The daily Alaskan., 1914-08-24
Fight Catalogue Houses With
 Th0if Weapons,
PRAIRIE FIRE AN EXAMPLE
Western Farmer Successfully CoPes With ConHagration by Little Blaze of His Own-Why Not Try His Tao tics on the Mail Order Menace2 Printed Matter a Great Help.

lOOpEIl5ul l.lf, 1t ltuiIdS Js S4lliFAIl'l ,
 The concern which consistently and consistently advrrtises brings to itself great reward .n the form of increased business. Fences, rocks and trees are covered with print and paint The shower of advertising in the shape of handbills Is fncessant. They are put into ones hand at every stcp-at the church door and in hotels, in public vehicles. thrust under private doors and sent by millions through the mails.
 GIittering Advertising Maze.
 The only road to commercial success leads through d gIittering maze of ad- vcrtisiug.
 Great boats. bearing on their sails huge advertisements. sail mp and down all season before crowded watering places. and now and then a rain of advertisements comes from a wander, ing acr0pIguc
 When dayGgu fails the magic cleo uric light throws advertisements on large screens in conspicuous places in both large and small cities.
 Shout From Mountain Top.
 Climb 10 the mountain top and shout for a solution of the retat. mail order evil. and back over the hi.I5 will come the answer in the echoing cry "Adver' tisc,"
 The life. the famt, the success, the hope and future of commerce lie in that one magic word.
 Advertising Is unquestonabIy the weapon which vii! make the communi. ty worthless for the retail catalogue houses. but it is not absolutely ueces- sarv that printed matter be tue whole thing.
 Personal and individual advertising is most helpful It is such advertising that gives retail mail order houses their trade.
 And through advertising the local merchants can deprive them of much of the trade that comes from their community.
 FiGht the Prairie Fire.
 The western farmer fights the prairie fire with a little fire of his own, which, kept always under control, be so uses that the bigger fire. finding no fuel there on which to feed, sweeps by and leaves him safe.
 So. in your advertising, you have your saving fire with which 10 fight the consuming competition of retail mail order houses.
 The printed matter, Of course, must continue 70 he the main reliance for urging people to enter your store.
 Show windows, however good, are sure to be seen only by few ot those who might need to trade with you, while personal invitations cannot be given quickly enough to sufficient number to answer everyday purposes.
 It is through printed matter that the retail mail order house offerings are constantly made. and, if for no other reason than to prove the determination at least to match their efforts for trade in your community, use the local press and printed matter enough to let no one whose trade shou.d be yours forget that you are in a position 10 fill his wants.
 Originality Best Method.
 The local merchant should dwell at length on the fact that he delivers after the goods have been seen and be- fore the money has been paid for them, and when it comes to making good, should anything go wrong, he Is right at hand. not a thousand miles away.
 A reputation for originality is con tinually being sought by most mer- chants, and one can get it more easily by being natural in every move. Ad- vprtising that sounds like you is not only sure to bring the greatest results, but it is also the one kind of advertis- ing your competitor cannot successful ly initiate.
 It s true that some self styled ad- vertising experts have studied the die tiuuary, the grammar and the type specimen books until they are able to talk a jargon that makes advertising by which we mean printed matter seem very much of a mystery to the average man.
 Operate Like Pickpockets.
 The mail order house system experts in the advertising art are something like the pickpocket who, in an attempt to divert suspicion from himself, joins the throng and shouts "Stop thief!' as loudly as any one. Look through the mail order catalogues and you will find that nearly all of them will tell you that their houses are the cheapest places to buy; that they have the best facilities.
 They will intimate that the other teI- low is the one lu ayoI it you do not want to get trimmed" and that 1t IS the other fellow that handles the trash
 When q dog bites you the first time blame the dog; if he bites you agai2 blame yourself. If the mail order houses get the best of yOT once blame them; if they do it again blame your self for being such an unthinkabie chump.