Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-03-19
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1915
Tearing Down the Home
Town

The following was copied from the
jamestown Furniture Index" of
recent date:
1t does not occur to many patrons
of mail order houses that when they
are sending their money away from
home instead of sustaining and en-
couraging their home merchants
they are inficting an injury on them
selves by tearing down their home
town.
This condition is impressively stated
in letter to the Farm Journal show
ing what happened to farmer who
believed he was making little gain
by patronizing mail order houses.
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 eX-
perience that others may profit. for
knowledge is more expensive now
than ten years ago.
Twenty-Five years ago | began
my farm career. | had an old team
and $50. Our furniture and lounge
made from dry goods boxes, neatly
covered with jten-cent cretonne by
my girl wife. We rented eighty
acres. Being a boy of good habits
| got all needed machinery and groc-
cries 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 creditors.
| went to each on date of promise
and explained conditions, paying as
much as possible, and they all car
ried the balance over another year.
They continued to accommodate me
until was able to buy a forty-acre
piece of my own.
AS soon as | owned these few
acres the mail order houses began
sending me catalogs, and gradually
began sending my loose change to
them, letting my accounts stand in
my home town, where had gotten
my accommodation when needed it.
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 felloy over bad year, and
town full of people who came twice
a week to trade and visit. Our little
country town supported a library,
high school, band, ball team and we
had big celebrations every year. A
farm near live town soon doubles
in value. | sold my forty acres at a
big advance and bought an eighty,
gradually adding to it until | had
200 acres of the best lands in Iowa.
then felt no need of asking favors,
and found it easy to patronize the
mail order houses. I1egret to say
that | was the first in the county to
make up a neighborhood 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 lessened
their stock of goods because of lack
of patronage. Finally we began to
realize that when we needed a bolt
quickly for machinery, or clothing
for sickness or death, we had to wait
and send away for it which wasn't
so pleasant. One by one our mer-
chants 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 schools,
churches and walks are going down,
we have no band, no library nor bali
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 depot
when the freight pulls in and you see
the sequel in mail order packages.
Nine years ago my farm was worth
$195 an acre; today I'd have a hard
matter to sell it at $167 an acre. 1t
is too far from a 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 awak-
ened to the fact that in helping to
pull the town down, it has cost me
$4,000 in nine years. Like the ma
jority of farmers, / didn't figure far
enough ahead.