Washington State journal. [volume] (Ritzville, Wash.) 1907-1911, 1907-12-26
ALWAYS STOOD PAT
NEVER LOST HIS NERVE
George N. Mcdonald does Big Busi-
ness While Banks and Ex-
pOrterS Rest on their Oars

The present financial furry is only
a scare. Bankers and farmers alike
are afraid to do anything. So says
Geo. M. Mcdonald. In talking, to a
reporter of the News yesterday, Geo.
M. Mcdonald, pioneer merchant and
financier of this place, stated that
every one had apparently relaxed all
effort to do anything. Bankers seem
to be afraid to give up dollar and
farmers, who owe large bills and ac-
counts, have simply sat tdown on their
wheat and are letting their accounts
and notes go unpaid simply because
they haven't the energy and push to
try and do what is best for themselves
and for all concerned.
''Since the general close down of
business the latter part of October, -
continued Mr.. Mcdonald, "we have
been going ahead just as though moth
ing had happened. We were not
afraid to ship wheat to the coast even
though it was impossible to get real
money for it. Since October 2S. we
have shipped over $4,000 worth of
wheat and $50, 900 worth of cattle,
making a total of 500, 900 of business
done since most everyone else has sat
down to warm their cold feet. Out
of this vast sum of money we have
been able to get only about $l700 in
cash. The rest of this money has gone
to pay what we owe Because we
could not get cash did rot stop us.
We owed the bills and accounts and
were only too willing to cancel them
with wheat.
"Out of what cash we received we
paid our customers enough money on
each load6f wheat to bear his ex=
penses. We were the only dealers in
Coulee City who did not quit advanc-
ing money on wheat. While the bank
ers were all afraid to give any one
expense money to pay their actual
expenses while marketing their crops
and trying to pay their debts we man
aged to rake up enough of "Uncle
Sans Best" to satisfy all who came
to our warehouse, hungry and cold.
"We did not quit buying wheat
simply because the coast buyers We're
out of the market. We have at all
times been able to take wheat at the
market price, thus allowing the pro-
ducer to pay his accounts and every
one who needed money to pay his
hotel bill and livery bill were able to
supply them with enough of Uncle
Sans hard cash to keep them going.
"While the Oldest bank in Douglas
County has got cold feet, has sat down
on every dollar of the peoples money
and turned down our checks for rs
cents, 80 cents, and 81 and $1.5O, we
managed to do over 500. 200 of busi-
ness while the bank was simply stand
ing still, sitting around, pretending
to be guarding the peoples wealth
and not even allowing them enough
money on load of wheat (which is
as good as golD to pay the actual
expenses of bringing it to market.
This example has been followed by
many of our customers, who have
simple sat down on their wheat at
home and are standing US off and buy
ing necessities on time, laboring under
the foolish idea that they can not do
anything until the banks open.
81 was in Coulee City ID years be-
fore we ever had bank and have
shipped in many hundreds of thousands
of dollars to buy wheat with. Wheat
moved just the same at Coulee City
whether there was a bank or not.
l came here before bankers had faith
in the country and did business just
the same and | am still here doing
business even after our bankers and
farmers have given up all hope and
have sat down.
eff our farmer friends would only
use the same kind of hustle that we
have been using every day since the