The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1909-09-17
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
Home and Kept In Circulation There.
Business Increased Greatly.


Home and Kept In Circulation There.
Business Increased Greatly.
There Is O 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. II started one
day when a resident Of the town was
discussing local matters with the sta
ton master while waiting for his train.
II understand" he remarked, that
Zones, 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"
Eyes, it's a fact" replied the sta
ton master. TOO bad, isn't ity
"Well, In a way it is, of course, but
1t must be their own fault Andquat-
ed business methods are probably the
cause Of It."
That's where you make a big mis-
take" promptly returned the station
master. 81 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 case7"
well, 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 a thought to our tradesmen. and |
when one Of them fails you lay It to
Anticipated business methods. As g /
matter Of fact, It is because you fell
lows fail to give them the support they
have right TO expect"
why, how do You mean?7
- mean that instead Of sending to
the mali order houses or picking ND
In the city anything you need in the
hardware, clothing or dry goods line
Il is your duty to give the home mer-
chants q chance for that trade. OF
course you are not expected to pay q
dollar for anything you can get out Of
town for 80 OF 70 cents, but you'll find
in the long run that you can do as
Well If not better right here at home.
and just think what # 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.
"Weli, III give you little proof OF
IT," went on the station master. 81
happened 10 be talking 10 Brown. the
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 q mail or
der house for $3.50" said the resi-
dent proudly.
yes, that's what the boy told US,
md after he had gone Brown took me
into his store and showed me identi-
,ally the same wheel for SO"
"You don't tell me. Well, why doesn't
he advertise that he has such bar
yainsf"
simply because you people here
who patronize the mail order houses
almost exclusively, don't give him your
rade, and consequently he hasn't the v
money to do It. He knows the value Of G
dvertising in the local papers and p
ponds every dollar he can afford to in o
hat direction. but q share Of the local 3
rade that is rightly his would give Il
I'm an opportunity TO spread out in q
hat direction. Money spent at home.
ou know. is going TO be put in circu- ID
alton at home, but when you send -
ollar away from here Il IS gone for "
yer. There is big howl IN this town "
DO, for Improvements, but II we're -. -
DING TO let the merchants run down !,
III this way the town isn't going to
love ahead to any great extent" -,
well, there's a good deal Of sound =,
anse in what you say" said the resi- ..
ent after n little thought "Ill bring -
MS matter up at the club tonight and 80
PC what the others think Of It." -
A few months later the merchants IN 49,
nat town were doing more business H.,
IAN they had in years, and II wasn't n.
ng before Improvements IN other di a,
ctions were coming thick and fast ~,
board of trade was eventually or ID
lnized. the local papers received such ",
ipport that they could take a hand in bo
e boom and q woman's improvement bo
'ciety was formed that has done so
UGH TO improve and heautify the %
wn. thus attracting desirable resi-
,nts. A :. LEWIS.