davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
MAIL-oRDER TRICKS.
Prices Manipulated to Give Erroneous
Impressions of Cheapness.

The catalogue houses make such in
roads into the business of the dealers
who chiefly rely upon country trade,
that in some localities merchants cant
be blamed for the complaints they
make. Much can be done by the mer.
chant to prevent his customers send.
ing to such concerns for goods, if he
will but make the effort. Sometimes
little solid reasoning will have the
right effect. Any man of common
sense knows that the basis of all
prices is the cost of production.
There must be paying profit in the
business of manufacturing and al
lowance made for cost of placing on
the market. The purchaser should be
satisfied that the manufacturer and
the dealer made fair, honest profit.
The farmer estimates his profit on
the cost of growing his products. On
many crops and on his cattle and
hogs his percentage of gain is much
more than the storekeeper makes
upon the goods he sells. A little rea,
soning along these lines with explana.
tions that if low prices are made
there must be inferior goods supplied,
will perhaps help to keep many peo
pie from sending away for goods,
One trick of the catalogue houses is
to classify goods by sizes as to make
very low price on goods little in de.
mand, and large profits on> goods
mostly called for. The one who looks
at the list to see prices finds his eye
first sees the low-priced goods and
naturally concludes that the whole
line is lower. If careful examination
of the list be made the trick would be
found, and an average of the list
would show that the articles most
called for are higher than would be
asked by the home merchant.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
COUNTRY STORE EXPENSE LIGHT
Local Merchants Should Be Able to
Meet City Store Competition.

In the matter of expense of conduct
ing business, the country merchant
has far the edge over the storekeep-
er of the large city. He has lower
taxes, his insurance is not so high,
neither has he to pay his help such
high wages as the city merchant. In
fact, the country merchant can sell
goods lower than the big city store,
and make money-that is if he is a
good buyer and gets his goods at the
price he ought 10 buy them at. 1t is
all tommy-rot to say that the depart
ment store sells goods for quality any
lower than does the average country
merchant. The reason is plain-de-
partment storekeeper or the mailor-
der house can't do it, because ex-
penses are so much higher Walk
into department store, ask to see
a line of hats, mems hats, or a line of
shoes. Note the prices marked and
then drop into a country store, pick
out the same quality, let it be the
same make of goods. What will you
find? That the country store asks
fully 10 to 20 per cent. less than the
same goods are sold for in the big
city store.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02

But finally all Of a sudden he
clawed loose from the limb and down
he went into the pond with about a
bushcl of bark and grapevine ana
splinters around him, and the minute
he lit Leander and some more of the
dogs flew out to where he was.
squirms around on my perch, about
10 foot from the water, to get a
look at the fight, and just as the buck
coon and Leander has arranged to
ketch holts, whack goes my limb
and down | come before | could
hOllcr, Look out below
We'll, the best thing me and the
limb could do was to come ka-whallOp
right across old Leander and bury him
down in the mud at the bottom of this
stove in, and he was otherwise dam
aged includin' breakin' his back.
reckon | might have kicked the coon
in the face with one of my spare feet
as it, but an't certain about that
Of course | was knocked SenSeleSs
| and the boys run in and got me out
on the bank and poured vinegar into
me and finally brought me to again.
Old VIII had left me cold as soon as
he sensed how bad Leander was hurt
and at last ! gets my bearings again
| shakes myself and find I'm all right
no bones broke, and just Jared some
| LeandCr and the water had busted the
force Of the fall, you see.
Il goes over to where the boys had
built fire and, say, | was plumb sor
ry for old Wib This here Leander
was layin' out on his belly and every
/ once in awhile he'd let out yelp.
says to the old man, I'm terrible sor.
ry, Wib,' and he says, I don't blame
| you, Dib, it was that blasted limb He
| didn't cuss any, for old Wib was a
church member. He says, What is to
be happens. Put him out of his mis-.
cry, boys, ! cant do it. So Dad OIL.
Yer swung an AK, and | don't reckon
old Leander knowed what hit him.
"'P Put him in the sack says Wib
| I'll give him a Christian burial coffin
and all. There's all that's left of the
best hound that ever nosed trail or
h'isted bristle.' 1t was mighty sol.
emn thing to old Wib, lemme tell you.
The Lord gives, and the Lord He
takes away says the old man, 'blest
be the name of the Lord Why they
said around Shutdown that he thought
as much of that Leander dog as he did
of his own wife and family, and he
was a good husband and father, too"
Dib paused and snaked live coal
out of the fireplace with the end of q
shovel, and deftly shunted it into the
bowl Of his pipe with segment OF
hickory chip. Then he puffed reminis,
Gently.
What became of the buck coon
Dib?" was my query. Dib stretched
his massive legs out so as to get the
full blaze of the logs on them an6
said: "Oh! that pesky critter? Why
he just naturally got away durin' tbs
excitement"
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
BEAR PUT MUzzLE ON HIMSELF.
Predatory Animal Got Nose Too Deep
Into Lard Can.

Four prospeetors started to explore
and hunt through the Bitter Root
range, in Idaho, and in a sheltering
valley built them log cabin. In the
beginning of January the snow lay
so deep that they had to keep In
doors for a time. The cabin contained
one room, with a large fireplace at
the side opposite the door, while next
the walls were ranged the two double
hunks facing each other Alongside
the chimney was a large closet in
which the provisions were stored, and
the guns-the only firearms they had
were staked against the cupboard
door at night.
The cabin door was fastened with
a wooden latch. One night, while
the party was sound asleep, there
came a crash, and as each man sat
up in his bunk he saw in the full
light of the fire big bear. He had
knocked down the guns, and they lay
beneath his feet, while the owners
stared at the enemy, without the
SllSnJGSJ luSd WIldL W uO.
In fact, there was nothing to do but
look on. Pretty soon the bear gave
a sniff and brought forth from the
cupboard a large piece of bacon
which he devoured. Then he lunched
on some buckwheat, and presently
there came the rattle of tin can,
and the prospectors knew that Bruin
had found the lard.
They could hear him sucking away
at the delicious substance, and were
wondering what he would next at
tack, when there came a sniff, but
not of satisfaction, and then rattle
of the can. Then suddenly, with a
deeper sniff, Bruin faced around, and
they saw that he was muzzled with
the lard can. It was round and fitted
his jaws perfectly, and he made it fit
tighter by trying to open his mouth.
At first he gave the can a gentle tap
on the floor, as if to argue with it.,
then the taps became faster and fast
er, and the bear began to spin
around as he banged away. 1t was a
funny performance and the spectators
had all they could do to keep from
laughing, but they knew the bears
claws were not muzzled, so they dis
creetly smothered their risibles and
watched the performer until, with
one great growl of concentrated rage,
he darted out the door, giving a final
bang on the doorway as he passed.
Then the four men laughed until the
tears ran down their cheeks. 1t was
too dark to pursue the bear, bat they
put log against the door as a pre-
caution against his return.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
No. 23 10.
Doinu Him a Favor.

A famous pianist, while strolling in
the country, came upon an inviting
tavern. Being thirsty, he entered, and
ordered glass of beer. AS he was
about to raise the glass of refreshing
beverage to his lips he spied piano
in the next room Releasing his glass
without touching its contents, the
artist stepped into the piano room, sat
down before his favorite instrument
and, being in the mood, began to pour
out his feelings in soul-stirring melody.
Just as he was in the midst of his
inspiration, gruff voice in his ear
stopped him abruptly. Looking up in
surprise and indignation, the pianist
beheld the bartender standing over
him with a glass of beer in his hand.
Say, mister" the server said, earn
estly, heres your beer; it's gittin'
flat!"-Illustrated Sunday Magazine.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02

This is presidential year, and the
alarmist. the dry-goods box philoso-
pher and the calamity howlers of diff
ferent breeds and opinions are abroad
in the land. Presidential years are
"off" years, so they say, and the most
level-headed old-timer shakes his head
with doubt when he speaks of the con-
ditions throughout the land. There is
q little cause for tightening up in
the affairs, more cautiousness in finan-
cial and commercial centers in gen
eral. This year there are no such pre-
sentiments" of evil as generally mark
presidential years. Business goes on
just the same as it has during the
past half dozen years or more, only
there is evidence that men are not
losing their heads and are carefully
considering possibilities. The agri-
cultural sections are particularly for
tunate in the fact that their pros
perity depends little upon the fluctua.
tions of stocks or securities. 'Tis
the wealth of land and live stock that
counts, and while any depression may
to a certain extent influence price, it
will require a greater calamity than
a change in administration to par.
llyZe agricultural industries.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
~ Copyright, by Joseph b. Bowlcs)

As soon as ! heard that the ducks
had begun to come in | packed my
grip for SOwders', and sent Dib Sow
ders a telegram. That night l reached
his farm. and the next night we were
at camp. Everything was ready, feed
for the live deCoys, the boats over
hauled and caulked, plenty of wood
for the Old-fashiOned fireplace in the
camp shanty, shells loaded. and gen
eral preparations complete for ten
days shoot. ] had taken a 44.Caliber
uld-style cap and ball revolver into the
timber with me that fall, Just because
/ was charmed with its phenomenal
accuracy. 1t would throw bullet ex-
actly where you held it, and loaded
with a pinch of powder only it did
not jar nor throw up as so many re-
volvers do. | had a notion | would
take Il turn in the woods after fox
squirrels with it If the duCkshooting
was so poor as to warrant it, or so
good that it would get monotonous.
Early the next morning | skipped
out by myself to try few ducks be-
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02

The Rev. Charles James Palmer OF
Lanesboro, Mass, is a philosophic
sort of sky pilot. The other day he
had to officiate at the last sad rites
over Elihu Ingraham, a parishion-
er, and it was cold day. Now the
Rev. Mr.. Palmer is not only a Berk-
shire missionary, but also Harvard
man, and he has some strictly mod
ern and utilitarian ideas of the clergy
mans calling. That cold day of the
Ingraham funeral when the empty
hearse was turning from the GENE
terry, the minister remembered that he
was six miles from home, and only an
open carriage at his disposal. So he
walked through the snow to the
hearse, got inside and told the driver
to take him to the parish house. 1T
was fine riding" said Mr.. Palmer, the
next day, warm and cozy and I could
see all the scenery on both sides be-
sides having an experience to reflect
upon" He'll be quite welcome to his
reflection.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
GO OUT FOR TRADE
MERCHANT SHOULD BE AN Ex-
PERT IN HIS LINE.
WISE USE OF PRINTERS INK
How Advertising by a Specialist Was
Turned to Profit by Wide
Awake Country Store
keeper.

One of the latest deals of the town.
to-town man is the working up of sales
for some local merchant. He enters
the town and contracts with some
storekeeper to hSld a weeks sale.
What goods the merchant cannot sup
ply he will have shipped in to add to
the stock on hand He is a worker for
the percentage on the gross sales, and
stands the advertising bills. He is a
postmaster in the art of country town
advertising. He knows how to get out
an attractive poster and how to reach
the town people and the farmers as
we'll. He covers the front of the store
with signs calling attention to the
sale. He has a force of specially
trained clerks. He makes business
fairly hum, unless he bucks up
against another merchant in the town
who knows a few things about getting
business himself.
Not long ago in one of the small
western cities one of the experts
opened up a sale for a merchant who
had a considerable stock of stale
goods, particularly boots and shoes,
on hand. The front of the store build
ing was covered with attractive signs,
thousands of posters and handbills
were sent throughout the city and
country, and the advertising began to
show results. There was one live
merchant in the town who saw Il
chance to reap a benefit from the eff,
forts of the expert" The sale had
only fairly gotten under way when the
dealer-up-tO-date commenced plaCard
ing his store in the same block. He
was not slow in the advertising line
When the sale manipulation hung out
his sign, Finest shoes in the town
$1.50 per pair" the up-to-date man met
it with: These shoes don't look like
kid, they are not paper, but they will
wear better than anything you can
get for twice the money-only $1.05.
Other signs called attention to hon.
est values; that there was no special
sale on hand; it was regular business
and regular prices-but prices were
right, the goods were right and honest
values, and invited comparison with
ANY other stock in town." and the
people were interested.
Farmers understand the bargain
sale deal, and at the end of the first
Gay the up-to-date man had sold 139
pairs of shoes and rubberS. He didn [
have to cut prices. He gathered up
all his odds and ends of stock, placard.
ed them so as to tell the people they
were little out of style, but honest
bargains, and he did business in vol.
umes as great as the expert bargain
man, and convinced his customers
that not alone on one day could they
get full value for their money, but on
any day.
1t is we'll for the merchant in the
small city to do judicious advertising
This will bring as good results, and
save the percentage paid the expert y
In fact if the merchant would take the
amount that would be paid out to the
expert and use it in advertising in his
home paper he would be the winner in
the end. Then, again, the expert" IS
out to make sales, and he makes them
sometimes in such way as to turn
away the trade of those who We're
good customers of the merchant.
D. M. CARR.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02

most surprisingest coon-dog that'd
ever hit these parts.
But the old man he allowed it was
just the cross he wanted. Pure hound
for the scent and following the trail,
part wolf for cunnin', and bull for hold.
on. When that pup was only few
weeks old he came swimmin' after
a skiff the old man and a fellow from
Saint Looey was in, and the fellow
says, What's his name? And old
Wib says L hain't named him yit.'
Call him Leander,' says this here fel.
low. 1t seemed like a good mouth
film name and so Wib Christened
him Leander. The fellow told him
Leander was the best swimmer that
ever happened before he got drownded.
We'll, they was a monster coon
down on Shadow lake that had
whipped all the dogs that was ever
brought against him. He wasn't no
ordinary coon, but nearly as big as a
young bear, and every ounce bone and
muscle. He'd get out into Il little
pond or piece of marsh and when a
dogd tackle him he'd souse the dogs
head under water a few times, con-
tributin' few bites at the same time
to make it binding.
old Wib hears of this coon, and
he comes over for me, and a big
crowd of us goes down to Shadow
lake one moonlight night. Well, you
know that country. Pucker-brush
swamp-holes, briGrs, dead logs, the
worst ever. We got the trail of this
big fellow easy enough, for he used
to prowl down around Hogeye bend
most all the time, and in about half
an hour Leander barked freed
when we got to where it was, the
coon had got out on an old Eastwood
that stood in a little pond where we
couldn't we'll use the axes, and we
could see him away up and out on a
big limb that slanted across this
here pond. | allowed Id climb up and
shake him down, and one of the boys
gave me a hist and up l Went. When
/ got out to where he was | couldn't
jar him loose.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
utonian Idea.

Communism is an Utopian idea.
based upon platonic principles which
neither recognize natural laws as ap.
piled to business nor the rewards
merited by superiority of intelligence
or extraordinary achievements. II
means that the plodder, the indolent
and the incompetents shall partake
of the benefits of the labors of the
more worthy, enjoy that earned by ef'
forts of the workers and forever be a
burden upon their communities. Two
thousand years of experience has
proved the errors of its alleged philos
ophy and its unsoundness in the prac
tical affairs of life.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02

fore we got things settled down so as
10 hunt together, and | found a likely
looking spot in among the willows
after padding couple of miles from
camp | rowed in to some drift and
willows, put out five live decoys
built up a little blind, and had my
duck "call" handy The live deCOys
splashed and dove for smartweed
and pretty soon pair of mallards
came over and saw them. They sailed
around a couple of times over the
willows and then came in grand. |
salted both of them, and waded out
and gathered them After that didn't
see anything for a couple of hours, but
a few tloCked away to the north.
Thinks | to myself, I'll pull up and
get into camp, and We'll lay out our
plan of campaign for tomorrow.
II was warm, bright day, and the
ducks weren't stirring around much.
There was big log about 80 feet
from the blind that run out from the
butt of a haIf-sunk sycamore. This
sycamore was a whopping tree, and
was connected with the shore on one
side by catch of drft-wood. Well.
] heard a noise and turned around
towards that log, peeking quiet out
of the blind" and there on that log
sat the biggest raccOon | ever laid
my eyes on.
He was sQuatting there listening. |
took the "A, slipped it through a
crack in the willows, and aimed for
the junCturc of his neck and shoul-
ders. touched the trigger, and the
coon melted off that log like dew
drop from a lily-pad | got out and
went around the log and there he
laid as dead as Pharaoh. | padded
back to camp, and Dib had gone back
to his place for a fish-net he'd forgot.
ten, according to note he left. Along
about sundown he showed up, and
had the ducks done to a turn by that
time and some corn-meal dodgers hot
on the pan, and black coffee a-plenty
After we had supper | showed Dit
the coon, and he says: Hes strap
pin big fellow amt he? The big
gest one l ever saw except that old
buck coon on Shadow lake. And he
was a giant This lad amt rat along
side of him"
Did you kill that one, Dib?'
said l.
NO; but he came pretty near kill
ing me-" was Dib's response.
How was it, Db?" says l. There
must be a story to that coon some
where"
We'll" says Dib. Il reckon there
was a sort of tale to it. It'll kill &
little time. and | don't mind telling
you about it.
You reckollect old man Parrott
The man introduced you to down a
the depot last fall Heavy-set fellow
big brown eyes, nose hooked like {
-chicken-hawk's beak, all the tins
smiling. Well, old Wib Is the bosI
coon hunter anywhere along thes'
bottoms. At that time he had thu
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
Believed to Be Oldest Paper.

What is believed to be the oldest
newspaper in the world is preserved
at the University of Heidelberg. 1t is
a brochure of IL pages bearing the
date 1909. The announcement, signed
by the editor, Johann Carolus, de-
clares that the journal has been pub
lished for several years. The collec.
ton of 1909, which constitutes vol
ume of lis leaves, and which lacks
only No. "a, contains weekly letters
from II cities, notably Frankfort, Am.
sterdam, Brussels, The Hague, Lyons,
Rome, Venice, Vienna and Prague.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
a Real Friend.

Honest men esteem and value moth
ing so much in this world as a real
friend Such one is as it were an
other self, to whom we impart our
most secret thoughts, who partakes
of our joy, and comforts us in our
affiiction; add to this, that his COM
pany is an everlasting pleasure to US.
-Pilpay.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
His Opportunity.

'T am in love with young lady who
is deaf and near-sighted," wrote the
young man. Should l marry herr"
You not only should" remarked the
snake editor, who was temporarily do
ing the query editors work, "but If
she is blind and deaf you probably
can!"-Answers
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02

Paris Pattern No. 1921, All Seams
Allowed.-For thin goods, such as or
candle, batiste and French cotton
yoile, this is a pretty and stylish pat
tern. The princess front panel and
round yoke are very fashionable this
season, and the trimming consists of
narrow insertion and edging of either
embroidery or lace. 3ordered foulards
are also pretty made up in this style,
and the figured foulards are equally at
tractive if trimmed with cream col
cred lace. The pattern is in six sizes
-32 to 42 inches, bust measure. For
36 bust the dress, as in front view, re-
quires five yards of batiste 36 inches
wide, with az yards Of tlouncing 22R
Or more inches wide, two yards of all
over embroidery IS inches wide, 81
yards of insertion and one yard of
edging Or of one material it needs,
14H yards 20 inches wide, II yards
81 inches wide, IA yards &c inches
wide, or 634 yards AZ inches wide.
Width of lower edge about 5b yards.
To procure this pattern send 10 cents to
"Pattern Editor" office of this paper.
Write name and address plainly and be
sure to give size and number of pattern.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
Paris Pattern No. 2a1O. All Seams

Paris Pattern No. 231O, All Seams
Allowed-This pretty tailor-made
shirt waist is suitable for plain or
striped linen, as we'll as any of the
fancy shirtings, chambrays or novelty
wash silks. A box-plait extends from
the seamless yoke to the waist line in
the back, and the waist closes under a
box-plait at the center-front. Full
sleeves are gathered into straight cuffs
at the wrist. The pattern is in three
sizes-13 to II years. For a miss of
Is years the shirt waist requires four
yards of material 90 inches wide, 3A
yards 27 inches wide, "a yards sc
inches wide, and two yards AZ inches
wide; one-half yard of linen q inches
wide for collar.
To procure this pattern send 10 cents to
Pattern Editor" office of this paper
Write name and address plainly and be
sure to give size and number of pattern
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
Be a Booster.

Be a booster. The knocker Is usu
ally the man who waits for something
to turn up or tries to get something
for nothing.-Salt Lake Tribune.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
EfArnaI Greed

Wealth is crime enough to him
that's poor, who having spent the
treasures of his crown, condemns their
luxury TO feed his own.-Sir John Den.
aam.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1908-04-02
Uncle Allen.

Facts may be stubborn things"
moralized Uncle Allen Sparks, but
I've noticed that a lie is good deal
harder to kill OF"