The Greeley tribune., 1905-02-16
A Knocker
Who Knocks
Editor Greeley Tribune

In connectiol with the laudable
protests recently started by your
paper against the mail order busl-
ness patronized by so many OF our
people, kindly allow me TO add a
word or two as an almost disinter-
ested party.
Less than three weeks ago l was
in Denver and returned in the CON-
pany of a farmer of the Greeley dis
trict, who had spent several weeks IN
Denver disposing of several cars OF
his potatoes, which, unfortunately,
were below the standard set TINS
wear for marketable stock. For a
time he met with success in Two
ways: First, getting rid OF this
undesirable stock, and second, OBJ
tanning for a while slightly better
price than he could here receive for
first class stock. But finally the job
bers refused to take more, and he
turned to the grocers of Denver.
Here ends Genesis, and begins Rev
Citations. The grocer>. while adver-
tising Best Greeley Potatoes at 'oc
and Soc per hundred pounds. when
confronted by this farmer, real
lied a golden opportunity for them
in his anxiety to sell his stock, and
took little Of it on Il basis OF %
cents per hundred, here, but con'
tinued their advertisements at the
high figure. Soon other farmers came,
and with the free offerings of this
inferior stock, the grocers' prices fell
until they would pay but 20 cents
here-for the potatoes and at the
time | mention were quoting them to
the Denver public at % cents per
hundred. Farmer No. was crowded
out and the stock taken was even in
| ferior to his.
Now last Sunday two glowing ad-
vertisements appeared in the Denver
papers, side by side, il one of which
was quoted: Highest grade fancy
Greeley white potatoes, 10 cents per
hundred, and the other Best Gree
ley white potatoes were quoted AT
10 cents per hundred.
Note it carefully, read between
the lines. Every potato they sell
as first class is of such inferior quail
ity that our farmers, realizing the
utter impossibilty of marketing
the stock. sell it in Denver at what
ever price they can get. You ask,
what is the argument? The argu-
ment is this: Those potatoes are
advertised as the best grade, or fancy
potatoes, lie. OF course only the
Denver public buy the potatoes, but
the general public buys other sup
plies, and ii they misrepfesent po-
tatoes to their own home people.
what will they do to you, dear Gree
leyite. in the matter of supplies you
purchase?
A can of salmon is a can of salmon
you say? Well. it is not: one is a
can of salmon, the other a can of
carp. The writer knows, he has sold
both carp and sturgeon to salmon
cannery, where coloring matter and a
gaudy label accomplish more in Il
half hour than the Darwinian theory
of evolution could do in million
years. And so with rice, and so with
flour, beans, hams. bacon, baking
powder, canned goods, soda, spices,
and every article that enters the
kitchen.
But cannot the home merchant
sell the same adulterated stuff, you
ask? He certainly can. and possibly
sometimes does. But his only hope
of existence lies in pleasing GREE
LEY TRADE, and if that trade
kicks, he must be good: if it cuts
him entirely, he is lost. But what
does it matter to Denver merchant
if the whole of Weld county boycots
him? He has fifty or more counties
left. and when their field is exhausted
he can turn to Denver, be good and
prosper the few remaining years of
his life.
Argument too often falls upon un-
needing ears, but there is some salts
fation in knowing that when, in
spite of ii, you are bit, there is re-
course to the cutting phrase, | told