The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1914-06-05

copyrighted. 1914. by Thomas ]. sullivanl
If you want to succeed in the world
you must make your own opportunities
as you go on.
The man who waits for the seventh
wave to toss him on dry land will find
that the seventh wave is long time in
coming. You can commit no greater
folly than to sit by the roadside until
some one comes along and invites you
to ride with him to wealth or infu-
ence.
Business men, local and otherwise,
in the entire country, are desirous of
increasing and extending their bust
ness, and If they did not care to do this
they would not be in business.
Can Successfully Cope.
It is doubtful If there be local re-
taller in the country who could not
successfully cope with the mail order
and catalogue retailer would he but
try. This the local merchant may not
know, but nevertheless 1t is an abso-
lutte fact
There is retail firm in town in
Wisconsin which conspicuously displays
upon its counters one Of the cata-
logues of the largest Chicago mail Or
der houses. upon the cover Of which Is
pasted notice that 1t will furnish
any article advertised in the catalogue
as cheaply as the buyer can secure the
articles from Chicago, and 1t lives up
to the advertisement attached to the
very letter.
Mail Order House Seconds.
The substantial local merchant knows
well that the cheap stoves sold by the
catalogue mail order houses are light
weight stoves; that the iron beds
shown In the advertisement matter as
massive frames with strong corner
posts and heavy crossbars are light,
frail castings, commonly known to the
trade as Seconds which no honest
or reliable furniture dealer would keep
in his stock because he could not sell
them to people who were given an op-
portunity to inspect the goods before
purchasing.
1t is only on very rare occasions that
patrons of mail order house ever get
the worth of their money when they
buy from the pictures In the cata-
logue, while, on the other hand, the
local retailer, IL he understands his
business, buys his stock direct from
the manufacturers and jobbers who
have reputation at stake and who
supply goods of quality to their direct
representatives, the retail merchants,
throughout the country.
Prize Their Regulations.
The responsible high grade manu-
cacturer and wholesaler will not under
any condition or circumstance sell
heir goods to the catalogue retailer
ut any price. Many instances are
known where catalogue houses secured
by trickery quantity of staple goods
of standard make and advertised them
as specials" at ridiculously low prices.
The manufacturers, in order to protect
their regulations and interests neces-
sarlly had orders sent In for the en-
tire stock or quantity of the articles
through persons in their employ. They
did not propose to have their articles,
which were standard, advertised by
the side Of inferior articles of light
weight and of decidedly cheap con
s.ruction.
A Vast Difference. .
There are numberess articles which
the catalogue house advertises as the
best on the market, among which are
paints, and 1t often agrees to fur
nish an impossible guarantee with
this class Of goods. However, 1t is
very noticeable that it never at
tempts to ship its paints into states
that require a printed copy OF the
analysis of the contents of the pack
age.
The answer to this, of course, Is
that the goods are not as represented
in the catalogue, The up to date To-
cal merchant, of course, Is conversant
with these facts and can explain them
to his customers if given an opportu-
nifty, and he can also, IL he understands
his business thoroughly, explain the
vast difference between the goods sold
by the catalogue house and those sold
by him.
Articles Challenge Explanations.
The cheap, flashy, fiimsy article can
never stand alongside of the honest,
reliable article without challenging an
explanation.
The business man who cannot meet
this demand upon him is not up to
date, and his education regarding the
line OF goods he carries should be
touched up,
II the home town consumers are
alive and awake to their own interest
they can begin to educate the local
merchants by demanding from them
the Information concerning the differ
ence In the quality of their goods and
the goods Of the catalogue retailer. II
they are unable to explain they will
also be unable to render efficient serv-
ice to their customers.
1t is time merchants of this kind
wake up to the situation.
Her Chin.
Dawson-The facial features plainly
indicate character and disposition, In
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