Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-01-10
VALUE OF GOOD ROADS
How They Increase Home Trade
In the Bad Weather Season.
ADVICE FROM A NEW DRUMMER
He Tells the Local Merchant Why
Business 10 Dull During the Winter
and sprins-Farmers Wives Buy
Through the Mail.

1uylnCbn Sbh 0bftHb WV
and sprins-Farmers' Wives Buy
Through the Mail.
The new drummer entered the ONCE
OF the Grand Central hotel with
scowl on his face and several smother
ed lmprecations just inside his lips. He
had the appearance of man who
wanted to use extremely hot language,
but the sight Of the Methodist church
Just across the way and the Baptist
church down the street restrained him.
In other words, he was swearing mad.
though new to this particular town.
This was the first time he had made"
the place. The drummer had come In
overland from the county seat, twenty
miles away, In a spring wagon hired
from the livery stable. His two sample
trunks were In the back part Of the
wagon. They were splashed with mud.
There was mud even on the seat cush-
ion, and the drummer's clothes were
yellow with mud. The drivers ap-
parel was simply caked with 1t. but he
did not appear to mind a little thing
like that He was used to II. The
horses also were caksd with mud, and
the wheels Of the vehicle carried sew
eral pounds each of the yellow sticki-
ness.
well, I neverr calculated the drum
mer as he wiped the mud from his
fingers before taking up the pen to reg
lister his name. This In the worst /
ever struck. Why don't you folks
around here build some decent roads
You've got plenty Of material right at
hand. There's rock enough along the
roadside TO make the finest roads In
the land II you would only put It where
II will do the most good"
"Oh. we don't worry" said the hotel
clerk. marking room No. % opposite
the new guests name. We've put up
with muddy roads from the beginning
and got along fairly well. and reckon
we can continue to navigate"
Navigation - that's the row. all
right" said the drummer. you ought
to hire boats instead OF wagons in
this section. Why, some Of the places
we came through today would hoat a
skin"
The local newspaper editor was
standing by the desk. He smiled
grimly.
i've been preaching good roads to
the people OF this nelghborhood for
years." he said, but tx,y don't seem
to take to the Idea. They are pretty
good people. too, but they've formed
the habit OF putting up with mud in
the muddy season and don't kick much.
:. They say their fathers were content to
drive through the mud when necessary
or stay at home till the roads dried out.
and they think they ought to be content
to do the same"
"HuhF' the drummer gpnted. "How's
business here in the winter and
springr'
Mighty poor" replied the dry goods
merchant-"mighty poor, for fact
People out in the country don't seem to
do any trading except in summer"
When the roads are good" contin-
ued the drummer. 81 thought as much
that Is. they don't do much trading
with you here In town. But country
people are always buying something
somewhere when times are az good as
they are now. That you may put down
as fact Where do they buy fromY
We'll. certainly not from me-" said
the merchant
''Of course not, because the women
can't get into town. It's the women
who do most OF the buying You know
that. The farmers wives come tC
town only once month or so during
the winter, owing TO your miserable
roads. They do buy things, though
and ] can give you a little tip. They
buy them by mail. They read these
large and luscious catalogues sent q
them by the big city mail order firms
and they order through the catalogues
Did II ever occur 10 you that II ,'oc
had decent roads you would get q
much larger winter trade from the
country MOI Well, think II over.
have Just been reading some hgures
The state OF Iowa. for Instance. has
2, $50 900 population. II has 100. 0.4SC
miles OF public roads-what they cal
roads-but only l5O miles arc OF mae
adam and passable eve-y month ir
the year, What do you think Of that
Then take Missouri That state. ac
~ording 10 these figures. has more thar
100000 people, with 10000 miles OF
public roads II has only about u thou
sand miles OF well built highways
illinois is stlll worse on for good roads
Most OF tho states line up just about
tue same, What can you expectr
ITS a new idea" said the merchant
meekly. "and I'm going TO think 4
over and talk II over with some OF the
other town people, We've been think
ing our editor here is a good road:
crank but I'm inclined 10 the oplnior
now that he has more common sense
| than the rest OF US"