuss wher
they Ind they are beaten.
Only short time ago this same
firm announced they would only sen(
their catalogue on receipt of so cents
their advanced booklets containing {
, list of their cheap leaders lauded ant
, extolled beyonu their actual worth ha
: led many people to send for this bool
only to find that while sewing ma
chine advertised as high grade 20
year guarantee, is quoted at SS95
without attachments, better one
Y quoted from $3.50 to $2400, price
e that any dealer will be glad to sell al
Their wonderful high grade stee
S range at $129S, weighs 1874 pound:
It and to Judge by the description
il must be a daisy, yet they have other
e listed at over $30.00s of course the
i. recommend them; their small siz
t cook stove must be toy. for thei
l. big size is only SIS and this in thei
Y cheapest grade is listed at $10.65; a
S most every dealer has stove they ca
e. sell at this price.
D. A steel windmill is shown complet
n with tower. but the price is--only o
the wheel, the tower and extras al
ID THE trap. A gun quoted at $S.9S
T. described as high grade, full pist'
At grip, automatic shell ejector, and equ'
Of of guns that generally sell at frol
le 800 to $1,000. We have seen tn
OF particular beauty. Our members coul
h with profit procure one & these cls
ys traps THAT it takes a full page
n describe) as sample, not for use.-