The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-05-21
they Deceive
With PICTURES
F2V0FH0 Method Of the Gaia
IOgaG Houses.
THE FARMER And THE COW

Photographic FePfouOctlons - 0tun9
and Nothing Is Said About 1t.
Copyrighted. 1914, by Thomas J. Sullivan.l
a book with pictures and a book
without pictures differ nearly as much
as a room with windows and room
without windows, for pictures are loop.
holes Of escape to the soul, leading it
to other scenes and spheres where the
fancy for the moment may revel, re
freshed and delighted. They are win
dows Of imprisoned thought.
A picture is invariably an exaggera-
ton of the object reproduced. and, gen
orally speaking. to please it must de-
ceiVe.
OF Deceptive Value.
The deceptive value Of drawings or
paintings over photography is recog-
nized by no ONE more fully than by the
great catalogue houses hence their
adoption of the anost expensive method
of displaying their goods to the PUBLIC,
well knowing tbhat photographs tell the
truth, so far as a correct pictorial re-
production is concerned, and would not
be conducive to good business methods
when the goods effeEed are faulty.
How many farmers would think OF
buying cow from a picture in a
newspaper or catalogue, with just a
name and description under it'll OF
course the description would say that
the cow was d fine black and Write
COW. weight SEQ pounds and SO many
han6s high, free from blemishes and
offered at the reduced price of $39.97
because of a spot cash deal with a
stock farm which failed.
There is as imuch sense in a pur-
chase of that mature as there is for a
farmer to buy buggy 'our own
brand" at $24F0 when he can get the
real article from his home dealer for
S25 and have the privilege OF inspect
ing II before buying. And no freight
to pay.
Did Farmer Consider Everything?
While talkinGtO farmer the follow
ing was cleaned: Farmers, as rule,
do not like to send their money to Chi
cago or any other place for their goods.
They would rather buy of their local
merchants if their prices are not out
of reason. Merchants generally buy
their goods where they can get them
the cheapest. whether in Chicago, New
York or Asia, no matter how much Of
the same goods the farmer has to sell.
The price is thes first and last consider
alton. They fix the price of what he
sells as well as what he buys. Gan
the farmer be blamed for buying
where he can get the best bargains
He wants to enjoy the same privilege
as the merchants do. Fair play is all
he wants"
A Business Injustice.
But did the farmer who made the
above remarks take everything into
consideration? Did he remember that
while the local business men are main
tanning markets for the farmers. assist
ing in making roads to these markets
and doing all they can to help the farm
er, the Iaai order houses that have not
cent invested in his vicinity do not
buy a dollars worth of the farmers
crops nor contribute cent to the well
fare of the community? Yet they are
getting a goodly portion of the local
trade, and business men naturally feel
that it is an injustice. 1t is, and the
only way to overcome it is by ADVER-
RISING.
Visit to Country Town.
Merchants should publish a com
parison Of their prices with those of
the retail catalogue houses-hght them
with their own weapons. While visit.
ing a country town recently the writer
made some Investigations and discov-
cries. For example, a Chicago mail
order house was selling 100 pound
gIindstones mounted for 1910. The
local merchant sold the same article
for 1925; freight from Chicago. 80
cents, making the mail order article
cost $685.; seam roofing, $2,S5 in Chi
cage and $3.50 from the local mer-
chant freight 10 cents per square to
be added to the $2.S5, making it SO de
livered; washing machines. $685.
against S375, freight % cents to be
added to the $685.. These are facts
which every merchant can prove and
keep right on proving all the time.
Cash at Home Too.
Local merchants viii quote prices Oh
goods so low that catalc0ge sud mail
order houses cannot duplicate them.
But you must pay cash. Mail order
houses demand the cash in advance
Why not pay the local merchant in ad-
vance? Besides when you buy from
a catalogue you send your money
away from your home town You buy
from a picture and wait week or
ten days for the goods to arrive; then
you open up your prize box" to see
what you really have drawn in the
lottery and what you have to show
for your money. If you have drawn
one of their "baits'' you tell your
neighbors and friends about it-in fact.
you win tell every one about it. If
You find, as is usually the case, that
YOU were "stuRg" you say nothing
about it; your lips are sealed as tight
as death.