The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-03-26
why She QUIT MO-. HOUSES

Isn't ii queer why so many peo-
pie seem to think il gives them dis
tinction or prestige TO order goods
from some far off city. or to buy
things which their neighbors are not
likely TO possess" writes Mrs. D. II.
| Rust in an Eastern publication?
We are farmers and live a mile
and half from small, railroad
I village OF. five hundred inhabitants
In my home and in every other
home in the village and surround
ing communities. there can be found
from two to five catalogs from mail
order houses The catalSgs con-
tains pictures and glowing descrip-
tions of all manner of merchandise,
from a mousetrap TO d piano. The
pictures are Fascinating TO the would
De purchaser. and SO cheap.
We have tried the ordering bust
ness, time and again. Once We ord
cred ii washing macbine which the
mail order merchant claimed would
do perfect work, and agreed to re-
fund the money if the machine fall
I'd to give satisfaction After try
ing it thoroughly. We found that it
was perfectly worthless TO US. Rest
TO return the money, We sent the
machine back. After waiting some
six months and wasting considera bic
postage We received check for the
Iirst cost of the machine. The
freight charges We paid both ways
was a loss. We did not deal any
more with that particular mail order
house. but there were Others that
We had more faith in.
| sent a money order for number
OF art cles that / intended to give for
Christmas presents A few days be-
fore Christmas, the package came by
express, with big charges attached,
and there Were only Two articles in
it that / had ordered. The other
things were substitutes. These
houses always state that they re-
serve the right to substitute, pro-
vided that they haven't the goods
which are ordered.
Then again. my husband ordered
some nice-lookins, solid colored
shirts. When they came, they
were broad checked and loud in ap-
pearance, not even respectable look
ing, and smaller than had been ord
cred
Last winter ! needed wrap. One
catalog showed women's coats galore
all very handsome and exceedingly
cheap. Forgetting my past 'Xper-
fence with mail order houses, ! ST.
leeted coat, wrote out the exact
size | wanted and sent the order.
When it ca me ii was positively shud-
dy. and a nice fit for two hundred
pound neighbor, while my own
weight is one hundred pounds. i
took il to local merchant and ask
ed him To sell it for any price he
could get for it. l also got him 10
order a coat from a wholesale house
that he deals with. 1t came i'll Il
few days, d handsome garment and
d good fit.
Again and again disappointment
attended these deals with mail order
houses, and We determined 10 let
them clone. While their goods
are always listed at few cents
cheaper than the home merchants
can afford TO sell goods, by the
time postage and freight charges
are counted, the chapness is in favor
of the home merchants.
Our local merchants are willing to
buy our farm products. They sub
scribe liberally 10 all public claims,
schools, churches, roads and other
things that help community. Their
TAX money is paid for the common
benefit of the vicinity in which they
operate, and their sympathies are
ever with their own people. When
our crops are gathered, do We sell
them to mail order merchants? Do
We send them basket of eggs To
exchange for dry goods or groceries?
Do We go to them when funds are
low and ask them to tide us over
until finances get better? No, they
care nothing for us. our joys uf
griefs after they receive our money
for their cataloged goods. and We
I'll know ii would be nonsense to
ask them for help. The home mer-
chant is the man who helps us with
our burdens. and he in turn should
receive our whole-hearted patronage.
There are great many people
throughout the country who have
been dealing with mail order houses
that feel just as this woman does.
They are dissatisfied. They feel
that they have paid TOO much for
the goods they have bought thru
these concerns. There is no. doubt
but many, many people who have
been patroniZing these concerns have
in way, been convinced that they
have made a mistake. and The Trib-
une believes that the merchant who
is not constantly on the alert and
who is not making il point TO talk
these things over with the people a.
bout him. is making q mistake. There
are many people like this lady who
have felt that they had made mis-
takes in buying goods of mail order
houses, but Yet have done pjust as
she did. and have ordered again and
again. because of the impelling pow
er of the mail order house catalog
that has been constantly before them
People are thinking. They are
thinking along these lines today as
they have never thought before, and
now is the time that retail mer-
chants should be active, not par
ticularly in fighting or combating
the mail order house business but
in advancing their own business.