American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-11-11
HOW A S~TOREKEEPER MADE 1T POSSIBLE
FOR FARMERS TO A THEIR BILLS.
By II. X. Gernerf.

1o
writing chap IN an enthusiastic moment at a
hotel in Chicago OF the morning of June 23, 1915,
I have a task to perform. l must write a story
OF my ten years experience as a keeper OF u
country store in a farming community Of south
western Oklahoma. This is not in my line. 1
have never before taken my pen in hand for the
purpose of writing anything more serious than
a letter Of explanation to the credit manager of
the jobbing house from whom buy my goods,
stating that, due to the unusual and rather dis
couraging condition of the cotton crop ia our
county, l was not in a position to discount my
bills, and would have to ask for additional time
on accounts due and payable. And have not
written one of those letters for several years,
because-but that's the nubbin of my story.
My real lame is is R. X. Gernert, and keep
a country store at Cloud Chief, Washita county,
Oklahoma.
will never forget the morning l walked into
what was left of Cloud Chief. had fifty dol
lars in my pocket and felt particularly exhuber-
ant. / was a stranger to the town. I found that
the neighboring farms were large and that the
chief crops were cotton, a little wheat, a little
corn, a few head of livestock. and more cotton.
l talked with the farmers and got acquainted in
town. I then decided to start a store.
You who have bought an open.n stock of goods
know about how far fifty dollars will go. How
ever, the proprietor of the general store was a
good fellow, and liked the sound OF the money
in my pocket. He sold me half-dozen lots of
staple groceries at cost. The owner of a vacant
store said: "You are welcome to use my building
So one morning there were two stores In Cloud
Chief.
One dollar and seventy-five cents of my cap
ital went for a box of cigars and opened my
store with free cigars for every smoker. My
place of business became poDular AT once 7 mot
everybody with a glad hand, got acquainted, and
impressed the fact upon every visitor that l was
there to stay and would be operating upon a
larger scale presently. l had to boost up my
moral courage someway. The first night / pulled
up an empty salmon box, the only chair 1 had
in the store for a year, and checked up my sales;
then carried my cash down the street to the
other store for more half-dozen lots, and pre-
pared for the next days business.
At the end of the month I placed my first or
der with a jobber. and at the end of three months
I had hired my first clerk. Though / still sat on
that old salmon box to check up my sales, 1 had
prospered. During the next few years my busi-
ness grew slowly; l reinvested my profits in lar
ger and broader stocks. adding dry goods. hard
ware and implements to my grocery line; and /
established a good line of credit with the iobbers.
Now l have a confession to make: Previous
to my opening a general store in Cloud Chief I
had farmed I'm Kansas, and homesteaded a hun
dred and sixty acres in southwestern Oklahoma.
l proved up on that claim and had been successful
in a small way raising livestock. Why I left
the farm does not belong to this story. The point
that l do wish to bring out is this: l started in as
the keeper of a small store in a strange town, ten
miles from a railroad, without any previous mer-
camille experience, and with a total capital of
fifty dollars. I knew the farm and the farmers
needs, and his business methods. / ran my store
from a farmers standpoint.
In our country cotton was king. Cotton paid
the grocery bill, meat bill, bought the clothes and
farm machinery, and gave the family their spend
ing money. I soon found myself playing a
double part on the same stage. l was country
storekeeper when selling an article or wrapping
up a package. When l picked up the salespad to
make the charge / became community banker. All
hills were paid after harvest in the fall and for
a few months following there was more or less
available cash in the cofnmunity-then, month by
month, there was less. Every dollar on my books
stood for a fair profit. My customers were sat
isfied with my prices; my jobber understood con-
ditions, and l thought l was safe.
Then the inevitable happened. King cotton
failed. That was in the fall of my fourth year
in business. My farmer-customers had little
money, some of them none. Those who had
money neeueu III. lHey must nave all tHelT reg
ular. portion of the goods displayed in my store
in order to live. / was left holding the bag of
the community. 1t took some tall scratching TO
borrow the none to pay the jobber. However, he
was lenient; he had faith in my customers ability
to make good to me, and in my ability to make
good to him. / took the farmers notes and car
ried them over until, next harvest, or until they
could raise a little money. 1t sure was a hard
pull.
Right there I made a survey Of our county. l
didn't talk, l just looked. And everywhere /
looked / saw that King Cotton's army had been
defeated all along the line by the elements Of
Nature; that there was little or no achievements
for the farmers TO, fall back upon. And the far
mers were my army. 1t is true every farmer
had a few razorback hogs, about as thin as two
Boston crackers on a clapboaro; a few head Of
scrub range stock, a little poultry-al for home
use and of little cash value.
I halieyed In my farmers. I'm our land. and IN