The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1911-03-31
A Tale With a Moral

He saved money and got to be well
OF.
He bought his stuff at the store In
town an SO did his neighbors.
Almost every day Henry drove to
the store with load OF something
which he sold and then visited
around" wit, his neighbors in town
and his brother farmers who, like him
drove in often.
The women folks came sometimes
and it was nice and sociable and
everybody grew u know everybody
else.
Henry ]. Aufgang had telephone
! his house ard IA rural free delivery
carrier brought him daily paper
from the Big Cities every day. He
could call up the doctor In town II
his folks took sick ur he could ask the
SIRE keeper the price Of eggs over the
phone and take some In II the price
were right.
One day lie got catalog from q
Email order house" and read what It
said about saving money by buying Of
the big concern (Which was many
stories high according to the picture
on the cover Ut the catalng and EN-
ployed thousands and thousands OF
people).
Henry thought as he read the cata-
log
"Business is business" he said and
sent In an order for a stove-not to
his friend, the store keeper 10 the
town, who in the past trusted him
and credited him when he was hard
up, but to the man he had never seen
the man who ran the mail order
house in the Big City.
business is business" Henry got
his stove. One Of the legs was loose
wouldn't 1T. His friend the black.
smith 10 town fixed It. He ordered
his clothes and his hats and his shoes
aud his wagons and his furniture and
his carpets and his crockery and his
boots and shoes and rubber boots
from the mail order house.
"Business is business"
Many Of his neighbors followed his
example-"busines Is business.
Henry had been SO busy getting In
the crop and sending orders 20 the
mail order house that he forgot all
about going to town for some months.
One day he thought he would take
in some dressed poultry and fresh
eggs and visit round.
He called up the store keeper to
4 Vi the price Of his stuff.
Central said slime disconnected"
and Henry wondered.
Finally he wen, out and hitched
up. Went to town; didn't seem to be
mucn DONG there.
Drove to the store-it was closed!
Went over To the furniture store
closed, too. So was the dry goods
store; also the millinery store and the
hotel and restaurant didn't look pros.
porous.
"NObody makes the town now"
said the hotel man to Henry. "Bus-
mess too poor-town going back
stores all closed"
Henry sought his friend, the black.
smith--yes, he was doing business at
the old stand.
whats the matter with the town?''
inquired Alfgang.
"Nothin',n said the blacksmith,
Except lot OF crazy people around
here have taken the notion that they
don't need any town and are sending
all their money away to millionaires
who run the catalog houses. Course
they've got to come to me and I'm
here yet just because the catalog fell
lows haven't devised ways aud means
for shoeing horses by mail. Blu,
when they do I'll have to fit to-"
Henry was astounded.
why, I'd no idea nhe commenced
"Course you hadn't" rejoined the
blacksmith. .'Course you hadn',
an idea. You don't think. Well you
had better do so Tow. Where are
you going to sell your butter and
eggs? Can you sell 'em to the mai
order houses? You can get rid Of
your wheat at the elevator. but you
won't have any fun any more In this