Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1915-02-26
DON'T KILL YOUR HOME TOWN

NhAti BllHlnb mln VI WYNN " ~"
worth OF Captain an interesting
STORY from a'German farmer living
in Iowa. who tells Of how he lost
over $500 by patronizing mail
order houses instead Of patronizing
the local metchants who hAH stood
by him and befriended hin when
he could get no assistance from any
other source The story was print.
ed in the journal OF Commerce of
New York, Oct 10, 1914, and no
doubt is a true story. The story is
as follows:
1--WE farmers need awakening to
the fact that we have unmistak
ably reached the period where wa
must think aud plan. ! IN Que of
the slow German farmers that had
To be shown, and | am now giving
my experience that others may
profit, for knowledge is more ex
pensive now than ten years ago.
Twenty nine years ago | be
gan my farm career | had IN old
team and $50. Our furniture was
mostly home made-chairs, cup.
board and lounge made from dry
good boxes, neatly covered with
ten. cent %cretonne by my girl wife.
We rented eighty acres Being q
boy Of good habits IIgot 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 our creditors |
). mt To each on date Of promise
and explained conditions, paying
AS much AS possible, aud they all
carried the balance ove another
year. They continued 60 accom-
modate me until | was able to buy
II forty acre piece Of my W
: "As soon as | owned these few
acres tha 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 accommodation when |
needed it..
Z ave then had one Of the Thrift.
! tiest little villages in the state
J good line of business in all the
branches, merchants who were will.
: ing to help an honest fellow over d
; bad year aud a town full NJ people
z who came { vice a week to trade
and visit Our little country town
supported n library. high school
Z bail team, and We had big celebra
tions every year.
"a farm near a live town soor
; doubles in value sold my forty
! acres at "A big advance and bought
: an eighty. gradually adding 10 it
until | had 200 acres Of the hes
land in Iowa. | then felt no ncec
Of asking f%aVors, and found it easy
= TO pationize the mail order agenti
Z that came almost weekly to gu.
door. | regret to say that | was
Z the first in the county to make ~
a neighborhood bill aud send it +,
a mail order house. Though W,
4 got bin every once in "A while, W,
& got in The habit OF sending away
for stuff
"Gradually our merchants lessen
Z ed their stock Of goods--fur lack o
= patronage Finally we began Il
realize that when we needed a hal
J quickly for machinery, or clolhini
!. for sickness or death, we had I,
) wait and send away for it. which
. wasn't so pleasant. One by n on
l. merchants moved to places where
they were appreciated and men q
!, less energy moved IN Gradually
! our town has gone down; our bust
u ness houses are 'lncky' IN appear
! ance. a number are empty: on
r schools, churches aud walks are 90
; ing down, we have no band. no II
brarv nor hall team There Is NJ
3 business done in the town, an
81 therefore no taxes to keep thing
N up Hotel is closed for lack {
81