River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-04-23

If you had Five Thousand Dol
lars in hard-earned money that
o had accumulated by earnest
effort and economy, would you in
vest it in a stock Of merchandise?
What do you think are your
chances of business success?
How much profit do you think
O could make?
Let us you have the cap
ital and the experience necessary
to lay in a well-selected stock of
general merchandise. We will as
sumo that you have a good loca-
ton in a live town.
We will also assume this store is
the best general store in the town.
Surely with SO many elements in
your favor, your financial C
must be assured.
Let us do a little figuring and
see why the above advertisement
was written. The advertiser lives
in a town of three thousand peo-
pie, surrounded by a farming COM
munity of one hundred fifty farm
ers of average thrift and indus
try.
When he first opened up the
store he had a capital OF p5,QoO.
After getting his store fixed up,
he hau $500 cash lett. HIS pre-
v1ous experience and record, com-
bined with his cash capital o.
So. oUO gave MN a credit standing
good Tor S1,5UU and ne STOCKED up,
| gong mt uepC S5,UUU.
Ills community consisted o.
| about n1ne nunured IamllIes ali
| rolu, some Well Co-do. more Ill nlOu-
crate circumstances dnu OGneIs
| Sill less 30. Lney represent IdIt-
~ MelI aIInosL any OCne .o"E %
On1Leu OLaCUS. AlalA % .Ae4n p"J
CASH AOr Cnen purchases, me U"A-
anca guy Un crou4L-LucIf
lron Vo ~ pro Il
VS. AAC odAS ~ "a GAdS IAAtAA a.
VIU d I1On.n.
wA1cn Tic stofe lIrsL Openeu,
4UOncu anu ~ AAnu OuL "hdG n1ho
"a pI4~co Lnc ncIG4dn. Inauc. AZ
ldu IIvEu Ill LnC LUWu AOt SOAnC
.4ulo ana Tile new sure 1Iaue q
M" Win n4s pvOp40-.don .fau0
was gOOu-dUOuL v0V d udJ-Ouy-
er5 on credit a1So came anu were
chants pOIIcy 20 extend everyone
Inc glad mana" dnu gOOu dC-
counts Degan TO grow Slowly Due
| surely. so nat che mOnLn from the
opening tate, ne d V1,oUV III
charge accounts anu nau also do
| much 4Or cash.
IN orner words, nearly hall the
original Suock was OuL Oh has nanus
| anu ms sneIVes e gerr1ng rath-
er bare. It was eVIuenU LnaC ne
| must nave more goods at once.
How should he get rnem? lie hao
paid $1,000 On his bIlls-aIl he could
spare from his cash sales. his
charge accounts he could not ap-
proacn Until n fifteenth OF the
month following and on farming
! accounts he hau TO extend the US
nal time anu wait for the crop
money to come in. What was he
| to do? Trade was at his door-he
| could easily turn his stock every
| three months at a reasonable pro-
fit if he could get cash for his
sales. He still owed $1,000 on his
original purchase. Either he must
90 to the bank and borroW-pay-
ing interest-or get more capital.
Therefore he advertised.
This little sketch reasonably we'll
portrays the early history of al
most every store opened. 1t also
faithfully pictures the attitude to-
ward the public of almost every
storekeeper in the country. Your
merchant studies the needs OF MS
community. He extends credit
generously and gladly, usually
without any definite promise on
your part as to when you will
pay.
He takes you on faith and parts
with his goods for which he must
pay on a definite date whether
you have paid or not. He is a
member of your community and
takes a lively interest in the af-
fairs of your town and contributes
usually to all of the public sub
scriptions and charities.
He is a useful and necessary man
in every community-yet how Of
ten is he used as a means of ac-
commodatiOn.