Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-06-06
THE CATALOGUE DEALER.

contained the following wholesome
letter:
Baldwin, May Isl have your favor
of recent date, and also your catalogues
and accompanying circulars offering
premiums for distribution of the same
among my friends. | have no doubt
that, as yod say, will thereby confer q
great favor upon you, but / am compel
led TO take issue with you on the state
ment that / will also confer a favor
upon my friends.
In my dealings with you, extending
over some time past, have received no
favors from you-I paid for all l got
and the length of time traded with you
instead of establishing friendly relations
and gaining me additional favor as it
would in n home store, gave you the
opinion that, unlike new customer, TO
whom you give your very best, so they
will come again, was a steady conner
and any old thing would do for me.
Our last deal opened my eyes and con-
vinced me that it is poor policy to trade
with catalogue houses. Your catalogues
offer some apparently great bargains.
But let US draw up our chairs and sse II
there are not few things very essential
to the rural citizen that are not men,
toned within its voluminous bulk.
For instance, there is no reference to
paying cash or exchanging goods for
wheat, oats, corn, beans, butter, eggs
and hay.
How much will you pay for cattle
sheep and hogs f. o. b. Baldwin:
How much will you pay to support
the Lake county schools and educate
our children? How much for improv-
ing our roads and bridges? For support
ing the poor? For the general public eX-
pense?
On what page do you offer to contri-
butte money TO the support of our
churches?
What line of credit will you extend to
me when my money is low because of
sickness or poor crops? What do you
give i'll the way of entertainment for the
public and in the way of providing those
things that make a town desirable and
thus keep up the value Of my property!
AS matter Of fact, do you do any
thing to help locally, or do you merely
take the money out Of . community, re-
turning nothing whatever beyond the
value of the goods bought Thinking
it over carefully believe it is better to
call upon your local dealer and look
over his stock where you can see the
goods before buying. There are then
no errors in change or refunds to be
haggled over across 300 mile stretch.
Yes. it is better to trade at home
Your home merchants guarantee upon
an article means something, as he wants
your ggood will. Keeping the money at
home benefits home industries and thus
indirectly, us. Wecan not expect to sell
our products to the local merchant and
do our trading in Chicago. 1t is all one
sided and sometime we would have no
local merchant to do our buying.
Catalogue houses 1 have found from
bitter experience are tricky. If those
who are dealing with them will watch
their purchases, they will find it so
sooner or later. Our last deal, had il
occurred here at home, would have been
Strengthened out in five minutes and
without feeling, but with you it takes
me all winter to get my money back
when goods are not satisfactory, and
even then get only credit card, which
is lost through studied carelessness upon
the part of someone in your concern, so
that / have nothing to show for my
claim.
Every man should trade at home if
conditions admit of purchasing a good
article at reasonable prices. If not, then
he had better trade at the next town or
city, so that his money may go to build
up the country around him. He sends
it to Chicago that it may 20 into profits
of some big mail order house until there
is enough sucker money TO build some
great great charitable institution as a
monument to the greatness of the mail
order man and the gullibleness Of the
cas- public.
have already asked that you adjust
the matter of our last deal. | want my
= IL.
ing and unless 1 get it / shall certainly
get its equivalent in advertising you and
your methods among the people of Lake
county.
Carl Shultz.