The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1914-06-19

Dealers-Rights Encroached Upon by
a Dangerous Outside System.
copyrighted, 1914, by Thomas J. sullivan.l
Napoleon said that Imagination rules
the world. 1t is the divine attribute Of
the Imagination that when the real
world is shut out it can create a world
for itself and with necromantic
power can conjure up glorious shapes
and forms and brilliant visions to
make solitude populous and eradicate
the gloom of dungeons.
Just Supposing.
To better exemplify the range and
possibilities of the human Imagination
we will give little Imaginary" con-
versation which took place in the cozy
cottage of William and Alice Spencer
on recent evening.
"Wiliam, you asked me what I
would do If the butcher, the baker, the
grocer, the druggist, the shoe dealer,
the lumberman, the coal merchant the
hardware dealer and dry goods mer-
chant should pack up and leave town
on an everlasting vacation" said Alice.
"Why, that's easy. would get my
goods from the mail order houses, of
course"
Mo CafaIooue House Cradt.
But" persisted William, suppose
you We're broke, as usual"
"Oh," said Alice, that's so. I could
not get credit from the catalogue
houses; neither could inspect the
stock and select the best. nor could l
take anything back and exchange it,
as In most cases, and II there was any
thing broken | would have to file
claim with the railroad company, and
it would take the better part of a
year to settle 1t, If at ALL"
"And supposing you wanted some
thing in hurry" suggested William.
"That's So" said Alice. 81 would
have to stock up like lumber camp,
as 1t takes from two weeks to the
end of time to get anything from those
mail order concerns. And william, |
would not want to buy meat by mail;
| want to see what kind am getting.
Well, we would just have to live with
out meat, that's all.
No Garden Truck by Mail.
Garden stuff-yes we would want it
fresh; no, not by mail, thank you. And
bread-your mother could make that,
as you always said your mother could
make better bread than |. My, but !
hope the baker won't go, thought
Alice cheered up when William
smilingly reminded her this was but
an imaginary absence of the town mer-
chants.
But the CHEEKY smile on Alice's face
lnsted only a moment, as William tan
talizingly inquired how about getting
shoes for her dainty little Chicago
feet.
"Shoesw cried Alice. "Whoever heard
Of any one with pride or corns buying
shoes without first trying them on
yes, trying on mostly everything In the
store? And then what about getting
soled while you wait? Oh, no; we must
have shoe dealer anyway answered
Alice.
William Becomes Excited Too.
Then William took the floor and
bodied forth the following words of
wisdom:
Yes, hardware; sure might borrow
pound Of nails or couple Of screws
from Brother Charles, If he had them,
but have you any idea, Alice, how
heavy nails and screws and hardware
are? No? Well, i have. and freight
bills on that class Of stuff are rulnous,
No, Alice; town without hardware
store is bum town, and II our hard
ware man is going to move am too.
And, besides, we want lumber yard
and coal yard. l don't want to buy
lumber and coal in car load lots"
"But, William, this Is only imagi-
nary" said Alice.
No Dead Town For Him,
TELL you what, Alice continued
william; SHOULD this imaginary busi-
ness become real and the retail cata-
logue houses put our local merchants
out of business and force them to
seek other locations I'd be with you.
I'd so, too, for who could or would
live In a dead town? We couldn't"
"And, come to think 1t over, Will
liam, l believe those mail order con-
Germs are encroaching upon our rights
and the rights of our local merchants,
and for one am willing to join with
you and the rest OF the citizens of
this community in an effort to adjust
differences that will rebound to the
welfare of the entire countryside, em-
bracing all the people-men, women
and children"
The Small Town Killer
Notwithstanding that this is only an
imaginary situation, 1t is too true
that condition of this sort is to be
experienced in thousands of the small
or towns aud villages In this country
unless some radical change takes
place among consumers in checking
the growth of the small town killer
the fast forming retail trust.
Why not profit by the Imagination OF
Alice and william?
Why She Held on to Il.
Mrs. Willful-My husband told me IL
! didn't like the brooch you'd exchange
1t for me. Jeweler- Certainly, madam.
I'll be only too glad. as four different
ladies Of your set want 1t.
Economy.