Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-02-27
The LOSING SIDE Of
MAIL ORDER TRADING
HOW AN IOWA FARMER LOST
OVER $500.

Property value-A striking Testi-
monial to the Virtue Of Preserving
Local Merchant.
Hans Garbus, a German farmer of
Iowa, has discovered that the bene-
fits which appear on the surface as
attaching to the mail order. plan
sometimes spell disaster and has
written a very interesting story of
his views in a certain farm paper.
Here is a part of his story:
"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 ] am now giving my ex-
perience that others may profit, for
knowledge is O expensive now
than ten years ago.
"Twenty.nine years ago began my
farm career. had an old team and
$50. Our furniture was mostly home
made-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, 1 got
all needed machinery and groceries OF
our home. merchants on credit, until
fall crops. were sold The first year
was a wet season andT1 did not make
enough to pay creditors. I went to
each on date Of promise and explained
conditions, paving as much as possi-
BILE, and they all carried the balance
over another year. They continued to
accommodate me until l vas able to
buy a forty-acre piece Of my own.
"As soon as l 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
my home town where / HAD gotten my
accommodation when l needed it.
1--WE then had one of the thrift
lest little villages in the state-good
line Of business in all the branches,
merchants who were willing to help
an honest fellow over a bad year, and
a town full of people who came twice
a week to trade and visit. Our little
country towr supported a library, high
school, band, ball team, and we had
big celebrations every year.
"A farm near a live town soon
doubles in value. l sold my forty
acres a. a big advance and bought all
gradually adding to it until
l had 200 acres Of the best land in
Iowa. then felt no need of asking
favors, and found it easy to patron.a
lie the mail order agents that came
came almost weekly to our door.
regret to say that ! was the first in
the county to make Up a. neighbor-
hood bill and send it to a mail order
house. Though we got bit every once
in a while we got in the habit of
sending away for stuff.
Gradually our merchants lessened
their stock of goods-for lack OF
Finally we began to re-
alize that when we needed a bolt
for machinery, or clothing
for sickness or death, we had to
wait and send away for it, which
wasn't SO pleasant. One by one our
moved to places where they
were appreciated, and men of less
energy moved in. Gradually our town
A1"o SOHS uOWAy OuA OuOiASDO uOuSCS
are 'tacky' in appearance, a number
ire empty, our schools, churches and
walks are going down. we have no
)and. no Library, nor ball team. There
s no business done in the town, ant,
therefore,, no taxes to keep things up.
Hotel is closed for lack of travel.
10 down to the depot when the train
PULLS in and you will see the sequel
n mail order packages.
Mine years ago my farm was
worth $195 an acre, today I'd have a
lard matter to sell it at S167 an acre.
t; Is too farm from a live town so
very farmer has said that wants to
'uy. He wants a place near schools,
md churches, where his children can
AVE advantages. have awakened
0 the fact that in helping to pull the
own down. it has cost me $4,000 in
line years."-New York Journal Of
PUBLIC HEALTH NOTICE.