West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-10-21
HOME TRADE FACTORS
Five That a Merchant Specially
Needs For His Success.
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF AGE
Construction Is Placed First Beeaus,
In Way IL 10 Most Fundamental.
The Value Of Special knowledge and
Advertising.

The Value OF Special knowledge and
Advertising.
lt one were asked TO name Eve OF the
most distinctive features OF this age he
would probably mention the following:
Construction, invention. special knowl.
edge. energy and publicity. These are
among the factors that have made the
progress OF the modern world. and ms
they have SO well served society nt
large they viii serve the iudividua,
equally well. They are needed. FOR ex-
ample. 10y the merchant who would
build up home trade.
All these qualities are supcrlntivcly
American. The prominence which they
have been given on this side the water
has tended To spread them throughout
the world, not that they had their orr.
gin with us or did not exist before.
They have been present I'm some dc.
gree I'm all times ana all lands. They
are only dlstluCtivcly American I'm the
sense that here they have had greater
emphasis, have been developed To n
higher point, have had larger practical
application and have been found more
umong the masses OF mon.
Construction. the constructive spirit.
Is placed first because I'm n way II IL
most fundamental 1t Is the keystone
OF the arch Without II the other uual.
tiles, at least in their present high
state OF development and efficiency.
would be impossible. The constructive
spirit is the spirit OF the builders Il
huu fofIh Ia f,.Nt IA
ventures. II is positive II nfilrms, II
looks on the bright side, Il stands for
mans mastery over matter 1t ignores
the weak, the negative. the carping.
the whining. the inefficient II does
things. IL builds up, and if IL also
tears down II Is only to build grcnter.
Ia word, the constructive spirit Is
optimistic. It looks upon the world
and calls IL good, works upon Il and
makes IL better 1t has the confidence
that drives out fear. II has faith In
man and dares found great enter
prises on this faith. This is the spirit
that has built the nation; this is the
spirit that makes for the success OF
the individual. IL Is as necessary 10
the live merchant as Is his stock of
goods.
Invention is that which tries new
devices. that seeks better ways OF do
Ing things, that uses ingenuity TO save
labor and time. In sense it includes
that which is called individual initla-
tive. but does not embrace all OF that
quality which Is also constructive. In
ventlon has not only given us the
steam engine, the telegraph, the clec.
trio light. the telephone, the wireless
message, the aeroplane and all the
maryels of modern machinery, but in
n way has reconstructed the whole
outlook and nature OF man. In the
merchant it finds new ways OF dis
play, new ways OF advertising, new
ways OF holding and winning trade.
1t discards cumbersome and outworn
methods for those that are simpler.
more efficient and more up TO date.
Special knowledge is equally impor.
tant. IL includes the scientific attitude.
IL learns the science and art OF any
calling. The man who wins today Is
the man who knows. IL Is often said
that this is the age of specialists. Any
age that is efficient is an age OF special
lists, for specialization Is only the 70
cusing Of attention on some one thing
and knowing everything possible about
that one thing. IL Is not satisfied with
vague and hazy information or half
baked conclusions. It must be accu-
rate, thorough and exhaustive. IL is
not thing Of moment, but requires
a lifetime OF familiarity, OF study. OF
trimming. We learn 20 do by doing
Our calling or our special branch OF
that calling becomes second nature 10
us. To know some one thing better
than any one else knows II. 10 be able
TO do some ono thing better than any
body else does it-that is success. Spe-
ciallzation 10 the merchant means not
only that he must know his own bus-
ness from top TO bottom and all around
the sides and through the middle. but
that he must specialize in his offers
The merchant who advertises some
one thing, makes n leader OF II and
gives better values on that one thing
than any OF his competitors Is the one
who wins on that one limo and I'm win.
ming there helps his trade in all other
departments.
AS for energy, Il is the motive power.
the driving force. the steam I'm the
boiler, the electric current I'm the dy.
namo. The energy Of the individual
unit was never so potent as today
The man who lacks II IS lost. The
merchant without it IS like the engine
without steam, is like the dynamo
with the blown out fuse. other thines
being equal. results arc the measure
OF the force employed, accomplish.
mcnts nre I'm proportion to the effort
II faith without works is dead, busl.
ness without work is doubly dead
Work" is a shorter way OF spelling
success.
No live merchant needs be told tho
advantage Of publicity. at pays 10
advertise" has become the most im.
portant trade motto OF The world. Ad-
veriisiug IS an art n science. one I'm
which every merchant should be a spe-
ciallst.
These are the qualities that have
made the marvellous advancement of
America ana Of the modern world.
They are essential 70 every individual
and especially 60 every iDdividual msr.
chant. JAMES A EDGERTON
Boundary Case % BE Argued.