Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1916-12-14
TOWN DESTITUTE
OF Merchants
Causes Great Loss TO thI
Local Community.
INCONVENIENCE SOON SEEN

A Firesids Discussion Of "lfsr In Cas-
There Was a Simultaneous sra
ton Of the Local Merchants ant
Dealers-Rights Enoroached Upon b,
Dangerous Outside System.
copyrighted 1914. by Thomas J. Sullivan
Napoleon said that Imagination rules
the world Ii is the divine attribute OF
the Imagination that when the rea
world is shut out II can create Il worlt
for itself and with necromantio
power can conjure up glorious shapes
and forms and brilliant visions (,
make solitude populous AMI eradicate
the gloom OF dungeons
Just Surprising.
To better exempIify the range anG
possibilities OF the human imagination
we will give a little imaginary" con
versation which took place in the coy
cottage OF William and Alice Spencer
on a recent evening.
William, you asked me what |
would do II the butcher, the baker, the
grocer. the druggist. the shoe dealer.
the lumberman, the Goa merchant. the
hardware dealer and dry goods mer
chant should pack up and leave town
on an everlasting vacation" said Alice.
Why that's easy. | would get my
goods from the mail order houses Of
course.
No Catalogue House Credit.
But, persisted William. 'suppos'
you were broke. as usual?"
"Oh," said Alice, that's SO. | could
not get credit from the catalogue
houses; neither could inspect the
stock and select the best. nor could /
take anything back and exchange IT,
as In most cases. and ii there was any
thing broken ! would have 10 tilc a
claim with the railroad company, and
il would take the better part OF a
year to settle il, il at all y
And supposing you wanted some
thing III "A hurry. suggested William
That's so. said Alice. II would
have to stock up ike a lumber camp
as il takes from two weeks TO the
end OF time 10 get anything from those
mai order concerns And, William, /
would not want to buy meat by mail
| want to see what Kind | am getting
Well. we would just have To live with
out meat. that's all.
No Garden Truck by Mail.
Garden sun yes, We would want IL
frc~h 10. not by mail. thank you. And
bread your mother could make that
as you always said your mother could
make better bread than l. My. but
lopc tile baker won't 90, though
Alice chgcrcd up when William
smiiinglS reminded her this was but
nn mneinar, absence OF the town mer
chants
But the CHEEKY smile on Alice's face
lasted only moment, rs William tan
talizingly inquired how about getting
shoes FOR her dainty little Chicago
feet
Shoes cried Alice Whoever heard
of auK pUr with pride or eorns buying
SHOES without hrst trying them on
yes trYin- on mostly everything in the
stOreg Ana then what about getting
soled while you wait? Oh, no; we must
have a shoe dea ler any way" answered
Alice.
William Becomes Excited Too.
Then William took the floor ana
bodied forth the following words Of
wisdom
pound Of nails or a couple OF screwS
from Brother Charles. If he had them
but have YOU any idea. Alice, how
heavy nails and screws and hardware
aref MOI Well. ! have, and freight
bills on that class OF stuff are ruinous
store is a bum town, and II our hard
ware man IL going TO move | am too
And besides. we want lumber yard
aud Goa yard don't want TO buy
lumber and coal in car load lots"
"Eut William. this is only imagi
nary said Alice.
No Dead Town For Him.
Tell you what. Alice. continued
William should this imaginary busi
Hess become real and the retail cata
ogue houses put our local merchants
ont OF business and force them t.
seek other locations I'd be with you
Ia 20 too for who could or would
live IN dead town. We couldn't
And. come 10 think il over. vii
inm. belinvc those NAH order con
Germs are encroachinr sr~s r-sr -ysnss
lnd ihe rights 80 Our local mcr'hnnts
ard for one am willing 10 join with
500 nd the rest OF the citizens o.
This commnnitl in $40 effort to adiusf
differences mat will rebound 10 IN,
welfare of the entire countryside. EN-
br0aiug an tire people mcu women
and children
The Small Town Killer.
notwithstanding that this is only al
imaginary situation II is too true
that condition of this sort IL to hp
experienced In thousands OF the small
er towns and villages IN this countr,
unless some radical change take
place among consumers In checking
the growth Of the small town killer
the fast forming retail trust.
Whv NOT nrof1t nv tho inns Oana ffSu. NJ