The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-10-03
REST ROOM IN STORE
Suggestion of Value to Merchants
Who Want Country Trade.
PLEASE THE FARMERS WIFE.

Provide Accommodation For Women
and Children Who Spend a Day or
an Afternoon In Observation-Disclosures
With Home Comforts.
Some merchants wonder why so
many of the women on the farms keep
mail order catalogues constantly on
| hand and buy articles from the big
city houses which they might purchase
from the home stores to equal advan-
tage. Did it ever occur to you that the
town merchants who make any special
provision for the comfort Of farmers
| wives and daughters who patronize
the stores are searcer than hens teeth?
A recent writer in Golfers has some
thing to say which may offer valua-
BILE suggestion in the matter of keeping
and increasing home trade.
Suppose you're Kansas farmers
wife, says this writer. You have drlV-
en- into town for street fair day in the
whiting heat of the prairie summer,
YOUR husband, the three small children,
including the baby, under the big yell
low umbrella strapped to the wagon
seat. Shopping done, the wagon un-
hitched in vacant lot, lunch eaten in
its shade, the man goes back to the
holiday street. The woman stays be-
hind to mind the children. She might
90 to a store, to be sure, where she
would be in every ones way. Well
meaning folks would give the children
candy until their little hands would
stick to everything they touched, in
cluding their mothers skirts, and there
would be nothing to do but 60 out into
the street and walk, then return and
wait and wait. So all that long after
noon she sits on the ground, holding
the baby in the little patch of shade.
The sun beats down; clouds Of dust
envelop them; the children's hands and
faces become grimy. Finally, at 6
o'clock, the man returns, bitches up.
They watch the balloon ascension and
start home. Then what? Supper to
get. mils to strain and put away
dishes to wash, chickens to shut up,
calves to feed and the tired babies to
battle and soothe to sleep. The woman
had looked forward to this outing as a
much needed change. When she final
" gets to bed she is too tired to sleep.
Her holiday had been spent under a
wagon on a dirty vacant lot. The
shade of the trees of her own yard
would have been pleasanter.
This" writes q woman from Car
bondale, Kan, ''is the condition in the
average town. There are numerous
places where the men are welcomed.
where they can spend an hour without
a thought of being in the, way. Should
not these busy women have place of
their own where. when their shopping
is done. they can take their babies and
| visit and rest and go home refreshed
and strengthened rather than utterly
worn out:'
/ Golfers asks if this is case for
some plutocrat with money to donate
for the establishment of a town club
for country women or should 1t be
looked after by the township or the
| county? It appears that it should be
looked after by the individual store
keepers. Here is fine opportunity
for some enterprising merchant who
wants to sell goods to the women who
live on farms.
Suppose you are farmers wife and
YOU drive into town for a days recrea-
ton and shopping. Instead OF having
to keep the children by the tied up
team and eat cold luncheon on the
grass or in the dusty street YOU take
the little ones to the entcrpriSing store
Of Blank & Co.. general merchants. In
the store building is 4 commodious
room set aside for women and chill
dren. There are coy chairs, tables
with the newspapers and magazines III
easy reach. d couch OF two for lOunS-
ing or mapping and motherly woman
| on duty to look after the children.
You find in this store a place where
YOU may wash the dust Of the drive
from your face and do up your back
hair and see that Your hat is tn
straight. You make the rest room vM
headquarters for the day, leaving yo1r
bundles there as well as your children
You are free to 90 about town on er-
ranLS. returning ut noon 70 eat your
luncheon from one Of the tables, per-
haps with cup Of coffee hot off tle
little stove provided for that purpose
You meet here also some Of the wo-
men who live in town and who drop in
to rest and chat while doing their
shopping. When the time comes for
you to bundle the children into the
wagon and start for home You will feel
great deal better than If you have had
! to undergo the experience Of the Wo-