Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-04-24
they DECEIVE
WITH PICTURES
FavOri!e Method Of the Cata-
Iogue Houses.
The FARMER AND THE COW
Would He Buy One From a Picture?
Drawings and Paintings Instead Of
Photographic Reproductions - Stung
and Nothing Is Said About It.

Photographic Reproductions - Stung
and Nothing Is Said About It.
copyrighted, 1914, by Thomas ]. Sullivan
A book with pictures and book
without pictures differ nearly as much
rs room with windows and a room
without windows. for pictures are loop
holes Of escape to the soul. Leading it
to other scenes and spheres where the
fancy for the moment may revel, re-
freshed and delighted. They are win
dows of imprisoned thought.
A picture is invariably an eXaggera-
ton of the object reproduced. and. gen
orally speaking. to please it must de-
ceive.
Of Deceptive Value.
The deceptive value Of drawings or
paintings over photography is recog
nized by no one more fully than by the
great catalogue houses. hence their
adoption Of the most expensive method
Of displaying their goods to the public
well knowing that photographs tell the
truth. 50 far as correct pictorial re-
production is concerned. and would not
be conducive to good business methods
when the goods offered are faulty.
How many farmers would think of
buying COW from picture in a
newspaper or catalogue. with just Il
name and description under it? OF
course the description would say that
the COW was fine black and white
COW. weight 800 pounds and so many
hands high. free from blemishes and
offered at the reduced price OF 1897
because OF "A spot cash deal with n
stock farm which failed
There is as much sense in pur
chase Of that nature as there Is for a
farmer to buy a buggy. "Our own
brand" Mt $24.7O when he can get the
real article from his home dealer for
So5 and have the privilege of inspect
ing it before buying. And no freight
to pay.
Did Farmer Consider Everything?
While talking to farmer the follow
ing was Cleaned: Farmers. as rule
do not like to send their money to Chi
cago or any other place for their goods
They would rather buy of their local
merchants If their prices are not out
Of reason. Merchants generally buy
their goods where they can get them
the cheapest, whether in Chicago. New
York or Asia. no matter how much Of
the same goods the farmer has to SELL
The price is the first and last consider
alton They fix the price of what he
sells as we'll as what he buys. Can
the farmer be blamed for buying
where he can get the best ba rgains?
He wants to enjoy the same privilege
as the merchants do. Fair play is all
he wants"
A Business Injustice.
But did the farmer who made the
above remarks take everything into
consideration: Did he remember that
while the local business men are main
tanning markets for the farmers. assist
ing in making roads to these markets
aud doing all they can to help the farm
er. the llail order houses that have not
cent invested in his vicinity do not
buy dollars worth Of the farmers
crops nor contribute cent to the vel
fare of the community: Yet they are
getting Il goodly portion of the local
trade. and business men naturally feel
that it is an injustice. 1t is, and the
only way to overcome 1t is by ADVER
TISING.
Visit to Country Town.
Merchants should publish a COM
pariSon of their prices with those Of
the retail catalogue houses--fght them
with their own weapons. While visit
ing country town recently the writer
made some Investigations and discov-
cries. For example. Il Chicago mail
order house was selling 100 pound
grindstones mounted for $40. The
local mere hant sold the same article
for $325: freight from Chicago. 80
cents. making the mail order article
cost S3cli: seam roofing So.So in Chi
cago and $3.50 from the local mer
chant. freight IL cents per square to
be added to the $50. making it So de-
iverei. washing machines. $3.50
against 1919. freight - cents to be
added to the $3S. These are facts
which every merchant can prove and
keep right on proving all the time.
Cash at Home Too.
Local merchants will quote prices on
goods so low that catalouge and mail
order houses cannot duplicate them
But you must pay cash. Mail order
houses demand the cash in advance
Why not pay the local merchant in ad
vance: Besides when You buy from
a catalogue You send your money
away from yonr home town You buy
from n picture and wait a week or
ten days for the goods to arrive: then
you open mp Your prize box" to see
what you really have drawn in the
lottery and what You have to show
for your money. If you have drawn
one Of their bats" you tell your
neighhnrS ARA friends about tin fact.
you will tell every one about il. II
Won finl. as is usually the case. that
Won were "stnng" YOU say nothing
about it: your lips are sealed as tight
as death.