Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-04-13
Tho MiddIeman.


mike Kinney in the 'Gimlet."]
Wasn't that beautiful dream that
the magazines told about when they
described how a farmer could send a
dozen eggs by parcel post to his city
customer? Just figure out the price Of
eggs in the country. then add the cost
of the special pasteboard box in which
the eggs would have to be sent. also
the postage on the eggs together with
the loss from br>aka ge. and we think
You will find that fresh country eggs
would cost our city friends about
cents each ! guess it would be cheap
er for him to get them from the corner
grocery.
The other day I rneandered into a
drug store and ordered certain chemi-
calls which happened to know actually
cost II cents. The druggist charged
me % cents. / Inquired IL he hadn't
added too much profit. told him just
what the items cost. my dear sir"
answered he, "in this corner drug store
we do not pay any attention to the
cost of the chemicals In the drugs
that is the smallest part OF our ex-
pense. We are selling you the high
rental Of drug store on convenient
corner. electric light, furnace heat. free
telephone service. stamps sold at cost.
meeting place for the neighborhaad,
a place where you can stand on cold
day and wait for your car. free seats,
free newspapers. Not only that, but
we are prepared to ten you what Is
good for dyspepsia, toothache. indiges-
ton, lumbago: in fact, we prescribe.
free of charge for most human ills. 1t
is for this class Of service that we
charge-the drugs thar we dispose of
are simply incidentals." Well, brother,
don't you think this druggist was about
righto At the same time. II is just like
you and me to accept all these conven-
fences and accommodations. and then
kick II a fly happens to light in our
soda water.
Did ii ever occur TO you. when you
happened to want anything and needed
ii in a hurry, what 1t costs to have
this particular item all ready for your
use at a store just around the corner!
l remember case where a city took
issue with an electric lighting plant on
account of their charges for the ser
vice. The electric lighting plant showed
in cold figures. what 1t cost them to be
prepared at all times to serve that city
with electric light. 1t was a most In
teresting exhibit. When the sun was
shining brightly and the days were
long. that city did not want much cleo
trio Juice. II however. storm sud-
denly blew up and darkness came upon
the city, then everybody expected TO
turn on his electric light. When the
storm was over and the sun came out
again. he turned off the juice. Now
said this lighting plant, I'VE have 10
have In reserve all the time enough
power to take care OF these sudoen
! and unexpected demands. we have 10
| be ready TO serve every minute OF the
| day and night. This readiness to serve
! costs money, and we can only get our
| money back by charging 1t in the price
of the Juice"
| In my fashion, am in this article
making q plea for the retail mer-
chant. He must be ready to serve you
| with anything you want in his line on
/ a moments notice. Isn't it really Won
derful that you can walk into retail
| hardware store, call for almost any
| item in hardware, and always ma II
on hand? For instance. II you wish q
pocket knife Of peculiar style. there
iit is-it has just been waiting for you
70 call for it. Then the merchant takes
1t out OF the case and watts while you
lean with your elbow on the glass
/ countef and paw it all over. You sme7i
vour greasy hands all over It's beauti-
fully polished blades; you blow YOU
brea tn on the blade to see whether the
/ steel is good or not. Probably you IN
spect fifteen or twenty knives before
yo, finally decide to invest 50 cents
In the meanwhile the merchant patti
! emily shows you his stock, ana teiis
Won the entire history Of the manufac'
ture Of cutlery from the time CO 0ner'
aoh down to the present date.
Maybe after consuming thirty min
ute. Of this merchants time you smile
.weetIy and tell him that you Will thini
lit over and drop IN again tomorrow
Mavbe before leaving his store you g
4 N the telephone and have chat VIII
your best GIRL, and also borrow
i stamp to mail letter. Or, perhaps
Won ask il he won't loan you PIP
I wrench for a while. Then II you ar
real smart the proper thing Is TO 3
i home send an order to q mail orde
house. for . pocket knife, cash ash IN 40
nee and take your chances OF
, whether the steel Is good or not, wnei
4 the knife arrives a
Then let III. reflect. that after aH Q
the hard work he does. after all TN
!. chances he takes. after all the imposi
. tions to which he patiently submits
!. after ali the bad accounts he accumu
llates on his books, aftsr all the KNOW
l : = = A. 81 =