The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-03-09
The COUNTRY GENERAL STORE.

One must seek longer and farther than formerly for
the general store in the United States of the
type that has been pictured in song and story but il
one the quest long enough and far enough,
reward will crown efforts The general store has
chung longer the East and TO new
and largely unfashioned West
But even in the rural West the general store has
not become wholly extinct, MAJ 10 learned in The
. course Of DAYS by automobile through almost
any OF the transmississippi Whether in the
West South East, however the general store is
usually type it was half three-quarters
of century 1t be from aIar generally at
the crossroads, if in the country; always facing
market square, if in the village or small town 1t does
not extend recognition the automobile. as do some
OF the nevfangled places in the plate part Of the
community. It will not handle or advertise gasoline
until has sunk into decline or changed hands" In
stead announces its ability supply patrons With
all kinds of feed and aunts pump watering place and
hitching pole in the very faces of tourists
pole being invariably initiated places by the visiting
farmers boz and gnaved in other places by their saddle
horses.
There are, OF course, a porch ana wooden awning
and from the swings the sign General Store
railing along the porch either the steps
intended for the resting of one foo and then the other
OF the farmers who come trade while he whites and
talks crop prospects with negbbor Such ratings arc
made Of carefully selected soft pine up b. the
whters two three times a year and as regularly
are renewed by the storekeeper for they help keen
some Of his customers occupied on the outside while he
waits upon others the inside. The general store
keeper in the very necessity of the case must be
rapid thinker fluent talker and OF inexhausble
good nature As general keeper is exofficio
postmaster. squire, insurance agent mortgage banker
legal adviser road commissioner collector and dis
seminator OF local news; and while is measuring
molasses he is either telling what Jed Hankin's son
said postal card received that morn
ing, or recountng the latest from the western
front, as printed in Judge Thompsons newspaper.
In the purely commercial way his range or activity
Is from the crackerbox to the eggcrae to the dress
goods counter to the order window. gents
furnishing shelves. 10 the apple barrel 10 the letter
delivery window. 70 the -four bin the novelty coun
ter 70 the postagestamp drawer to the hardware de
partment back and forth all or them settin
things before this customer and that taking
their orders when they ready him. wrapping up
tying up and keeping up a running conversation with
persons on one side of the while carrying on
discussion political social economic questions
with the barresters on the
other side. or down the middle
The general store has never been put in order Its
merchandise is as mixed is miscellaneous Fifty
per cent OF its patrons find what they want themselves
ana pay Tor as they go out tell storekeeper TO
| put il down. Almost as great a portion scarceI,
think Of asking for their mail but 80 behind the glass
ground partition and what is theirs The general
store patrons know anothers business: they have
long since the futy Of trying to keen their nr
vate affairs there is ANYTHING poing IN
within radius of ten miles which the genera1-store
keeper has not heard OF. his DELINQUENCY becomes
topic of conversation and subject of criticism along
the whole countryside his friends shake their heads
and wonder what's the with Nose wilkins am.
how Christian Science Monitor