The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-02-25
THE MAIL ORDER HABIT.
How Western Farmer Suffered From
Failure to Buy at Home.

Saved money on one end but kill
ed the home town and lost his prop
erty value on the other-a striking
testimonial to the virtue of preserv-
ing local merchants.
Hans Garbus, German farmer, of
Iowa, has discovered that the bene-
fits which appear on the surface as
attaching to the mail order plan
sometimes spell disaster and has
written very interesting story of
his views in certain paper. Here
is a part Of his story:
eve farmers need awakening to.
the fact that we have unmistakably
reached the period where we must
think and plan. l am one Of the
slow German farmers that had to
be shown, and l 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 ten-cent
cretonne by my girl wife. We rent
ed eighty acres. Being boy of
good habits 1 got all needed ma
chinery and groceries of our home
merchants on credit, until fall crops
were sold. The first year was a
wet season, and l did not make
enough to pay creditors. I went to
each on date of promise and ex-
planned conditions paying as much
as possible, and they all carried the
balance over another year.
The mail order houses began
sending me catalogues, and gradual
ly 1 began sending my loose change
to them, letting my accounts stand
in my home town where I had gotten
my accommodation when l needed
it.
1--WE then had one of the thriftiest
little villages in the State good line
of business in all the branches, mer-
chants who were willing to help
an honest fellow over a bad year,
and town full Of people who came
twice a week to trade and visit. Our
little country town supported IL
brary, high school, ball team and
we had a big celebration every year.
"A farm near a live town soon
doubles in value. sold my 40 acres
at a big advance and bought an
eighty-acre farm, gradually adding
to it until 1 had 200 acres of the best
land in Iowa. I 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 1 was the first
in the country to make up neigh
borhood bill and send it to mail
order house Though we got bit
every once in while, we got in, the
habit of sending away for stuff.
Gradually our merchants lessen
ed their stocks of goods-for lack OF !.
patronage. Finally we began to
| realize that when we needed bolt
quickly for machinery, or clothing i
for sickness or death, we had to wait
and send away for it, which wasn't
so pleasant. One by one men of less I
energy moved in. Gradually our
town has gone down; our business
houses are "tacky'' in appearance, q
number are empty; our schools
churches and walks are going down,
We have no band, no library nor ball
team. There is no business done in
the town, and therefore no taxes to
keep things up. Hotel is closed for
lack of travel. Go down to the de-
pot when the freight pulls in and
you will see the sequel in that mail
order packages.
Mine years ago my farm was
worth s195 an acre; today I'd have
hard matter to sell it for s1.67 an
acre. 1t is too far from live town
so every farmer has said that
wants to buy. He wants place near
schools and churches, where his
children can have advantages.
have awakened to the fact that in
helping to pull the town down, it
has cost me $500 in nine years. >
The Journal of Commerce, New
York
MASTERS SALE.