La Junta tribune., 1907-06-01
A TALE WITH A MORAL
Why a Drummer Cut a Town Oh
His Visiting List.
EYE OPENER FOR A FARMER.
Though. he Had Been Getting Bargains
BY Buying From Mail Order House.
The Drummer Gave Him Something
TO Think About.

ne 1fLr0fTEF SSNt S'AHf
TO Think About.
Half dozen men sat In the Office
OF the hotel in a town OF the middle
west ANY discerning eye that Is ac-
crstomed to the observation Of persons
In the average town could have picked
our the local merchant, the editor. the
doctor and the farmer. The hotei clerk.
who sat around the big stove with the
Others. was identified by the pen be
hind his ear The other man, as any
body could see, was drummer for
city house.
Yes. it's pretty tough" the drum
m.r was saying Is he glanced mt the
farmer Times are good. and yet
trade seems TO be falling OF In some
places, and land around here, FOR IN
stance. Is not worth so much as II
might be. Your town is running down
at the heel. you might say. lou all
know I've been making this place FOR
ten years. but rye got 10 cut IT out
This IS my last trip. Nothing doing
any more"
II reckon Bob right. boys said the
merchant. looking blue. We're Ger
,ainly sorry he's going to quit making
this town, but business Is business.
Eight or ten years ago | used TO buy
a bill of goods every time he came
round that made him happy enough
u dance jig-eh. Bob:''
You sure did, jim" replied the
drummer: but this time my order
book shows just s21.5o, The other
two fellows didn't o.Ier blooming
thing. That's not worth the stop over,
you see"
whats the matter with you fellows,
Mr.. wilson, the farmer inquired, with
glance at the merchant. As he spoke
he took from his pockets pipe
package OF tobacco and box of
matches lie proceeded to MI and light
his pipe. puiIinG away comfortably
Gimme light. Mr.. Hines. viii
your the merchant requested. My
pipes gone out. That's what's the mat
ter with me just now"
lie took the prOtfercd box Of matches.
Extracting match, he struck II On the
prepared surface OF the box.
VERY handy matches. lie remarked.
"where do you buy 'emt''
The farmer looked little shame
faced.
! Why, IL bought that box In Chi
cage"
...Ah. didn't know you'd made trip
To the city" said the merchant, putting
piacid.y
well. TO tell the truth. haven't"
admitted the farmer. You see. II was
this way: My women folks are crea,
hands for reading these hcTe catalogues
and things. happened to run across
n match bargain In catalogue. and so
sent to Chicago and got six boxes
whole package-for a dime"
VERY nice" said the merchant calm
Is. while Bob. the drummer, winked sly
ly Mt him. Yes, very nice matches,
but happen to have the same kind In
stock. six boxes for l. cents. Your
stamp cost yan cents. and then there
Were the stationery and the trouble of
writing. So you didn't get much Of II
bargain after all, Mr.. Hines"
Il reckon didn't. Mr.. Wilson, ad-
mitted the farmer. but | didn't know
you kept EN-"
No. because YOU don't come around
- the store Ike you used to. hap
pen TO order these matches from Bob
Rhodes here
You mean you used TO order EN-
corrected the drummer. but you told
me today You stIil had ten dozen OF
the last order on hand, you remember.
/ think III smoke n little myself Mr.,
Hines. IL you'll kindly stake me for
pipeful OF the we,d'
The farmer banded over his tobacco.
The drummer read the label as be
opened the package.
Buy this by mail, too;' he asked
quietly.
We'll, yes" said the former You
see
Yes, I see. Cost you cents pack
nge besides the postage. the stationery
aud the trouble. Mr.. Wilson keeps this
same brand for 10 cents. say he
keeps II. He doesn't sell 1t TO any
great extent. because you people who
live here and bereabouts send your
money Off TO Chicago or some other
hlg city TO those large mail order
houses. and Mr.. Wilson and your other
merchants have such light trade that
poor old bob Rhodes has got to cut this
town on his visiting list Another re-
shutdown quits growing. your iand
doesn't Increase In value. and they're
growing fine crop of grass in the
streets. They ought to NOV II and
compete with your alfalfa or clover
hey: Now. nin't that just about the
size OF II. Brother Hines?"
Mr.. Hines coughed- The tobacco was
middiIrg strong.
And. say, Brother Hines. I'll just
bet you n dollar that you bought that
pipe by mall, too continued the DRUM
mer.
I'm no betting man. Mr.. Rhodes"
returned the farmer defensively.