Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-04-28
THE LOSING SIDE OF
MAIL ORDER TRADING

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
very interesting story Of his views in
a certain farm paper. Here is part
OF his story:
we farmers need awakening TO the
fact that we have Enthusiastically reach
ed the period where we must think
and plan. | am one OF the slow Ger
man farmers that had 10 be shown,
and l am now giving my experience
that others may profit, for knowledge
is more expensive now than ten years
ago.
Twenty 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 | got all
needed machinery and groceries from
our home merchants on credit, until
fall crops We're sold. The first year
was a wet season and | did not make
enough 10 pay creditors. | went TO
each on date of promise and explained
conditions, paying as much as pos
sible, and they all carried the balance
over another year They continued to
accommodate me until was able to
buy forty-acre piece of my own.
"As soon as | owned these few acres
the mail order house began sending
me catologs, and gradually | began
81, 10, Lat
ting my accounts stand in my home
town where / had received my accom-
mediation when | needed il.
we then had one of the thrftiest
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 a
town full of people who came twice a
week to trade and visit. our little
country town supported library
high school. ball team. and we had big
celebrations every year.
"A farm near live town doubles i'm
value. | sold my forty acres at big
advance and bought eighty. gradually
adding TO them until / had 200 acres
OF the best land in Iowa. | then felt
no need of asking favors, and found
agents that came almost weekly to our
door. | regret 20 say that | was the
first in the county to make up neigh
borhood bill and send ii TO a mail or
der house. Though we got bit every
once in a while, we got the habit of
sending away for stuff
Gradually our merchants lessened
their stock Of goods for lack Of
patronage. Finally we began to
realize that when we needed a bolt
quickly 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 merchants
moved 10 places where they were APP
preciated and men OF less energy NOV
ed in Gradually our town has gone
down; our business houses are tacky
in appearance, number are empty.
our schools. churches and walks are
going down: we have no band no Ii
brary no ball team. There is no bust
ness done in town. and therefore no
taxes 10 keep things up. The hotel is
closed for lack Of travellers. Go down
to the depot when the freight pulls in
and you will see the sequel in mail
order packages.
Nine years ago my farm was worth
S195 an acre; today I'd have hard
matter to sell it <S167 an acre. II is
too far from a 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 the town
down. it has cost me $500 in nine
years IT. +. A. Magazine.