Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1908-11-26
Home TRADE DID IT.,
Why a Town In the West Is
Growing Rapidly.
ITS MERCHANTS PATRONIzED,
Money That Was Formerly Sent to the
Mail Order Houses Now Spent at
Homo and Kept In Circulation There.
Business Increased Greatly.

Mail Order Houses Now Spent at
Homo and Kept In Circulation There.
Business Increased Greatly.
There is q hustling and progressive
little town in the middle west that is
quickly growing into a city, but the
story Of the beginning Of its boom is
known to few people. 1t started one
day when resident Of the town was
discussing local matters with the sta
ton master while waiting for his train
II understand" he remarked, that
Jones. the dry goods merchant, is not
doing business enough to pay for the
oats his horses eat and that Brown,
the hardware dealer, Is also on the
verge Of failure"
Yes. it's fact" replied the sta.
ton master. TOO bad, isn't ftp
We'll. in a way 1t is. Of course, but
1t must be their own fault Antiquat.
ed business methods are probably the
cause Of it"
That's where you make big mis-
take" promptly returned the station
master. II happen to know Brown
and Jones very well, and l tell you
they are couple Of mighty up to date
business men. Would you care to
know the real facts in the caseT
We'll. I'm not particularly interested
In these fellows and their affairs" was
the reply. but
That's just it." broke In the sta.
ton master. Most Of the residents
here live along year after year with.
out thought to our tradesmen, and
when one Of them fails you lay it to
Anticipated business methods. As q
matter Of fact, 1t is because you fel-
lows fail to give them the support they
have right to expect"
why. how do you mean?"
II mean that instead Of sending to
the mail order houses or picking up
in the city anything you need in the
hardware, clothing or dry goods line
1t is your duty to give the home mer-
chants a chance for that trade. OF
course you are not expected to pay a
dollar for anything you can get out Of
town for 80 or IS cents. but you'll find
in the long run that you can do as
well II not better right here at home,
and Just think what 1t means to the
local merchant! Why, thousands Of
dollars are sent away every year when
they could have been spent right here
to better advantage"
II don't know about that" replied
the other.
well, III give you little proof Of
it." went on the station master II
happened to be talking to Brown. the
hardware merchant, the other day
when your boy came along on a new
bicycle, and we stopped him and look
ed the machine over"
II got that wheel through a mail or.
der house for $780," said the resi-.
dent proudly.
"Yes. that's what the boy told u.s.
and after be had gone Brown took me
into his store and showed me identi-
cally the same wheel for SIS"
You don't tell me! Well, why doesn't
he advertise that he has such bar.
gainsT'
simply because you people here.
who patronixe the mail order houses
almost exclusively, don't give him your
trade, and consequently be hasn't the
money to do It. He knows the value Of
advertising in the local papers and
spends every dollar he can afford to In
that direction, but a share Of the local
trade that is rightly his would give
him an opportunity to spread out In
that direction. Money spent at home,
you know. is going to be put in circu-
lation at home. but when you send a
dollar away from here It Is gone for.
ever. There is big howl in this town.
too, for Improvements, but If we're
going to let the merchants run down
hill this way the town isn't going to
move ahead to any great extent"
well. there's a good deal Of sound
sense in what you say" said the resi-
dent after little thought. "1'll bring
this matter up at the club tonight and
see what the others think Of it."
A few months later the merchants in
that town were doing more business
than they had in years. and it wasn't
long before improvements in other d.
rections were coming thick and fast.
A board Of trade was eventually or.
ganized, the local papers received such
support that they could take a hand in
the boom. and a woman's improvement
society was formed that has done
much to improve and beautify the
town, thus attracting desirable resi-
dents, A. B. LEWIS.