The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1915-01-03
The Losing Side of Mail
Order Trading
HOW AN IOWA FARMER LOST Owe
$4,000.
Saved money on one end but killed the home town nd LOST
his property value on the other-a striking testimonial
TO the virtue Of preserving local merchants.

Hans Garbus, a German farmer of Iowa, has discover
ed that the benefits which appear OH the surface as attach
ing 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:
w farmers need awakening to the fact that we have
unmistakable reached the period where we must think and
plan. lam one of the slow German farmers that had To be
shown, and 4 am now giving my experience that others may
profit, for knowledge is more expensive now than ten years
ago.
'Twenty-nine years ago! / began my farm career !
had an old team and $50. Our furniture was mostly
hone.niade-chairs cupboard and lounge made from dry
goods boxes, neatly covered with ten-cent cretonne by my
girl wife. I'VE rented eighty acres. Being a boy of good
habits j got all needed machinery and groceries of our home
merchants on credit. until fall crops were sold. The first
year was a wet season and ! did not make enough to pay
creditors. went to each on date of promise and ex.
pianed conditions, paying as much as possible, and they all
carried. the balance over another year. They continued to
accommodate me until | was able to buy a ~forty-acre piece
of my own
eAs soon as 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 / needed 1t.
we then had one of the thriffest 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 q town full OF people who came twice a week to trade
and visit. Our little country. town supported a library,
high school, ball team, and we had big celebrations every
year. M
"a farm near a live town soon doubles in value.
sold my forty acres at a big advance and bought an eighty,
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 patronize the mail order agents that came almost
weekly to our door. regret to say that was the first in
the country to make up a neishborhood bill and send Ii to
q 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 ofsroods
for lack of patronage Finally we began to realize when we
needeesa bolt quickly for machinery, or clothing for sick.
ness or sdeath we had to wait and send away for il. which
wasn't scs pieasant. One by one our merchants moved to
splacss where they were appreciated. and men of less energy
Inoyed In Gradually our town has gone down; orr busi.5
ness houses aEss a.aCkyys ii appearance a number are empty.
our schools. churches and walks are going down, we have
no band, no library nor bah team. There is ro busness done
~ the town. and therefore no taxes to keep things up.- Hotel
rs closed for lack of travel. Go down to The depot when
the freight pulls in and you viii see the sequel in mail order
packages
Mine years ago my farm was worth sos an acre. to.
day I'D have q hard matter to sell it at st67 an acre. n i,
stooSfar from 9 live own,--so every farmer has said that
wants g buy, He wants q place near schools and churches.
where his children cat, have advantages. have awakened
g me tact thatin helping to pull the town down it has cost
me 5000 in nine years,