The Alaska daily empire., 1914-12-16

into the papers aa toHQy- lilie 1 have been othor incidents. but not one in which the most minute details have not been spread far and wide.
 # TIE BLIGHT OF
 TIE MAIL ORDER :
 Hans Garbus, 9 German farmer of Iowa. has discovered that the bene- Ats which appear on the surloco as attaching to tho mail order plan sometimes spell disaster and has Nrit ten very interesting story Of his views In farm paper. Here is part Of his story:
 eve farmers need awakening to the fact that we have unmistakably reached the period whore we must think and plan. ] am one of che slow German farmers that had to be shown and ! am now giving my experience that others may profit, for knowledge is more expensive now than ten years ago.
 ''Twenty.nine years ago l began my career l had an old team and $50. Our furniture was mostly homemade chairs. cupboard and lounge made from dry goods boxes, neatly covered with 10-cent cretonne by my girl wife. I've rented eighty arces. Being Q boy Of good habits ! got all needed ma chlnery and groceries Of our home merchants on credit, until fall crops were sold. The first year was wet season and did not make enough to pay creditors. I went to each on date of promise and explained condi. tions, paying as much as possible and they all carried the balance over an. other year They continued to ac- commodate me until ] was able to buy a forty-acre piece Of my own.
 "Aa soon as ownod these few acres the mall order houses began sending me catalogues and gradually ] began sending my loose change to them, letting my accounts stand in my home town, whore ] had gotten accommodation when ] needed it.
 eve then bad one of the thrlftieet little villages in the state-good line of business in all the branches. mer- chants who were willing to help an honest fellow over bad year. and town full Of people who came twice Q week to trade and visit Our llt- Gle country town supported a library, high school band, ball team, and we had big celebrations every year.
 "A farm near Two town soon. doubles in value sold my forty acres at 9 big advance and bought an eighty gradually adding to it un- til had 200 acres Of the best land in Iowa. then felt no need of asking favors. and found it easy to .patonize the mail order agents that came al- most weekly to our door, regret to say that ! was the first in the county to make up neighborhood bill and send it to a mail order house. Though we got bit every once in @ while we got in the habit of sending away for stun.
 Gradually our merchants iessened their stocks of goods-for lack of patronage Finally We began to realize that when VIC needed Q bolt quickly for machinery or clothing for sickness or death, VIC had to wall and send away for it which waant SO pleasant One by one our mer- chants moved to places where they were appreciated, and men Of less energy moved in. Gradually our town has gone down Our business houses are "taclly" in appearance, a number arc empty, our schools, churches and walks are going down, we have no band, no library, nor ball team. There is no business done in the town and therefore no taxes to keep things up. Hotel is closed for lack of travel. Go down to the depot when Che freight pulls in and you wiil see the sequcl in mail order packages.
 Nine years ago my farm was worth S1s5 an acre; today I'd have Q hard matter to sell it at sl67 an acre. ItI is too far from g live toWn-so every farmer has said that wants to buy He wants place near schools and churches, where his children can have advantages. have awakened to tho fact that In helping to pull the town down 1t has cost me S5,6O0 in nins years.