The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1907-09-20
WIDE AWAKE TILDEN TOWN.

WIDE AWAKE IlbDEN TOWN.
The merchants of Tilden, Neb., are
not lying awake nights worrying about
the day when Chicago catalogue
houses will have wiped them off the
face of the mercantile earth. They
have adopted a more philosophic and
easily more effective method of
meeting foreign competition. The Til
den plan is worthy the serious atten-
tion of the merchants of every other
town in the middle west which must
depend to a large extent for its bus
mess prosperity upon an agricultural
region.
Instead of scoding the farmers a.
round them for sending money away
from home for catalogue house mer
chandise, and instead of declaring that
the catalogue houses are frauds, the
merchants of Tiden go about it to
really do something for their farm
friends to show the farmers that
their patronage is appreciated and to
make those farmers really want to
come into Tilden whenever they have
spool of thread or a kitchen range
to buy.
The Tilden merchants recognize the
fact that the personal element is one
of the most powerful factors in bust
ness success and that to get into closer
touch with their patrons creates a
more intimate friendship and results
in I--utual benefit all the way around
And so on one day of each year the
business folk of Tilden entertain every.
body living within Tilden's territory
at great big joyful festival. 1t is a
handshakingfest, a picnic royal in
which everybody in the town and
everybody from miles around takes
part. And the results are pronounced
first class.
1t is not a street carnival, this big
picnic Tilden has a fair and carnival
earlier in the season, but that is an
altogether different matter. This pic,
mic is just social session between the
business people of the town and their
customer friends of the community
The merchants and business men act
as hosts on this particular day and the
friends from out in the country are the
guests of honor.
Some days in advance the Tilden
people send out big posters which in.
vite everybody within range of a good
many miles to come to town on picnic
day and enjoy themselves. Free en-
tertainment of all sorts Is announced
free refreshments are a feature, there
is speaking in the opera house in the
forenoon and horse races, baseball
foot races and other things of equal in
terest in the afternoon. The day
winds up with a great big grand dem
ocratic dancing party at night where
everybody dances with everybody
SSC . WIG, anu plSaSSuiS anu SOou lSl
lowship reign over all.
Next Monday the second annual pic
mic under the Tilden plan will take
place. Already its success as a picnic
is assured, and there is more than just
picnic at stake. The people of Til
den will become better acquainted
than ever before in their lives with the
friends from surrounding territory
who have farm products to dispose o.
and winter wants to fill.
In some towns of the middle wesr
the merchants have adopted a plar
of getting together and driving ou
over the rural routes to visit the farm
ers in their homes. Better feeling be
tween merchant and farmer has re
suited from that plan. But the Tilder
method has even greater possibilities
for under the Tilden idea not only the
merchants and business men of the
town, but farmers and the farmers
wives and children as we'll get da!
off for little recreation and enjoy
ment.
| The best part about this plan is tina
it is not a money-making scheme
is just one fine large wholesome get