West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1908-11-12
HOME TRADE DID IT..
Why a Town In the West Is
Growing Rapidly.
ITS MERCHANTS PATRoNlZED.

Money That Was Formerly Gent 20 the
Mail Order houseo Now spent a,
Home and Kept In Circulation There.
Business Increased Greatly.
There is Il hustllng and progressive
little town IN the middle west that Is
quickly growing into a city, but the
Etory OF the beginning OF It's boom Ia
known 10 few people II started one
day when n resident OF the town was
discussing local matters with the sta.
tion master while waiting for his train
IL understand" he remarked. that
Jones, the dry goods merchant is not
dcing business enough TO pay for the
oats his horses cat aud 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 ~"
We'll. I'm n way IT *, OF course. bu,
1t must be their own fault Anuquat.
ed business methods are probably th,
cause OF It,"
That's where you make big mis-
take promptly returned the station
master. Il happen TO know Brown
and Jones very well, aud tell YOU
they are couple OF mighty up To date
business men. Would you care to
know the real facts In the case?"
well. I'm not particularly interested
In these fellows and their affairs" was
the reply. but
That's just it," broke In the sta.
tion master "Most Of the residents
here live along year after year with.
out n thought 10 our tradcsmon. and
when ono of them fails you lay II To
antiquatcd business methods As n
matter OF fact. IT is because you fel.
lows fail To give them tho support they
have right TO expect"
"Why, how do YOU meanf"
IL mean that instead of sending "a
the mail order houses or picking up
In, tho city anything you need I'm the
hardware. c.othing or dry goods line
It is your duty TO give the home mcr.
chants 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 10 cents. but you'll find
I'm the long run that you cnn do as
well II not better right here Mt home
and Just think what II 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"
81 don't know about that" replied
the other.
well, I'll give you little proof OF
It," went on the station master. 81
happened tofbc talking TO Brown. Tire
hardware merchant, the other day
when your boy came along on new
bicycle. and we stopped him and look.
ed the machine over"
81 got that wheel through n mail or
der house for $3.50" said the resi-.
dent proudly.
"Yes. that's what the boy told us
and after he had gone Brown took me
into his store and showed me ldcntl
cally the same wheel for S1J."
you don't tell met Well. why doesn't
he advertise that he has such bpr.
galns?"
"SImply because you people here
who patrOniZe the mail order houses
almost exclusively. don't give him your
trade. and consequently he hasn't the
money 90 do II. He knows the value Of
advertising In the local papers and
spends every dollar he can afford to IN
that direction, but n share OF the local
trade that IS rightly his would give
him an opportunity TO spread out iu
that direction. Money spent at home
you know, is going 30 be put I'm circu
lation at home. but when you send n
dollar away from here II Is gone for
ever. There IL big howl In this town
too. for improvements, but n were
going 10 let the merchants run down
hill this way the town isn't going tc
move ahead TO any great extent"
well. there's good deal Of sound
sense I'm what you say" said the resi-
dent after little thought on bring
this matter mp at the club tonight and
see what the others think Of g."
. a few months later the merchants IN
that town were doing more business
than they had I'm years and II wasn't
long before Improvements in other H.
IrectiOns were coming thick and fast
"a board of trade was eventually or
lganizcd. tho local papers received such
support TINT they could take a hand IN
thc boom. and womon's Improvement
] society was formed thnt has done
much TO improve and beauufy tho
town, thus attracting desirable resi-
cents a. u. LEWIS.