Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-01-21
THE LOSING SIDE OF
MAILORDER TRADING
0 AN IOWA FARMER
LOST OVER SIS, 90
Killed the Home Town and
Lost His Property Value
A Striking Testimonial to
the Virtue of Preserving
Local Merchant

Hans GarbuS. IL German far
mcr of Iowa has discovered tina
the benefits which appear on tho
surface as attaching to the nui
order plan sometimes spell dis
aster and has written "A very in
tereSting story of his views in q
certain farm paper. Here is q
part of his story:
We farmers need awakening
To the fact that We have unmiS.
takably reached the period where
we must think and plan. am
one Of the slow German farmers
that had to be shown. and am
now giving my experience that
others may profit. for knowledge
is more expensive now than ten
years ago.
Twenty nine years ago | be-
gan my farm career. | had an
old team and $50. Our furniture
was mostly homemade chairs.
cupboard and lounge made from
dry goods boxes, neatly covered
with ton.cent crctonne by my
girl wife. We rented eighty
acres. BEING II boy of good
habits. | got all needed ma
chinery and groceries of our
home merchants on credit. until
fall crops were sold. The first
year was Il wet season and | did
not make enough to pay cred
it"fS. | went to each on date of
promise and explained condi-
lions. paying as much as posi-
bic. and they all carried the bal.
ance over another year. They
continued To accommodate nc
until | was able to buy a forty.
acre piece of my own.
AS soon as owned these
few acres the mail order house
began sending me catalogues
and gradually | began sending
my loose change to them. letting
my accounts Stard in my home
town where | had gotten my ac.
"ommodation when | needed it.
We then had one of the thrift.
test little villages in the state
good Inc of business in all the
branches, merchants who were
willing to help an honest fellow
over Il bad year. and a town full
Of people who came twice a
week to trade and visit. Oar
country town supported n
library, high school, band, ball
team. and we had big celcbra-
every year.
"A farm near a live town soon
doubles in value. | sold my
acres at Il big advance and
bought an eighty, >gradually ad-
ding 10 il until | had POO acres
of the best land in Iowa. | then
no need of asking favorS,
and found it easy to patronizn
the mail order agents that camc
almost weekly to our door. !
regret to say that | was the first
in the county to make up Il
neighhorhood bill and send it to
1 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
.esSened their stock of goods
lack Of patronage. Finally
We began to realize that when we
needed a bolt quickly for ma.
,hinery, or clothing for sickness
" death, We had to wait and
send away for it, which wasn't
80 pleasant. One by one our
merchants moved to places
where they were appreciated.
md men of less energy moyedin.
iladually our town has gone
Town: our business houses are
tacky' in appearance, 4 number
re empty, our schools, churches
nd walks are going down., we
ave no band, no library nor
,all team. There is no business
lone in the town., and, therefore,
10 taxes to keep things up. Ho
el is closed for lack of travel.
A TEXAS WONDER.