Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-06-12
MARKET DAY"
A TRADE CETTER
Town Merchants Offer Gig Bar
gain Days TO Farmers.
GET THEM IN CROWDS.
Hold Old Time Auction Also and
Please the Younger Set With Balloon
Ascension-May Lose on Bargains
but Make Up on General Trade.

but Make Up on General Trade.
All through the middle west an ex
cellent plan has been devised by the
merchants of the smaller towns to
bring back to themselves the trade OF
their former patrons who in these days
of the automobile. the rural delivery
and the catalogue advertisers have
been spending most of their money in
the big cities.
They have revived the old fashioned
market day" with improvements
that tit into the new conditions. 1t L.
the outgrowth of many long discus
sions in commercial clubs. boards -.
tons formed to unite merchants ip an
effort to build up the towns.
These organizations differ from those
OF early days. when the chief object
Of their being was to devise ways to
vote bonds AS a bonus for boom col
lege or carriage factory or some other
institutions. which usually collapsed
after the bonus had been spent. They
are mutual business getting asSm.ia
lions. with paid secretary and strict
rules concerning advertising outside
the newspapers. Sometimes they have
blacklist annex to curb the dead
beats Of the community.
Market day is frankly trade win
Z ifi n ion
among the merchants for special offer
ings. each firm being limited to one
particular bargain. Then a page ad
vertisement is placed in the weekly
papers which circulate among the
farmers setting forth the variolS bar
gains given on the particular Snt',r
day selected A checkerboard display
tells what the firms will give. each
being supposed to mike remarkably
low prices. For instance:
The restaurant patronizpd by the
farmers MAKES its tuli dinner. from
soup to pie. tina, day 20 cents Instead
of - cents.
A barber shop announces thu il will
give cigar equality not ~;ated' tree
with every shave
A shoe store will give IL bottle %.
shoe polish free with every pair %
shoes sold.
a bakery gives seven ioavrs ut hrrnf
for ~ cents instead of six.
A garage offers aulomnhit. IN ut >:
per. cent discount.
The newspapers reduce rhr price ~
ri,
When fifty or more firms offer S'"h
opportunities there is certain 10 lt =
good deal of talk out through The conn
try.
Guess wen have to 20 "a town hr
gain day" declares the farmer. md h
plans accordingly. The younger genrr
alton IL enthusiastic for another r'a
sOn-at 4 O'Clock Is to he n free hal
loon ascension. This has also bee.
raid for by the mere hants as an added
attraction.
On the appointed Saturday the mrr
chants have everything in readiness
No particular effort has been nndp :"
inform the town folks. The advertts
ing has not been placed in the daily
ers But the townsl~Ople hive f"nnt
out, and early the thrifty housewife
hurries downtown to obtain two In,rk
ages Of oatmeal for Is cents M "nt
store and few yards Of gingham al
half price at another
The big event OF the day is the puhli'
auction This IL made II feature ni
ND t.. MI Ia
real touch Of the old market dry of
our forptatherS Many farmers have
some articles which they wish I" sell
but not enough 10 have sale nt IN"
farm They are invited tO bring these
TO town. and the business men furnish
the auctiOnppr. who will ut Or'rt
hold n public sale In the square Clerks
are also furnished. and the owners ~
the articles pay Il smnll per cent nn IN
amount received. Hundreds ut farmers
surround the Heterogeneous collection
Of old rakes. plOws. wnshSihndS. gas"
line stoves. buggiPs and II few head ut
stock This IL to many OF the farmers
the chief attraction of the day. ana
through most Of the afternoon the
sales continue Ill Roou olu ItIihN' N~ii
due style. the townSpeopIe look ou
with wonder at the bidding. surprised
that anything could be- secured IN cash
for some Of the articles offered But
the cash is not much in some in
stances
I;ong. going. gone-for II cents
cries the auctioneer over an antedilu-
vian corn cultivator that was evidently
drought west In the seventies ana the
farmer who takes it home thinks he
has a bargain
For the younger generation is offered
the balloon ascension. This comes late
in the afternoon. and the excitement OF
helping hold the canvas hot air bag
while II is inflated attracts every boy
Of town and country.
Taking account Of the DAYS work,
the merchants find that while they
have made no money on the special
bargains and have wrapped many
packages for which they received only
cost. they have along with these sold
vast amount Of goods .hat gave
satisfactory returns