The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-11-03
THE LOSING SIDE OF
MAIL ORDER TRADING
FARMER FINDS THAT IT MEANS
DISASTER, AND WRITES VERY
INTERESTING STORY.
HOW HE LOST OVER $500

|
f! Value. A Mistake to Help Pull
the Town Down.
Hans Garbus, a German farmer of
Iowa. has discovered that the benefits
which appear on the surface as at
taching to the mail order plan some
times spell disaster and has written a
very interesting story of his views
in certain farm paper. Here is a
part Of his story:
1--WE farmers need awakening to
the fact that we have Enthusiastically
reached the period where we must
think and plan. l am one of the slow
German farmers that had to be
shown. and I am now giving my eX-
perience that others may profit, for
experience is more expensive now
than ten years ago.
"Twenty-nine years ago I began
my farm career. I had an old team
and $50. Our furniture was mostly
home-m ade-chairs, cupboard and
lounge made from dry goods boxes,
neatly covered with ten-cent cretonne
by my girl-wife. We rented eighty
acres. Being a boy of good habits
got all needed machinery on credit,
until fall crops we're sold. The first
year was a wet season and l did not
make enough to pay my creditors. l
went to each on date of promise and
explained conditions, paying as much
as possible, and they all carried the
balance over another year. They con-
tinued to accommodate me until l
was able to buy a forty-acre piece of
my own.
GAS soon as I owned these few
acres the mail order houses began
sending me catalogues and gradually
began sending my loose change to
them, letting my accounts stand in
nv home town, where I had gotten
my accommodations when I needed
them.
eve then had one of the thriftiest
little villages in the state-good line
of business in all the branches, mer-
chants who were willing to help an
honest fellow over a bad year, and
town full of people who came twice
week to trade and visit. Our little
country town supported library,
high school, band, ball team and we
had big celebrations every year.
"a farm near a live town soon
doubles in value. I sold my forty
acres at a big advance and bought
eighty, gradually adding to it until
had 200 acres of the best land in
Iowa. 1 then felt no need in asking
favors and found it easy to patronize
the mail order agents that came al
most weekly to our door. I regret
to say I was the first in the county
to make up a 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
stuff.
"Gradually our merchants lessen
ed their stocks of goods-for lack OF
patronage. Finally we began to real
ize that when we needed bolt for
machinery, or clothing for sickness
mr. death we had to wait and send
away for it, which wasn't so pleas
ant. One by one our merchants NOV
ed to places where they were appre-
ciated. and men of less energy moved
in Gradually our town has gone
down; our business houses are
'tacky' in appearance, a number are
empty. our schools and churches and
walks are going down, we have no
library, band nor ball team now.
There is no business done in the
town. and therefore no taxes to keep
things up. The hotel is closed Tor
lack of travel. Go down to the depot
when the freight pulls in and you
will see the sequel in the mail order
packages.
Mine years ago my farm was
worth s195 an acre; today I would
have a hard matter to sell it for $67
an acre. It is too far from 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 the fact that in
helping to pull down the town 1t has
cost me $500 in nine years"