davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

as Cooperative Only $780, Now Has Bank and Five Big Store

boasts of one-tenth of all the gran
gers in the state of kansas Co
operation and community interests
made the secret order grow. Four
large branch houses, all manaseo
from the central store at Olathe, nave
been established at Stanley. Garoher'
Edgerton and Prairie Center. 1eoi sc
Black, now so years OF age, Is sun
one of the leading spirits OF the com
munity interest and under his ieaoer-
ship the members of the Johnson ON
County Cooperative association stiii
stand shoulder to shoulder.
In stating his reasons for tne sue
cess of the Johnson county plan ne
called attention to the fact tnal 'no
community store had employee ol
manager for 80 years and on ms re-
tirement had advanced MS .a,s' AZ
to that position, which he still noios-
X
EXPLAINS WHY ENTERPRISE WON
1--WE believe" said Mr.. Black, tnau
in the entire history of the country
there have been a greater proportion
of failures In cooperative enterprises
than In nonco-operative. This Is
largely due to the fact that private
Investors with a better knowledge ol
the essentials of success. have gen.
orally secured more able management
or the business, uOpiA6 W SoSS
the practice of the latest and best
business methods, while those inter-
ested in a cooperative business seem
TO have a strange delusion that there
Is some magic or subtle charm IN TINS
mode of business that guides It's
movements and loads to certain sue
cess. This latter idea Is foolish nom
sense.
Money IL simply money; II has no
consciousness of It's own, no more
than the ak In the hands or the
woodsman. It will do good work II
properly handled, or destructive work
IL mismanaged.
"The founders Of the johnson
County Cooperative association never
thought Of changing the fundamental
laws of the business world; their sole
aim being to distribute profits equit-
ably and in productive enterprises to
adjust labor SO that the profits may
be Justly divided among those who
create them, whether by hand OF by
brain. In fact, 1t Is organized SELF
help By honest labor and honest
trade"
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03
that. within year, gave an income OF
more than 500 a week.

|ethat, within a year, gave an income of
more than 500 week.
1t was three years ago that Fred Her
rington of Jackson county, Mo-, decided
he wanted to go to college. But money
in the Harrington family was scarce.
There was only one chance for him, and
that was to get enough money to
make his start--then depend on luck
to find enough Jobs in a college town
to carry him the rest of the way
through school. And so he started to
look for Job on a neighboring farm.
That afternoon. after a walk of q
mile or so, he came to the house OF Tom
Austin, a neighbor, and stopped to chat
with him at the gate. Austin was
sorry, really sorry, but he didn't need
a man on the place right now. The
fact was he had laid off one hand about
q month before.
NEVER THOUGHT of SELLING FEM
None of us doing very much" he
said. "To tell the truth, hunting's been
the only thing I've been doing lately"
'sHunting?" asked Harrington. merely
wolves chiefly. There's lots Of 'em
in the draws and gullies around here
Harrington was silent for a minute
What do you do with the hides?" he
asked at last.
Nothing"
why don't you sell 'em?"
Just never thought of 1t, I guess"
the farmer replied. "Why-want to buy
some7"
And it was then that the idea came
to Harrington.
Yes" he answered. "The next time
you kill wolf-or anything from
rabbit up, save me the hide, will your"
Sure"
And Fred Harrington went home,
feverish with a scheme for making
money. That night he wrote letters to
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

when the season is passed. The other
uggestion'-and he displayed torn
piece of wrapping paper, on which was
drafted a striking figure of young
man standing exquisitely clothed be-
fore his Office manager; something like
that he concluded, with a motto like
Good clothes compel a good opinion" ;"
Next day Butler had a note from
upstairs and it began: The advertis-
ing manager would be pleased to talk
with you
Last Friday night Butler showed
me his weekly pay envelope; he was
taking just $50 home to his wife,"
WHAT THE sPULLv CONSISTED OF
Reinforcing the same point here is
an incident of different sort:
John Mccullough, a student at the
university, was obliged to get his bread
largest clothing house in Chicago. Al
month later 1 met him and asked how
the work was going.
Very nicely" he replied. "A fellow
needn't do much unless a customer
sails right into him. About half my
day I sit back of a clothing rack and
read magazines
What about promotion?
No chance, unless you stand in with
the management It's all a matter Of
pull"
who, for instance, does stand in 2"
He named two young men who had
been given first class positions a few
weeks before. For the sake of verifca-
tion made inquiries, and this was the
result:
The two young men In question had
increased the sales of their predecessors
by ESQ per cent year. They submitted
suggestions based on complaints of Gus
toners, advocated new and improved
display apparatus, and urged certain
lines of goods for the periodical clear
ing sales.
And why7" asked my young friend
have you failed to get similar treat
mentT
when asked the manager for an
increase. this was his answer: We
never raise d mans salary here in the
hope of getting more work out of
him. The work must come out before
the salary goes up"
DON'T GIVE IN TO LAZY PROvERB
Does the rock bottom principle of the
modern department store need more
emphazing than that?
sift as you may the complaints Of
employees that they were overlooked In
the crowd" or that favoritism killed
their chances and you will find that
they surrendered to one OF those lazy,
despairing proverbs of all big stores,
without single trial at disproving
them.
Don't let an ''oId saw hold you back
at the doorway of useful career. for
1t has about as much siEnincance as
black cat at a wedding
Fight every axiom, every proverb,
that tells yeu for any reason to "stay
down." You will find almost invari-
ably that a show of fight sends the mis-
erable fetish scampering for cover.
And you Will also find that the flrst
man to help you in that fight is the
very employer that Sour evil super
stition claims to be In league with.
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03
Make Yourself Useful in Store;
It Pays Here's a Case in Point
By RODNEY BLACK
By RODNEY BLACK

clerks. He had no influence, was un-
acquainted in the city, and took s12
a week at the necktie counter. Gifted
with some ability. as sketch artist
and large fund of courtesy, good taste
and patience, he made his section OF
the big store model of 'mannish' at
tractiveness. Soon he ventured to sub
NIT sketches and hints TO his manager
for the big city advertisements. About
three months afterward the advertise
ing manager passed through.
There's an enterprising boy over
yonder,' said an assistant, and he
pointed to Butler. The expert walked
over,
"'our trouble here submitted the
clerk, seems to be that we don't hold
enough sales when our goods are in
season, but dump them on the public
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

cent John always sold in advance of
the rfpening season under contract di-
rect to the best class of grocers In
Aurora, Joliet. Elgin, Hammond. Ev-
anston, Batavia, ST. Charles, Wheaton,
Riverside. Chicago, Lawn and other
suburbs.
He assured me that this little side
line of his had never interfered with
his schoolwork for a moment, but 1t
had buoyed him up at the close of
many trying day, giving him a new
zest In life, and sent him back to his
pupils much more even tempered
teacher than If he had not sent out his
letters to the peach merchants the
night before.
While other teachers were seeking
recreation he was getting his evenings
recreation and a second income at a
mercantile game which helped qualify
him to give his eighth, ninth and tenth
grade classes practical insight into
merchandising methods not found in
their textbooks
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03
HOW THE PLAN ORIGINATED

Finding that their strength was In
creasing and that they could success
fully conduct great mercantile es-
tablishment and give bankers lessons
In banking, these same farmers decided
that $50 a thousand for five years was
too high a rate of insurance. and In
1889 they established a mutual insur-
ance company that today carries risks
of over s1S,oOo.ooo. all at a rate of
$40 thousand for five years.
The whole plan of cooperation orig
mated at a little grange hall four
miles south of Olathe in 1878. The
members of this grange, a farmers Sc
cret society known as the Lone Elm
grange, decided that the merchants Of
olathe were In 8 combine to boost
prices. Merchandising in those days
was not conducted on narrow margin.
and the farmers, who were struggling
In a new country, decided that some
thing must be DONE The merchants.
they pointed out, were getting rich
quick at their expense.
These farmers had moved west from
the eastern states, and while they had
little money they were fairly well edu-
Gated. They obtained the plan on
which the community interests of the
Rochdale Pioneers. the founders of
community interests in England, were
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

Mayr's Wonderful stomach Remedy is well
known throughout the country. Many thousand
people have taken it for Stomach. Liver and In
testinal Ailments and report marvellous results
and are highly prAising It to others Astonishing
dement's sufferers have received even from
dose are heard everywhere and explain It's tre-
mendous sale. 1t rarely ever fails and those
afflicted with Stomach, Liver and Intestinal All.
msnts, Indigestion, Gas in the Stomach and In
testines, Dizxiness. Tainting Spells, Collie At
tacks, Torpid Liver, Ccnstipatien, etc, should
By all means try this remedy. The benefits
stomach sufferers who have taken Mayr's Won
deffu1 Stomach Remedy have received Is IN most
cases = lastine one After you have taken this
Remedy you should b able to digest and assim-
ilate your food. enable the heart to pump pure
red blood to every part OF the body. giving firm
ness and strength to hber and muscle, luster and
sparkle to the eye. clearness and color to the
complexion and activity and brilliancy to the
brain. Do away with. your. pain and suffering
and this Is often possible with even one dose Of
Nays Wonderful Stomach Remedy. interesting
literHtnre and booklet describing stomach All
ments ecnt tree by Geo. H. Mavr, Mfg. Chemist,
154-f56 whiting ST. Chicago, Ill.
For sale in San Francisco By the owl Drug Co.
Stores. z Ss
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

the next day Fred Harrington was busy
with it. Farmer after farmer hs called,
and his message to all was the same.
I'm starting in the fur business" he
would say. "and want you to keep me
in mind. VIII you do it? Whenever
you kill fur bearing animal on the
farm no matter what it is save the hide
for me and then telephone me. Ill
come around and get it. And I'll pay
as good prices as the next one, too"
X
PROFIT AND SPORT COMBINED
And the agreements were made The
possibility of a little side money and
some sport in connection with it
throughout the long winter months
pleased the farmers to whom Fred Her
rington talked. They promised and
then they got down their guns to make
good with what they had promised
And in the meantime Fred Harrington
was busy. He owned small part Of
the farm on which he and his father
lived, and out of this he gained the
necessary capital to start his business.
A trip to Kansas City little confer
ence, mortgage, and Fred returned
with 5000. Twenty dollars OF this he
spent in fitting up wagon which
would furnish the facilities for haul
ing his pelts. The horse he borrowed
from his father. Then he waited for
the price lists to come.
At last they arrived and Fred began
his work And he found that his tele-
phone messages had brought even bet
ter results than he had INA gined.
Every farmer had been busy. There
were gray wolf pelts, there were musk
rat, there were skunk, civet, coyote,
rabbit, squirrel, red foxes, raccoon.
opossum and mink, and for all OF them
Harrington offered his price and was
accepted. He shipped them to New
York. The checks came almost by
return mail
And since then Harrington has not
thought of going to college. With his
queer shaped little wagon, with its par
titioned cage at the rear, each for It's
particular hide, he makes the rounds
of the various farms of Jackson county
reaching each one once a week and
gathering up the pe1ts. Then to the
railroad station he goes, the hides are
tied in bundles and shipped to New
York, where they are cured and pre-
pared for the market, then are sent to
the furriers to be made into various
articles of wearing apparel.
n
MAKING OVER 800 WEEK
80 what's the use Of going to col-
1ege nowy' Harrington asks. .sA1l I
wanted to do was to learn something
that would make me a good living and
I've got that right here. I'm "a years
old now and I find myself making
more than $10o q week. That'l1 keep
on. There are enough fur bearing AMI
mails around here to last me q lifetime.
And that in spite of the fact that
there's a big city in this county and
lots Of manufacturing interests.
You see. jackson county Is a bit out
OF the ordinary. It's composed almost
entirely of draws and cuts and b1uffs
and scraggly woods and guIlies. Wild
animals like that kind of territory.
They've been coming here for a long
time and they'll keep on coming. That's
why my trade isn't going to run out"
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03


dition forever universal. came another
handy saying:
'If you don't do any more than you're
paid for you'll never get paid for any
more than you do
Does that apply today?
The SO clerks hsve leaped into 500
or 1000. Naturally the unit, the in
dividuaI. dwindles in bulk. Where
Browns father was Mr.. Brown when
John Wanamaker started after the big
things In merchandising, the son finds
himself NO. 4--s-s" on the rim of the
Z spotted wheel. That makes fellow
pause sometimes and say to himself:
What's the good?"
And when he has finished that
treacherous little question he has sur
rendered to the very temptation that
his employer-and every other employ
er-would give thousands of dollars to
Danish, root and branch, from the
thoughts and tongues of their en-
ployes.
whats the good"-of conscientious,
brainy service In the gigantic estab-
1ishments where you feel smothered
: end Insignificant and altogether unob-
served?
x x
ALL OFFICERS WORKED WAY UP
1 prefer to let the boss of one of the
biggest department stores In the United
States answer that:
There Is not one officer of this COM
pany who was not in his day an ordi-
nary clerk. Some Of them were parcel
wrappers. There Is not one manager
of a. department who has not taken a
beginners wages and punched the time
clock without a murmur. Not one for
eign buyer who did not first become
acquainted with this business by the
long and weary road.
"A man may get a government job
through influence or false merit of some
buyer being sent to Europe with
500. 900 just because the general man
ager belonged to the same club as his
uncle No. sir, IL you ever hear an
employe say, What's the good?--be
merciful and mark 1T down to melan-
choly Never comfort him by declar-
ing 1t common sense"
Here was another proprietor's way of
illustrating similar point:
"As the numbers Of employees in
crease" he said 1.-THE percentage Of
efficient workers capable of taking ad-
vancement actually decreases. That
has been proved over and over again.
Why? unfortunately, because a multi
tude has the very human tendency to
quench initiative. The average man or
girl behind the counter seems to prefer
standing with the rank and file to de-
manding a captaincy by a display of
ardor and unselfishness.
HE MADE HIMSELF USEFUL
Since that is true it makes far more
rrfa m f1d WI n
are determined to- leave the rut, to
make the boss interest their chart and
compass, to see their personal futures
bound up inextricably in the dividend
bags of the shareholders.
ITO do that is to write the opening
line of a letter of promotion. For an
actual illustration:
Eugene Butler entered a department
store five years ago as one of 500
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

TAS a beginner in a modern de-
- partment store any reason for
believing that individual faith
fulness and energy will reap q
fair compensation or attract official at
tention?
Am I, a clerk, not as far ahead in
the long run for holding my Job on
the minimum of effort?
Let us see whether department stores
Ito take a specific case-are on the
lookout for aggressive employees.
OF course the traditional theory is
that industry plus integrity invariably
produces success.
That theory was launched away back
in the days when the great bazaars"
of Chicago and New York boasted of
as many as SO employees. About that
time, and by force of a business con-
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

Az doUCE tAES, AOI AAC1 -
patent has been granted.
An Ohio inventor has brought out q
laundry machine that bleaches clothing
By electricity at the same time it Is
being washed In hot water.
Additional purchase against the
water is afforded swimmers by q recent
~ invented boot carrying nm which
swings open az its wearef pushes his
foot back.
A miniature force pump has been in
vented in France to humanely force
food down the throats OF geese to pro-
duce the principal ingredient OF pate Do
fo1e Eras.
For handling baggage IN hotels there
mas been invented = truck with rub
Der tired wheels to save the carpets
and with handles that fold when used
in crowded spaces.
In Germany there has been invented
2 method for eiectroplating silver upon
porcelain, producing tableware as beau
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03
Changed His Mind About College
WhenHe Ran on $lOOa Week Job
By c. r. COOPER

"HIS is the story OF young man
who worked to go to college that
he might learn some good wage
earning trade-and then didn't go.
And the reason he didn't go was be-
cause he was making too much money,
because he was his own boss, and be-
cause he had a monopoly on trade
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03
Looking Forward With Regret
May Be a Spur to the Present
Bv DONALD SCOTT

''You see, you look both forward and
backward with all the locking in the
future ITO look backward in the fu-
ture,' that is probably q good phrase
for it. Anyway, 1t makes a man think
some to accomplish it-and anything
that makes q man think hard is good
for him.
Even so, can't say but that now
have a few regrets" he concluded
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

every fur jobbing house in New York
asking that they send him their price.
lists paid for pelts in the rough. The
next day he began his preparations for
starting little fur business all his
own.
lished thing in Jackson county, and all
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

STORE RIDICULED BY TOWN
The farmers store was ridicu1ed by
the whole town. Merchants and citi-
zens alike laughed at the green man
ager and said the business would not
last season. The merchants banded
together and decided they would put
the grange store out OF business at
once. Even the stock holders became
frightened and asked the directors to
be sure and secure a decent store room
-one that they would not be ashamed
to enter.
The opening of the farmers store on
July 81 was the signal for an assault
upon the infant cooperative industry
by the combined mercantile interests
of Olathe. Seven general stores with
a large capitalization started to cut
prices on groceries. Each sold certain
articles below cost. With spirit of
fight the directors of the new store
City and promised all of the grange
store business In return for the lowest
cash prices on groceries. The big bat
tie for commercial supremacy began.
1t was to be battle to the finish
In Johnson county, with popula-
tion of 10000 at that time. there were
500 grangers and their families, each
pledged to buy for his family only
such groceries as were offered at the
new grange cooperative store. The
opposition caused the grangers to
stand together in the fight that was to
last ten long years.
But the manager, III. c. Livermore,
as green as he looked, sold nothing at
loss and at the close OF the first
quarter reported that out of sales
amounting 10 $4,657 the net profits
were S215. These profits were at once
distributed among the stock holders
and patrons of the store as dividends
and rebates. The young tiger had
tasted blood. On $500 worth OF stock
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03
Bv WALLACE F. HOVEY

stock now sells at 900 per cent Of the
face value.
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03

operated. While the English commu-
nifty was a manufacturing one and the
Kansas community was one OF agricul-
ture, they decided they could make the
plan OF cooperation succeed in KAN
sas
A union meeting Of all the grangers
In Johnson county was called at Olathe,
the county seat of Johnson county.
Here the johnson County Cooperative
association was formed, but the farm
ers were not SO certain as were the
leaders OF the Lone Elm grange. and
only $500 stock was subscribed to
start the business that was to become
the greatest cooperative association
in the west and. perhaps in the United
States.
Farmers were in no hurry to invest
their money in business enterprise
nothing. The man who took the re-
sponsibility for the movement was
George Black, upon whose land the
Lone Elm grange hall stood. Mr..
Black secured a charter for the John
son County Cooperative association
on June "a. 1876. He secured the serv-
ices of a green looking young
granger who had worked in a store
at Lawrence-H. C. Livermore by name
who was destined to manage the
grange store for thirty years. All of
the $500 capital stock subscribed and
paid in was spent for stock of gro-
ceries
The San Francisco call., 1913-08-03
Products Of Inventors Genius

CORRUGATED rubber cushion
between two rims features an
automobile wheel which needs
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-09-23
WOMEN'S SERGE DRESSES.

Womens and Misses New Serge Dresses Styles Black
S sio D Or Bg9v 5pso all Sizes S5.85
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-09-23
WOMEN'S MESSALINE DRESSES.

Women and Misses New MeSsalne Dresses Black, CE OF
Blue and Brown; $40 Dresses, special TV'VV
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-09-23
Women's Sealette Plush

Womens and Misses Seaee Plush Coats satin lined with fancy
$1,000 Styles this sale
The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-02-22
1NEST VIRGINIA. LEGISLATURE.
ADJOURNED THIS MORNING
SEVERAL IMPORTANT BILLS
WERE PASSED = AePRoPRIA.
TIoNs AMOUNT. TO NEARLY
100000 = GOVERNOR TO AP.
POINT VIRGINIA DEBT coMMIs.
sIoN
(BY ASSOCIATED P.:I:sS. }

ARLEsTON. W. Va, Feb. ,22.-
The West Virginia legislature adjourn.
ed today al daybreak.
Among other bills enacted we're a
wcrkmen's compensation act, a public
service commission law, and q bill
which revolutionlzes the system un.
der which roads may be constructed
throughout the State.
The three appropriation bills carry
a total OF approximately S7,OOO,OOO.OO
aud will likely be signed by Governor
Glasscock some time today.
One item Of importance provided for
The payment OF all obligations OF the
maintenance OF martial law in the
Kanawha coal field, and amounts TO
about $35O.OOO. This total was used
in expenditures already made for the
troops in the field and provided for an
appropriation for their maintenance in
the immediate future,
The measure creating a commission
10 take up the Virginia debt was
cHanged so that the Governor could
appoint II members, two from each
Congressional district and one at
large, not more than six shall belong
10 the same political party. The road
building bill provides that all persons
sentenced for crime in the State shall
be liable for work. in road building
even to those offenders who may be
sentenced for 80 or SO days by justices
of the peace for trivial inrractIons OF
the law
The Worklbill prohibiting the enl-
tnlcyment of deputy sheritrs as private
guards BY coal mining companies WIS
passed. This does not mean tnat cor
Eporations of1his character are forbid.
.G;u to employ private persons as
Watchmen 10 guard their property,
Gov. Glasscoclt is expected to sign
the majority of the bills passed by the
legislature.