Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1909-09-09
MANAGING A TOWN,
Novel Experiment of an Editor to
Improve Conditions.
ACTS AS BUSINESS DICTATOR.
How He Hopes to Make Dexter, la,
Larger and Better, Increase Its Trade
chants oafers CLEANED Out

A town near Des Moines, Ia. has
been making a novel experiment 1t
has been allowing the editor to run
things-not the local editor. mind
you. but an editor from Des Moines
The editor is not running things in
person, but has appointed an assistant
who is a thorOughgoing business man.
So far the experiment seems to have
been 4 pronounced success. The mer-
chants are making more money. the
collections are better, the streets are
cleaner and there Is Improvement in
many lines.
The town that is being experimental
on is Dexter, which is thirty-fve
miles from Des Moines and has about
$50 inhabitants. The editor is w. j.
Pilkington Of the Merchants Trade
Journal of Des Moines His assistant
is Guy c. Pogue. Pilkington had Il
theory that the methods found SO sue
cessful in the department stores and
retail establishments of the large
cities could be tried as effectually in the
small towns. He told the merchants
of Dexter that he could make more
money for them, the bankers that he
could increase their deposits, and joy
ouSly informed the mayor that his
government was on the blink and if
he-the editor-could do a little gov
erning he would make things hum
and add to the population.
DiII-ip otpn'S jOvpl1S SlIrDriSn Day
ter took him at his word. The mer-
chants wanted more profits, the bank
erS were looking for larger deposits,
and, as for his honor the mayor, he
concluded that if anybody could run
that town better than he was doing it
the other chap was welcome to the job.
That is the kind of Il mayor to have.
No dog-in-the-manger spirit about him!
He was thinking of the good of his
town and did not give a hang for his
own dignity.
1 do not know that mayors name, and
am sorry, for it ought to be publish
ed to the ends of the earth as an OK
munities who do nothing themselves
and let nobody else do anything.
To return to the experiment. Pill
kington sent Pogue, and POgue got
busy. The new departure started June
/ and is to run seven months. Mr..
Pogue obtained complete reports from
each store and bank and began intro
ducing up to date business methods.
He took a complete invoice of stock
and accounts He got sales slips at
the end of each day SO that he knew
what every store and every depart
ment was doing. He directed the win
dow displays, the arrangement of
goods, the prices and the conduct of
the clerks. He must be a wonder, for
anybody who can regulate the conduct
of the average clerk is surely master
of men-and women. POgue does it,
or so it is reported. l am not anxious
for his job.
One of the best things the new gen
eral manager of Dexter is doing is to
write the advertisements for the local
papers and to change copy with every
issue. Even better, he has graded and
cleaned the streets and put down side
walks. He moved the lOaferS off the
dry goods boxes and moved the boxes
to the rear. Again, | do not envy him
his job, but once more l must admit
that he is q marvellous man. Anybody
that can make q lOafer move is a ben
efactor as we'll as a wonder worker.
Pogue has put in new street lights
and caused these and the ones already
in existence to burn later at night.
He has organized a baseball club and
q band. The farmers have awakened
to the fact that something is asttr i'll
Dexter, and as they want to find out
what it is they are going to Dexter
to trade. The merchants are pleased.
They call the PiIkingtOn-Pogue idea
the booster plan and are rapidly being
converted to join the boosters club.
Money is being saved in buying and
in bad accounts.
The first months report showed in
creases in The leading stores, one eS-
adjustment running as high as STD
increase in business and one or two
others reaching nearly the $500 mark.
III b6ALGI. DIS SlSC"ICANy 'LlphC'~
ment pays, business methods win, en-
terprise, cleanliness and printers ink
spell prosperity.
Here is Mr.. Pilkington's own state
ment Of his reason for undertaking
the novel experiment:
I expect to disprove the theory that a
certain kind of business may succeed in
one town and fail in another. My conten.
ton is that any store with up to date
business methods can succeed, no matter
where It's location is. For this reason }
selected Dexter.
On every side there is strong compeu'
ton, and if ! succeed I will have shows
to the business men there that [ have
pulled trade from the territory in which
Des Moines and Stuart have been the ia
vorites It is a small town and is hot
bed for the mail order business, and
feel that I have chosen a town where 1t
will be the hardest kind of work to sue
coed. Reports so far are very encourage
ing.
1t is great idea, and everybody
will watch with interest the new com
bination of Pilkington, Pogue, push
and pluck. If it succeeds, the editor
may be given the job Of running other
towns. A good many editors might
throw up their hands and say it is all
they can do to run their papers, but
others will be ready to clean the
streets. clean out the lOafers, get the