The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1915-05-06
THE LOSING SIDE OF MAIL ORDEk
TRADING.
How An Iowa Farmer Lost Over $500
in Value Of His Property.

iii ydlue Oi Ills property.
Hans Garbus, German farmer of
Iowa, has discovered that the bene-
fits which appear on the surface as
attaching to mail order plan some
times spell disaster and has written
a very interesting sto,y of his views
in certain farm paper. Here is
part of his story:
We farmers need awakening to
the fact that we have Enthusiastically
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-Five years ago l began
my farm career. | had an old team
and $50. Our furniture was most
| ly home made chairs, cupboards
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 I got all needed machinery
and groceries of our home mer-
chants on credit, until fall crops
were sold. The first year was wet
season and | did not make enough
to pay creditors. I went to each on
date of promise and explained con-
ditions, paying as much as possible,
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.
LAS soon as | owned these few
acres the mail order houses began
sending me catalogues, and gradual
ly | began sending my loose change
to them, letting my accounts stand
in my home town where had got
ten my accommodations when
needed it.
I'VE had then one of the thriftiest
little villages in the state-good line
of business in all 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 a library,
high school, ball team and We had
big celebrations every year.
"A farm near a live town soon
doubles i'm value. / sold my forty
acres at a big advance and bought
an eighty, gradually adding to it I'M
til I had 200 acreR of the best land
in Iowa. ! then felt no need of ask
ing favors, and found it easy to pat
ronize mail order ageDts that came
almost weekly to our door. lregret
rfo say that was the first in the
county to make up neighborhood
bill and send it to 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 pat
ronage. Finally we began to realize
that when we needed bolt quickly
for machinery, or clothing for SICK.
ness or death, we had to wait and
send away for it, which wasn't so
pleasant. One by one our merchants
moved to- places where they were
appreciated, and men of less energy
moved in Gradually our town has
gone down; our business houses are
'tacky' in appearance, number are
empty; our sch o )ls, churches and
walks are going down, we have no
band, no library or b all team There
is no business done in the town, and
therefore no taxes to keep things up.
The hotel is closed for lack of travel.
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 $3.50 an acre; today I'd have
a hard matter to sell it at $l67 an
acre. 1t is too far from live town
so every farmer has said that
wants to buy He wants a place
near schools and churches, where
his childrhn can have advantages.
have awakened to the fact that in
helping to pull the town down it has
cost me $500 in nine years. =
From the Journal of Commerce and
Bulletin, New York.