Fergus County Democrat., 1915-10-21
fBy DAVID POWELL.)

ington. As a town it differs in no
particular feature from thousands Of
others similarly situated, but 1t does
enjoy peculiar distinction OF num-
berng among its citizens merchant
of unusual genius; man who, so far
as his line is concerned, has succeed
cd in putting the mail-order catalogue
on the run in his community His
name is w. r. Peters and he special
ICES in the sale of harness and horse
fittings.
His 22O pounds of smiling geniality
being topped off with the face OF a
cherub and a Stetson sombrero,at first
glance you would be more apt to label
him a thoroughbred member of the
old school racing fraternity than what
lie is, a hardheaded. successful mer-
chant of the strenuous present. II |
had first met his frank gray eyes and
silvered hair over the withers of a
likely tllree-year-old in seme one Of
New England's rustic lanes. | would
have staked my last iitney that David
Harnm really stood before me.
Mait-Order Competition Joke.
When broached The subject of
mailorder competition to him his face
broke into a smile and the aforesaid
go pounds all seemed to laugh at
once.
"Mail-order campetiton?" he said,
there isn't any. It's joke Just
come along with me and I'll prove il
to you"
He took me to the section OF his
store where light buggy harness was
displayed and pointed out to me q half
dozen styles that had placard on
them reading mail order samples
''There." he said. lis the proof In
every line | handle | carry similar
samples, and they are the exact coun-
terparts Of the same articles sold by
the big mail-Order house in Seattle. On
many of them my price delivered here,
is little lower than their price in
Seattle, and III no case is in any
higher. If my people want that quail
ity of goods ! can save them the
freight from Seattle, and" he laughed,
actually make larger percentage Of
profit than on my regular lines.
"Of course never urge such sales,
in fact | discourage them, because |
know the buyer will not get satisfac-
tion. The only guarantee | give is that
in every particular they are equal of
those sold by the mailorder house.
Observation-Disclosures House Prices
and Meets Them.
although, as | said | do not push
such sales, do, however, use my abil-
ity to meet mail-order prices as my
main ADVERTISING feature. Here" he
said, as he handed me bundle OF
half-page advertisements clipped from
the weekly paper, ''is the way ! hand
It to them. AS you can see, | not only
use the name Of the mail-order house
in my ad, but also quote their cata-
1ogue number and Seattle price along
with mine and guarantee to give the
Identical article
THAT kind of advertising brings
customers to my store from towns 20
miles away, but as matter of fact
| sell but very few of such articles
iou will notice that | have the sam
Pies displayed in contrast to quality
articles OF my own make or standard
lines of well-known factories. When
the buyer can actually see them side
by side and make comparison OF
values the difference in price seems
to evaporate"
We'll" said, you certainly have
the right system, But how did you
figure it out9 Where do you buy the
goods and how can you meet their
prices at a profit 2'
Buys From Same Factories.
That, young man, is another story
have been in business here in Ritz
vile for 20 years and il took me over
10 of them to work it out. First,
studied their catalogue. Then
bought several of their articles thai
were the hardest competition for the
standard lines | carried and CAREFUL,
analyzed them to the smallest detail
! then drew up specifications and sen
them to every iobber and manufactur
or OF that line in the country with
request for quotations knew b,
that means my inquiry was bound tt
fail in the hands of the house that wa
supplying the mailorder concern. an,
that ! could get just what | wantet
from their regular stock. The schem,
was successful and today. with onl,
two or three exceptions, | can dupli
cate any article the mail-order hous
sells in my line. Yes, of course hay
to pay local freight rates agains
their car rates from eastern factories
but that difference is really very lii
tie when compared to the money yalu
OF a harness or saddle And by al
ways sending cash with my order.
believe | get as good price as tn
mail order house. Ii don't, they eel
tainly get an awful profit
How about terms | asked hin
10 you sell such goods on time?
should imagine in wheat country
would be difficult to exact cash"
Eyes, it is. But | never sell an,
thing whatsoever out<of my store e,
cept for cash or an interest-bearin
note"
"lf you can do that" | said. "an
hold your trade. commercially spea'
ing. You must have discovered IL
philosophers stone"
MOL do il simply by an intelligel
use offcnrnmon sense. And | ha,
not only held my trade while adhe
ing strictly to that rule. but | ha'
bniH up the biggest harness trade
the county and incidentally have "