Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1915-02-10

WHAT HANS GARBUs A .CoN-
VERIFIED IOWA FARMER sAYs
ABOUT MAIL oHDER BUSH
NESS.

AL iowa IdTIneT, l1anS sGarDHS DY
name, wrote a letter to the Farm
Journal deploring the growth Of the
mail order business acknowledges
his part in advancing it at the ex-
pense of the country merchant and
the destruction of the country town,
declaring that he would devote the
remainder of his life to building up
the home town and urging all farm-
ers to join him. The letter was as
follows:
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-nine years ago I began
my farm career. I had an old team
and $50. Our furniture was mostly
homemade chairs, cupboard and
lounge made from drygoods boxes,
neatly covered with ten-cent cretonne
by my girl wife. We rented eighty
acres. Being boy Of good habits I
got all needed machinery and gro-
ceries of our home merchants on Gre
dit until fall crops were sold. The
first year was a wet season and did
not make enough to pay creditors. I
went to each on date of promise and
explained conditions, paying as much
as possible, and they all carried the
balance over another year. They
continued to accommodate me until
I was able to buy a forty-acre piece
Of my own.
AS soon as I owned these few
ceres the mail order houses began
ending me catalogs. and gradually I
,egan sending my loose change to
them, letting my accounts stand in
Esay home town; where I had gotten
ny accommodate when I needed it.
We then had one of the thriftiest
tile villages in the state = good
me Of business in all the branches,
aerchants who were willing to help
n honest fellow over bad year,
md town full of people who came
vice a week to trade and visit. Our
title country town supported IL
',rary. high school, band, ball team,
nd we had big celebrations every
: ear A farm near live town soon
7oubles in value, I sold my forty
cres at a big advance and bought
n eighty gradually adding to it un-
Il had 200 acres of the best land in
IVA. / then felt no need of asking
avors, and found it easy to patron
Re the mail order houses. I regret
: say that I was the first in the
county to make up neighborhood
ill and send it to a mail order house.
Though we got bit every once in
--hile we got in the habit of sending
way for stuff.
Gradually our merchants lessened
heir stock of goods because of lack
# patronage. Finally we began to
ealize that when we needed a bolt
osuickly for machinery, or clothing
sor sickness or death. we had to wait
md send away for it. which wasn't
- pleasant. One by one our mer-
rhants moved to places where they
.--ere appreciated, and men of less
energy moved in. Gradually our
town has gone down; our business
houses are "tacky' in appearance,
2 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
see the sequel in mail order pack
ages.
Nine years ago my farm was
worth $195 an acre; today I'd have a
hard matter to sell it at $167 an acre.
It is "too far from a live town.
Co. 1. - - "a