The Ketchikan miner., 1908-07-18
MAIL ORDER HOUSES.

scene that is probably duplicated every week within the circuit of the district covered by The Miner. A number of us were summing ourselves the other afternoon, when man came along with patent brass bed stead on a. truck bearing on its polish ed surface card showing it had come from a. Chicago house. Mir. Bryant, who was present, entered into little good natured banter with the man, in the course of which it developed that he..had paid fifty cents more for his purchase than MT. Bryant charged. The bed was inferior in every way, and just six inches short of standard width.
 The truth is that very few mail or der houses handle the real standard goods, and your home dealer can beat them every time on the same quality of article. The ''sheeny" trader who explained to his customer that he lost money on his sales but made slight profit on his paper and string. had about as good an argument as the average mail order house offers as a bait to catch the unwary.
 A Ketchikap party who went east last winter stopped at Marshall Field & Co. IS to take B. look around. They did-not buy any $500 ermine lined capes or sl,00O rugs, but one of the ladies purchased a pretty necktie for s1. 50, and one gentleman, by way of a joke on his daughter, purchased at the five cent counter an ingenious de- vice for pounding tough steak. In that fine stock there was nothing that the party absolutely required that they couldn't find on the counters of our local stores-that is, nothing within the reach of their pocket books. When the young man to whom the neckEe was presented ostenta- tiously displayed it before Manager King of the Tongass Trading Co.,, Mir. King turned to the trade mark and
 
 but alo o9 for the self-same tie. Mir. King, no doubt. had to pay as much and Eore for it as Marshall Field & Co, but has to be content with a profit within the reach of his trade. It is much like the smart Yankee on the stage who demurs when asked to pay twenty-five cents for a five cent drink. But look at these oil paint ings on the wall, says the thirst dis penser. "Yes," he rejoins, but l paid for the paintings yesterday. "
 If you purchase of far away stores, you have to pay for the oil paintings pretty often. This principle extends to every line of business, and it is as unaiterable as the laws of the Medes and Persians.
 The experience of the Ketchikan man who wanted to get city clothes at country prices is familiar to all. He purchased job lot of cloth in Seattle, and had fashionable tailor cut it for him. Then he took it home and went to his local tailor to have it made up. It was found that the suit was about six inches too short all around. The good citizen began to storm about and say things not found in the church manual, but finally ask ed the tailor: "'How do you explain this?' The knight of the shears scratched his head thoughtfully and replied: "Well, I reckon you're a durned sight bigger man in Ketchi- kan than you were in Seattle.''
 A Ketchikan merchant pays less rent, less for clerk hire, less for ad- vertising, and for everything else. He does not carry large surplus stock. He has every advantage over his city brother, except in the vol ume of trade. He knows his custom ers' individual wants, and he caters to them. He takes back your pur. chase if it ism satisfactory, and gives you little lee-way if your credit is sufficient, in the matter of payments. He is reliable, worthy and get-at-able. He is here at present. He was here last year and he expects to be here next year. He is your neighbor; he contributes his proportion to town Improvements and the support of all the churches, and he is fellow sufferer in all the vicissitudes of viii 1age life. In the first place, it is to the advantage of your pocket book to patronize him as a neighbor and a public spirited citizen. You also owe it to your love-o fair play and village loyalty.
 When you get anything at one of your stores that does not suit you, what howl goes up. Take it back and tell Charley Guzman to throw it in the deep blue sea and refund your lnro lv s31vow doiIar nOna khn mail |