Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1906-01-25

forced absence is not to our liking, we are
trying to get some pleasure in this land of
sunshine and flowers We have met a
number of people formerly from Michigan
and Illinois and they have been lerv kind
to us. lessening very much that lonesome
feeling
lhe BANNER comes to us, a welcome
visitor every week. Although it is a week
old, It is read most thoroughly with pleas
ure. In your issue of January 4th. | was
pleased to read the article, The Coming
Electric lnterurban, and signed "Hoosier
[ Now this letter is not written as a reply
TO the gentleman from Indiana" for in
the main agree with the writer. but wish
TO be heard from the standpoint of a Bel
ding business man.
Conditions have changed, modern
methods must be up-to-date: old fogqv
merchants get left in the race or are run
over and left "unwept, unhonored and
unsunR. Electric and interurban lines
are here to stay and as far as Beding is
concerned, | have heard said that the
Pere Marquette needed competition in the
freight business. The passenger service
IS good, but if people can 90 to Grand
Raplds for fifty cents why pay doarq
ihey Will have that much more money to
spend IN one town or the other. Let the
road come down Main street by all me ms :
and run clear through to the cty park =
"Hoosier asks: why cannot Beldino
merchants keep as good a selection Of ),
goods and sell as cheaply, if not cheaper :,
than in Grand Rapids?" venture :
the assertion without fear of success '
ful contradiction that Belding merchants .
not only Can but do sell cheaper than =
hose IN Grand Rapids. with perhaps an y
occasional exception, when they have y
fire or bankrupt" sales when values :.
10 not enter into consideration. Our rents. :
'lerk hlre and many expenses are less =
han IN large city, which are to our ad- II
'antage, which helps US to make up the IL
Inference between the profits of their
arge and numerous sales and our com
'aratively small ones. M
When he asks US to keep "as good a w
election OF goods as the Grand RAPIDS w
torres, ne is asking the impossibltv for r,
'e have not the money to do IT, nor does Co
seem to realize the difference between Oa
town OF four thousand people with COM FIJI
aratlvely few wealthy ones. and CITY Of BE
IN Thousand with much wealth The Ha
sople OF Belding are on a par with anv Ha
ty and in advance of many in eyery re- 20
'ect, but man with $50 90 salarv Blu
lnnot and does not sp nd the money as Eq
would were he to receive twice that Ap
Mount What Belding merchants do OH Ch
q TO- 49, that often money is paid to the CHI
llway company and to outside mer- Ca
ANTS and they are asked to give unlmi. Cat
credit. Ho
We ask. is this riehtP when your mer- Ho
ants help to pay the taxes, help build Hid
d support the churches, make donations
another COW or horse to take the place +, ,
the dead ones, and number of oth,r A.
ngs which we as self-respecting cit- vict
IS want to do in our own communtv9 But
In one prediction bona H.. Ill ., ertl
,.,;sh - - '0pe ''ia' hoosler H.
'''' 'e iau "orhe out from under COW wri
ana signed his own name) is wrong and tiou
It is when he thinks the "Interurbanr Fin
! decrease the attendance at church coy, SoY'
sunday schools. A number Of years i W
when the subject Of electric lines of
i were discussed in Belding. a MINIS Qua
5 wife said to me one Sunday after fraa Hell