The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-02-02
THE oUT-oF.TowN BUYER.
A Pungent Contribution Citing Some
OF the Reasons Why Trade Does q
Stay at Home.

'Oue of the Guilty" grows sarcastic,
rsonal and humorous by turns in re-
C. MT article In The STAR. His humor
l. excellent and will undoubtedly find
appreciation; but he is touching on a
subject that has reached that stage
where 1t ceases to be food for joke. 1t
has passed the melo-dramatic stage and
Reynoldsville merchants are facing a
tragedy that can only be averted by the
adoption of the up-to-date methods Of
our sister towns.
The writer, presumably a merchant
of this place, can perhaps explain, to
the satisfaction of everyone, why-if
Reynoldsville shopkeepers are passing
out goods of quality, with varied
selection and "hog courtesy" to their
custOmers-a good half of the towns
best buyers, those who are after goods
at fair prices. do the greater part of
their shopping in Dubois. An inter.
view with any OF the leading merchants
of that place will convince "Mr. Guilty
One" he defines his position well) that
Reynoldsville trade is big item to
them.
There must be a reason for this. Ev-
cry person, no matter how low born,
has sufficient patriotism in his makeup
to watch with pride the successes OF
home institutions; and no person leaves
his home town to buy when the selec-
tion is good and the prices are right
with the home merchant. Yet the
people are going in hordes to other
towns to make their purchases and Mr..
Guilty didn't solve the problem when
| he wasted lead on the mathematical
| joke OF the to l ratio. Just now we
are not dealing in soaps but cold hard
facts, the realization OF which means
something to the Reynoldsville mer-
chant.
Mr.. Guilty depreciates courtesy, as
do many other merchants of this place,
and this might go long way towards
assigning reason for the inability OF
Reynoldsville storekeepers to hold
their town trade. The man who does
not recognize courtesy, in himself and
| employees as we'll, as a business asset,
may be man who dues little business,
but he is no "business man." The
storekeeper who makes no effort to
secure ,trade by making it a pleasure
for the people to deal with him, belongs
in the down and out class-a position
on the scale which many Reynolds
vile business men" would now find
themselves If they took time to wake
up and look around.
The trouble lies not with the people,
"the real live knockers" better to be
| live knocker than dead,merchant), but
with the shopkeepers of this place.
The majority OF them are so far behind
the times that they are liable to be
Tapped. The Reyuodsville merchant
buys in small quantities, hence he pays
bigger price and charges more, show
ing but small selection. The natural
result is that the townspeople pay their
car fare to Dubois and purchase where
they have an assortment and save
money.
Ask any merchant in the town how
business Is. The answer is not even
"fair;" its invariably "rotten." And
the solution is, more courtesy, an en-
deavor to get business by show ing
people that you appreciate their pa
tronage, letting them know what you
have to sell and above all things have
something for them to buy.
A glance into the advertising columns
of local newspaper will show you that
the Reynoldsville merchant has jolt
coming that will orr should wake him
up. You mark the unprogressive mer-
chant by the conspicuous absence of his
name in the advertising columns of the
local papers. Count the advertisers
and you enumerate the progressive
merchants. Responsibilities list of the
latter coulu be printed on postage
stamp in sixty point type.
Guilty One" casts slur at the cash
buyer. He'says, "for no one knows bet
ter than the business man what class of
people buy for cash." Take it from a
live one: Handle your cash customers
as though they were made Of glass and
you will have enough cash to spare to
hand snug sum to the Business Mems
Association for another "Steal Works. "
Cater to your credit trade and the
sheriff will get you If you don't watch
out. ONE OF MANY.
| Temnerance Rallv