Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-03-01

and bought samples Of the tobacco
stock. from two-fors up to en-centers,
and smoked them with expressive
shorts. Tracey Tanners soda and Gig
arctic trade was transferred bodily to
Graham's from the first. and Roland
Barnette gave it his patronage, albeit
grudgingly. as soon as he found it i'm.
possible to shake Josie Lock woods al.
legiance. say grudgingly because
Roland didn't like the new partner
and had said so from the first. But
every one else did like him almost
without exception. His effectiveness
and courtesy were not ungrateful aft
er the way things were thrown at you
at Sothern & Lees. we declared.
Duncan certainly did strive to please.
No man ever worked harder in Rad
vile store than he did. And from the
time that he began to believe there
would be some reward for his exer-
lions. that the business was suscepti-
bic to being built up by the employ
ment of progressive methods. he grew
astonishingly prolific of ideas, from
our sleepy point of view. The win
dow displays were changed almost
daily. to begin with. and were made as
interesting as possible. We learned to
60 blocks out Of our way to find out
what Grahan m & Duncan were exploit
ing today. And daily bargain sales
we're instituted. low priced articles Of
everyday use. such as shaving soap.
toothbrushes and the like, being sold
at few cents above cost on certain
days, which were announced in adj
vance by means Of hand iettered cards
in the show windows. whereas for
pay full list prices.
Still earlier in his career as bust
ness man he noticed that the local
practitioners wrote their prescriptions
on odd scraps Of paper.
that's all wrong" he declared.
"We'll have to fix it." And by next
morning the job printing press back of
the courthouse was grooming under an
order from Graham & Duncan's. and a
few days later every physician within
several miles of Radville received half
a dozen neat pads of blanks with his
name and address printed at the top
and the advice across the bottom. Go
to Graham's for the best aud purest
drugs and chemicals" The backs Of
the blanks were utilized to request
people living out Of reach. but on rural
free delivery routes, either IT, mail
their prescriptions and other orders in
or have the physicians telephone them.
promising to ill and dispatch them by
the first post. .
For he had telephone installed
within the first fortnight and the next
day advertised in the Gazette that or
ders by telephone would receive
prompt attention and be delivered
without delay Tracey Tanner be-
came his delivery boy. deserving his
fathers sta bles for the obvious advan-
tages of So a week with chance to
learn the business.
Starting with line Of FIVE and ten
cent packages of indigestible sweets.
with big Pittsburg confectionery
concern to ship him small consign-
ment Of pound and half pound fancy"
boxes of chocolates and bonbons twice
a. week. And taffy pulls and fudge
parties lapsed into desuetude.
Later Sperry introduced him to an
association Of druggists. of which he
became member. for the mainte-
nance and exploitation of the cigar
and tobacco trade in connection with
the drug business.
Again. he treated Radville to it's first
circulating library. establishing a
branch in the store. One could buy a
book ut moderate price and either
keep it or exchange it for a fee of a
| few cents.
| Undoubtedly he made the business
hum during those first few months
and after that it settled down to q
steady forward movement. The store
became social center. place for peo
pie to meet In time Tracey was pro
NOTED to be assistant and another boy
engaged to make deliveries.
But this chronicle of progress has
run away altogether with desultory