The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-02-11
MIR. Boggerly's
Old Stock
Samuel Boggerly, the bookseller, sat

.e-iN"Ai' Attt dh ne ullleIlN ldlueUltu,
many small notion dealers were maxi
ing more money than he was.
Two years before, Boggerly and com
pany controlled the book trade of
Baldwin. They had monopoly; they
Knew II and they proposed getting fat
on It,
With grand eclat in the shape OF
numerous full page ads in the The
Baldwin Messenger, a large and catchy
advertising canvass covering the en-
tire front of their building, an enor-
nous electric sign and countless dodg-
ers, a department store opened It's
doors to the public
Mr.. Boggerly nosed around not a
little.
Are they going to sell books?" he
inquired of one and others.
Don't know, but 'spose they will, {"
was the usual reply and Mr.. Bogger-
ly's heart sank
Al last the business" day came
and contrary to precedent. the store
was I'm fine trim for business. Every
window was neatly trimmed and taste
fully decorated. The aisles were fixed
up In gala attire and a carnation was
to be given to every visitor, whether
a purchase was made or not
Mr. Boggerly was around early He
was very nervous, as he wandered
anxiously from window to window
hoping against hope, that no books
would be displayed As he came near
ly to the last window, his hopes ran
high. Perhaps they would not have
books after all. Vain hope! The last
window was full of them and such a
window II was as wide as Mr. Bog
gerly's whole store, and all Crammed,
iammed full of books. books of all
kinds. They were banked in great
piles in the back and there was row
after row in the front. In the center
of the window hung a big cardboard
slgn-Boggerly had groaned when he
saw Announcing that all $3.50
books were 10 be sold for $lO7.
81 will pay no attention to them"
sald Mr.. Boggerly, decidedly, Bu
when three or four days later he met
Mr.. Randolph, one of his best custom
ers coming out of "Fleishlers" with a
big package that looked suspiciously
like books, he savagely concluded to
"see" his competition and raise"
him.
SO reluctantly yet with a savage
sort Of satisfaction, Mr.. Boggerly
handed the advertisement man copy
for double column eight-inch ad,
with heavy head lines announcing that
al Boggerly's the popular $3.50 books
Of the day could be obtained for Sl.O4.
Go 'em three cents better" said
Mn. Boggerly significantly.
With a keen eye to business, Mr.
Denn, the advertising man, had steer
ed straight way for the department
store. Here he showed Boggerly's an
nOuncement to the ad-writer and re-
ceiyed twelve-inch double column
ad pricing the $3.50 books at $l.O2, ON
condition that the copy he run next to
BOggerly's.
When the Daily Messenger was
handed to Mr.. BOggerly, and he saw
the way in which his pet scheme had
been defeated, what he said was dread
full. He groaned in spirit.
sixteen inches of space at forty
cents ar inch, that's six dollars and
forty cents and all gone to the dogs"
walled the poor bookseller
Later he interviewed the manager
of the department store and the two
came to an agreement to hold the price
at s1.O5 and to do no further cutting.
Mr.. Boggerly heaved a sigh of relief.
II was bad enough, but he knew where
he was at
"Forty-fye cents less on every
book" he muttered woefully, "and
probably won't sell as many either"
The department store was not the
last OF his ills Another powerful Blow
TO his business soon fell.
With ridiculous assumption OF
dignity and scholarliness, THE Bib
liophile's Library" opened its par
lors. This library pledged itself to
furnish subscribers with one book a
week, or two books or more, and ar
ranged scale OF prices which aver
aged about ten cents per book. Furth-
er they agreed to supply any book
published, the price of which was not
greater than ten dollars They prom
ised to secure il in town, if possible;
II not, to send elsewhere. This library
had cut long slice out of Mr.. Bogger-
ly's business. SO in this, to him
gloomy evening, as he sat in his Office
he went over in his mind, some Of the
losses he had sustained
There was Mr.. Hodgman, a chronic
novel reader, who had formerly pur-
chased two or three new books a week.
Never any now Reason, "Bibllophiles
Library" BQggerly had met Hodgman
on the street a few days before He
had inquired:
"What's the matter, Mr. Hodgman?
Don't you read any more?"
"Oh, yes. I'm with the Bibllophiles
Library. My wtfe's going 10 Europe
on what / save"
SO 1t was all down the line Red
way Pinkerton, Roberts, Smith, Jack
to- -.