Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1914-12-25

as possible, and they all carried the
balance over another year. Thew
continued to accommodate me until
was able to buy 4O-acre piece of
my own.
''As soon as l owned these few
acres the mail order houses began
sending me catalogues, and gradually
began sending my loose change to
them, letting my accounts stand In
my home town, where l had gotten
my accommodation when l needed It.
1--WE then had one of the thriftiest
little villages in the state-good line
Of business in all the branches, mer-
chants who were Wiling to help an
honest fellow over a bad year and a
town full of people who came twice
a week to trade and visit. Our little
country town supported library,
high school. band, ball team, and we
had big celebrations every year. A
farm near live town soon doubles
in value. l sold my 40 acres at big
advance and bought an eighty, grad
acres of the best land in Iowa.
then felt no need of asking favors
and found it easy to patronize the
mail order agents that came almost
weekly to our door. l regret to say
that was the first in the county to
make up a neighborhood bill and
send it to mail order house. Though
we got bit every once in a while, we
got in the habit of sending away for
stuff.
Effect on Local Business.
Gradually our merchants lessened
their stocks of goods for lack of pat
ronage. Finally we began to realize
that when we needed bolt quickly
for machinery or clothing for sick
ness or death we had to wait and
send away for it, which wasn't so
pleasant. One by one our merchants
moved to places where they were APP
preciated, and men of less energy
moved in. Gradually our town has
gone down, our business houses are
'tacky' in appearance, number are
empty, our schools, our churches and
walks are going down, we have no
band, no library nor ball team. There
il no business done in the town, and
therefore no taxes to keep things up.
Hotel is closed for lack Of travel. Go
down to the depot when the freight
pulls In and you see the sequel in
mail order packages.
Mine years ago by farm was worth
$195 an acre; today I'd have a hard
matter to sell 1t at 1857 an acre. It
is too far from live town. SO every
farmer has said that wants to buy.
He wants place near schools and
church where his children can have
advantages. I have awakened to the
fact that in helping to pull the town
down 1t has cost me $500 in nine
years. Like the majority Of farmers,
I didn't figure far enough ahead.
This sort of business means the
doing away with country towns.
What will it mean to farmers to have
only few large cities at a distance
of 500 or 1000 miles? What are
we going to do with our children who
are demanding even better advan-
tages than we had?
No Favors Returned.
Those cities we help to build re.
turn no favors; they take our money
but offer no credit in time of need.
If we want high schools, etc, we must.
raise the money and build near our
farm homes or send our boys and
girls to the cities at great expense,
amidst temptations of which the farm
has no equal. Neither am the onlJ n
awakening farmer. These mail order "
agents that come to our homes every
week are becoming a nuisance and
making 1t unsafe to leave women and
children alone on the farm. With
farm cordially we take these strang-
ers into our homes, and we are some
times paid in having them entice our
Girls to the city.
These are some facts that need
consideration, and ! have decided
that the safest proposition all around
IS FOR the country people to look after
their own interests and build up their
own country towns that bring value
to their farms. Let those Who want
to patronize the city mail order
houses go there to live, getting their
living where they give their patron
age. The remainder of my life will
be given to building up the home
town that I helped to pull down.
Brother farmers, you can take my
advice or get your knowledge the
n