The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-08-20
WALL ORDER ORIGIN,
system Grew Out OF Failure OF
Oranges Business End.
MIDDLEMAN IS ELIMINATED.

When the Grange stores Quit Sup
ply Agent Continued This Idea on
the Catalogue Plan-lmmense Growth
From Small Beginnings.
The story OF the rise OF the so called
mail order business is an interesting
chapter In our commercial history.
The spread OF the craze-for Il must
be classed as such-resembles that Of
an ordinary epidemic against which no
precautlon Is taken. The disease has
until very recently been allowed TO
spread without even quarantine regu-
latlons. But from present indications
It's decline will be as rapid rs was It's
rise
The idea OF selecting goods from
catalogue containing pictures OF the ar
ticles and then ordering the articles
thus selected by mail was the direct
result OF the failure OF the business
end OF the grange movement, the
grange store, writes Richard A. Haste
I'm Maxwel's Tallsman.
Not so many years ago. but before
the telephone the rural routes and the
interurban electric lines had brought
the town and the farm into the present
close relations. there existed In the
rural communities an active prejudice
against townsfolk generally and the re-
tail merchant In particular. lie was
a "middleman" and wholly unneces-
sary. lie was looked upon as hui
I n ErfHh
not entitled 10 any fixed place In the
economic scheme OF civilization.
As the working bees every fall when
the FIRST frosts come 20 blight the low
ers cast the droncs from the hive, 80
the mlddleman was to be cut out Of the
equation OF trade. eliminated from the
problem. and through the grange store
the farmer would deal directly with
the manufacturer Millions Of dollars
would h. thus saved TO the workers"
by this short cut across the commercial
field The grange store would buy the
produce OF the farm and In turn sell 90
the farmer the essentials OF life with
out profit either going or coming
In carrying out this simple scheme
the grange. not being acquainted with
the mercantile business. employed
agents 10 buy goods for the grange
store. and the store was then run by a
"hlrcd mana man OF more or less ex-
perlence In handling retail trade. but
who had no interest In the business.
He was simply a hired man.
One OF these supply agents was a
firm the name OF which now stands
second II not first among the catalogue
houses Of today. This firm. II I am
not mistaken. was then located Ia Nh
waukee. and It's business was 10 supply
the grange stores Of the middle west
with goods-to 10 into the market and
buy as cheaply as possible for It's prin-
cipals
For few years the grange store
nourished There was much interest
manifested IN this new trade toy. II
was boldly asserted that the day OF the
mlddlcman. the retail merchant had
passed. But. like all complicated ma.
chimes run by hired men. II got out
OF order and then stopped. The band
ed farmers found that instead OF saw
ing money by means OF the grange
store they had actually lost money.
The grange stores were accordingly
closed. aud the stockholders charged
up the little loss 10 experience and
turned TO the ever interesting discus
sion OF the tariff on wheat
With the passing OF the grange store
the firm above referred to was left
without business. But out OF the
wreck II saved two things that proved
10 be most yaluable--a list OF names
OF the farmers OF the middle west
and an idea With this capital stock
the first catalogue house was started.
II was n commercial inspiration born
OF the then conditions. But the discov-
erer was not left long In exclusive pos
session OF this find. The plcklngs were
80 rich and the possibilities Of ex-
plol;ation 80 exceptional and safe that
others entered the field until now the
competition has become about as sharp
as II is I'm the retail trade. Indeed. the
original catalogue house-none genuine
without our stamp concern--has been
outfooted by young rival which
struts before the commercial world
with a capital stock Of $40.OO0.O0O.