Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-02-25
BUYING AT HOME.

The Enquirer has more than once in
times past undertaken to enlighten
such of its readers as seemed to need
light on the subject, as to the economic
wisdom Of giving home people the pref
erence in the purchase Of goods Of what
ever nature, and getting out of the
mail order habit.
it Is wise to buy at home even though
home goods be little higher in price
and not so much to the liking Of the
customer as goods to be had from
abroad; but because people who have
the mail order habit are unable to see
this, and will not act accordingly, even
II they do see 1t, there Is no use to un-
dertake to stress the truth in this re-
gard.
The plain English of the proposition
Is like this: The development of a
community in wealth and culture, like
the development Of an individual de-
pends very largely upon accumulation.
or course one Is not expected to pay
the local merchant more for give
article than that article can be had
for from abroad plus carrying charges,
delay and other drawbacks and ex-
penses; but where the merchant can
furnish the article at about the same
price that 1t can be had from abroad
and have a reasonable profit, he should
be given the preference, on several
grounds, a sufficient one being that the
profit he makes Is still here to be OF
benefit to the people from whom 1t was
derived.
But, as has been stated, there is very
little use arguing along this line with
people who have the mail order habit
That mail order habit Is a kind of dis
90 fnh 70 ha
remedy. Local people have 1t with re-
gard to surrounding markets and peo-
pie Of surrounding markets have II
with regard to New York just as New
York has with regard to Paris.
The current issue Of the Ladies' Home
Journal has an interesting article ir
point 1t seems that there has devel-
oped In New York an extensive prac-
tice Of sewing Paris labels on New
York made goods. A customer at 9
fashionable millinery establishment saw
a hat with which she was much pleas
ed; but objected to the American make
The saleswoman admitted that Ameri-
can workmanship was not up to the
French, explained that the hat under
discussion was g. copy Of French mod
ell, and offered to get the original. The
customer desired her to do 80 and the
saleswoman took the hat back into the
workroom and had Paris label sewe6
in It. When the saleswoman returned
the first thing she showed the customer
was the French label. The customer
was delighted and Immediately began
to show the points of superiority ir
French, over American workmanship
all of which the sa!eswoman admitted
and when 1t came to making the price
she named 500 more for the hat than
she had asked before the French label
had been sewed in. The customer paid
the price cheerfully with remarks as to
the reasonableness Of the bargain and
went her way rejoicing.
This story comes from a very re-
sponsible source and we do not doubt
1t, especially since we know Of local
incident Of which we have told before
and which is in full keeping. It oc-
cured in Yorkville some years ago. One
of q number of salesladies in q certain
store had ordered dress pattern from
Philadelphia house, and upon its re-
ceipt was very much delighted. She
showed 1t to the other salesladies In
the store and all commented upon its
excellence and cheapness in way that
indicated that. they thought the lady
should be the stores buyer in such
matters, or at least consulted with re-
gard to the buying. And so 1t went
until finally one Of the party suggested
that there was bolt of the same goods
in the store, and on looking 1t up they
not only found that the suggestion was
borne out by the facts, but that the price
Of the goods in stock was less than that
paid for the Philadelphia goods, not
counting the postage, express, etc.
1t would be easy to multiply such in
stances; but 1t is hardly worth while.
AS has been remarked there are people
who for one reason and another are
simply confirmed in the mail order
habit and there Is no doing anything
with them. They are unable to see
wherein they are under obligation to
the local dealer, or that 1t Is to their
interest to patroniZe him. But really
the thing Is of considerable Importance
and people should think on 1t more than
they do.