The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1914-12-16

Ridicule, Paralyzins as Well as Anus
ing, often eratifes a Little Mind or
an unsenerous TemPer-Ths Safe
Plan 10 Always to Do tho Task That
Lies Nearest Us.
copyrighted. 1914, by Thomas J. sullivan.l
Ridicule may be an evidence of wit
or bitterness and may crafty a little
mind or an ungenerous temper, but Is
no test Of reason, truth or manhood.
Ridicule, besides being conscious and
unconscious, may also be indirect as
well as direct, negative us we'll as
positive. paraIyzing us well as anus
ing. And myriad in number and kind
are the ridiculous suggestions made
and being made by the enemies and
victims Of the mil order concerns in
the hope Of stopping their onward
march OF progress.
DO merchants always apprsciate
their advantage? Would a friend of
the merchant or dealer have sent his
first order 20 n stranger who showed
pictures instead OF goods, who talked
on paper instead of face to face. who
demanded pay in advance instead OF
allowing u more unlimited credit had
the merchant improved his advan-
nges?
Ought to Emulate Rivals,
It would seem that after one expe-
rience Of long delays. quite common
and to n great extent unavoidable in
&nu S9FHCH ,-itI TaniI nA5nV bauono a. ffara
one experience OF putting things to-
gether for himself. after one expe-
rlence Of waiting for a missing part,
the friend would not have taken the
trouble to order by mail from u Stran-
ger had the local merchant or dealer
always improved his opportunities.
Everything that happens to US leaves
some trace behind it; everything con-
tributes imperceptibly to form us Yet
often it is dangerous to take a strict
account of that for either we grow
proud and negligent or downcast and
dispirited, and both are equally in
furious in their consequences. Always
the safe plan is to do the task which
lies nearest us and which will augur
for our best interests and those Of
others.
II success Gun be attained by the re
tail mail order houses. working under
Disadvantages. why cannot the local
merchant. who has non Of these dis
advantages, succeed? He can by imi-
tating their methods and practices. by
allowing undisturbed inspection of
goods and by polite and courteous
treatment Of all. visitors to his store.
thus creating new customers and con-
tlnufng to supply old ones.
In a certain Indiana town a young
man ordered a heating stove, price
SS.95. When the stove came he was
very much disappointed. The stove
was small. while the picture In the
cntalogue made it appear large ind Or
namcntal. Had this young man visit
cd his local dealer and inspected the
$S.95 stove he would not have bought
1t, but would have selected one for
$l2 or S14 and would have got the
right kind and one that would have
satisfied bis needs.
A Minnesota farmer ordered five
rolls of barbed wire. After It came
and he had puld the freight he discov-
cred TINT he could have bought the
same identical wire from his local
dealer and could have saved 81. also
much time and trouble.
Mai! order Fence In Woodshed.
Another man living in a village or
dered some wire fencing from a pic
ture in a catalogue, and when 1t came
it was so chenp looking that his pride
would not allow him to disignre his
grounds with such Il fence, SO he stor-
ed it in his wOUdshed and bought what
he wanted from his local dealer.
A lady in a little town in Missouri
sent to one Of the large mail order
houses for IL pair of shoes, inclosing
sl.0T with her order. After two weeks
the shoes came by freight; charges
were p cents, which she paid. After
taking the shoes home she found they
did not fit, so she repacked them and
sent them back by express, and after
another two weeks wait another pair
Of shoes came by freight with more
charges ATTACHED. To the lady's dis
may. these shoes were no nearer a ut