Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1906-06-07
HOW THEY STARTED.
A Word to Patrons of Mail
Order Houses.

A WOrQ TO fdtTOnS VI Woh
Order Houses.
DO you know how Sears, Roe
buck & Company started in bust
ness?" asked Mr.. Zandition Of the
News editor recently.
81 worked for them nine years
ago. l knew Sears when he was
station agent in Wisconsin, and
Roebuck when he was watch ped
dler. One time Roebuck wanted
to go to Milwaukee and didn't have
the money; SO he left q watch as
security with Sears for his fare,
telling him that if he should be
able to sell the watch for more than
six dollars, he might keep half he
made. Sears sold the watch for Sl2
Then he wrote to Roebuck in Mil
waukee and got him to send a doz-
en- watches to Bill Jones, Sam
Smith and a lot Of fictitious names.
These watches were billed out at
s25 and $40 paid on them, appar-
emily. Sears unloaded them on his
riends easily at $15 each, which
cost him and Roebuck $3.50.
But the railroad company got
onto the game and fred Sears, and
the two Of them opened an Office in
p, Milwaukee. They bought thou
sand watches and shipped them to
every express Office in Kansas
j Missouri and Illinois. These
watches cost $500 but they sold as
: 1876 watches and marked $40 paid
and to fictitious names. When
e the agent reported such matters
: back as undelivered, then this pair
would write back that some mis-
take must surely be made but as
a. a payment of $40 had been made
Q. on this watch they would allow
the agent commission OF s2.oo &c
= secure the other $15.
Well, the watch schem,
se worked fine and the pair cleaned
. up $40, 600 clear. Then they bough
a lot Of parlor sets for children ant
d. advertised them, giving the i'm
g. preston that you would receive
ID. full set of furniture for $500; ant
to the people bit all over the country
lid Uncle Sam has stopped Sears
ed Roebuck & Company's mail four
ne teen times for fake deals like thi
II but has never been able to cate
if them. Sears is probably wort
roe nine or ten millions. Roebuck
ms, working in Des Moines, Iowa, &c
lot s1S per week, being forced out
ien the business several years ago.
Of AS an illustration of how tn
tie tie firm makes money: About a YET
i sse ago they bought three thousar
ned bicycles, all alike, and they place
sedd three prices on the same whet
:, ei II which cost them $3.50, and thu
sold it for 1915, S16.25 and So
per 80 and the same wheel, mind yo
p sor possibly a different color OF pair
ne but the only difference was th
this some people wanted s2l.
t ape- wheel and others S12.75 and tn
aud got what they wanted.
and They work the same graft
n sna clothing. In catalogues they
ior vertise clay worsteds at $12.'
N N, y q $500 and $500. No mat
de a what you pay you get the suit. l
fail name Sears, Roebuck & Co
, 't the pany' is their trade mark, and
COM Roebuck has been bankrupt
strict =. 6, several years he is not connec'
IS 9th with the firm.
,,k Montgomery Ward is practices
III. dead and has been for several yea
Yet these people have been 30 $
4. cessful in stealing from the pu'
such large sums that it is a won
his Uncle Sam allows them to ex
1t. Their advertisements are decepti
tho They do not fill orders as the
5ias. toners think they are filled,
To. thew are smooth enough to k
v;n, within bounds of the law some "
90 i1 Even your country merchant,
left pays a larger wholesale price
saws goods than they, could get rich
and ing a better grade of goods to
after people that patronize these
from big places. / worked for Sc
cold Roebuck & Company two y
90 as and l know what l say Is true.
Hs Norton County News, Kansas.
him