The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-01-29

out special function for the inter
urban. besides depending upon its
freight service for shipments OF his
staples. He sizes up the weather
every Saturday morning Saturday ISL
the Hoosier's day for going to town
then telephones TO indianapolis for
his supply Of perishable food stuffs,
table delicacIes. early vegetables ard
berries, fruits. celery. cranbrerriea and
the like II the day promises to be
fair, he knows he can expect certain
number Of country customers to buy
the stuff; II rain or a blizzard threat.
ems half as many win come on the
cars, thus he gauges his order on the
barometer While J waited 10 talk to
a Lebanon hardware man. watched
him sell a carving set from his jobbers'
catalog to a woman who coveted moth
ing he had IN stock, and heard him
promise to deliver 1t at five in the
afternoon.
IN The other stores the tale was the
same; the electric raods had brought
about a business revolution. Admit
ting that some OF their customers
have acquired the indianapolis habit
--fhe call or the city is loud when It
is only an hour away and the fare is
forty cents-they are content since
sales and profits are steadily mount
ing and the handicap Of SLOW sellers
has been removed They are quite (
clear as to the reasons for their pros
perity also-transportation for custom
ers. otherwise weather bound or be. I
yond their natural trade-b boundaries, Z
easy access for themselves to the job {
bing center. rapid freight deliveries,
for their purchases, and finally the tele. I
phone and emergency express trans
portation for whatever they need to
fill a customers order and haven't .0I
stock.
A hundred instances might be cited
did space permit. Of the small town and /
small town merchant profiting together
by employment Of the electric roads
in their transportation work Take a
larger Rushville for instance,
forty-one miles east Of indianapolis and
boasting 5000 population Here's a
dry goods merchant. in direct compe-
tition with the big indianapolis stores,
who did $4,000 business last year
on d $4,000 capital He makes week
ly trips to Indianapolis buys with as
scrupulous regard for qualities and
fashions as though his establishment
were next door to the biggest Indian.
apolis store. refuses to purchase bar
gain remainders on business grounds,
discounts bis bills and gives his Gus
toners, with the aid Of the traction
express anything his iobber's stoch
affords.
There's another figure in rural mer
what has the electric road
done for the crossroads dealer2
Ride over any Of the Indiana roads
and the answer supplies itself. the
little general stores have moved to
meet the traction line OF new stores
have been started at the more import.
ant stations From stopping on signals
or to let off passengers wherever a
platform was built. the interurbans
have tightened up their schedule and
and drop passengers now only at cross
roads and recognized neighborhood
centers. At these centers the general
stores are re-establishing themselves
usually with shelter sheds or feed
ground as background
Hither townbound farmers drive to
take the cars. Here, too, they buy
their staple groceries simpler tools,
paint, boots, odds and ends Of harness,
sap pals, preserving jars and twenty
dozens Of other things to be found in
j general store. Dress goods, clothing,
hats and the like have disappeared
from these crossroads stocks-rin such
things they are unable to cafry the
sizes and assortment the town store
carries. But on commodities not per-
ishable or not Influenced by fashion,
they more than hold their own The
expenses are lower. the necessary mar
gin smaller than the village store
keepers; the telephone and traction
express" give instant access to the
jobber's stock Their neighbors soon
learn that they can do. Just as welP'
on many things at the cross roads as
IN the village Leaving an order TOR
the thing they need when they start
for town. they know that it Will be
waiting for them on their return. the
quality and the price both right on
groceries and the bulkier foodstuffs,
the general storekeeper does not need
to meet the sale prices OF town gro
GERS. After once Juggling home ri