Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1921-09-22
National BUy-Ai.HOnle Bulletin
These Special Articles Appearing Weekly
Organof The National Buy-at-Home Movement
Articles Copyrighted
For Waynend

| Merchant was in fostering the
growth of his community, and ther
let US ask ourselves the question:
as he not entitled to our loyal sup
port and our complete patronage
We have, alphabetically, just g
Wilderness. Along comes an mag
NATIVE creature VINO thinks that he
sees in this wilderness the possibili-
ties of thriving town. He is NOV
ed by hundred and one reasons to
think as he does-reasons so many
that it would take thousand words
to elaborate on them. He is general
ly merchant, a hopeful soul, with
an optimistic turn of mind that i'm
pels him to stake chances" He
finds a crossroads corner and "pit-
choes his tent" so to speak. He
builds store, unpretentious at first,
of course, but he puts in stock of
such necessities and luxuries as he
knows the hoped-for newcomers will
need.
He brings with him not only an
optimistic nature and a stock of
goods, but generally some little cap
ital, and good credit in the distant
cities. He's a likable soul and, one
by one, he magnetizes new residents
to the little community that he has
high hopes of seeing grow into
thriving town of God-fearing, man
loving people. AS the town grows,
his popularity and value to the town
also grow. Not only does he dispense
only the best and latest in needed
merchandise, but he is the general,
all-around counsellor of the village.
his advice is sought on weighty SUBJ
jects, from, what tC do for sick ba-
bies," to chow to raise funds to f.
nance the building of new barns" He
is the god of the community, as it
were. He is an all-in-one to all men,
Progressive, alert, thinking, kindly,
human, peptinistic and full of faith
in the downright goodness and hon
esty of his neighbors-he represents
the last word in desirable citizenship.
He not only is deserving of all the
trade of the little community, for
whose growth he has been primarily
responsible, but he should be the OBJ
ject of the citizens everlasting
thanks for his fore-sightedness in
making their delightful little town
possible. Though the town grows, he
in no wise becomes less human and
helpful. He caters to, not only the
immediate townsfolks, but the farm
ers and their families for miles a.
round. If ever man was entitled to
the fruits of his labor in the shape
of continuous patronage and unaduI-
terated business loyalty, this cross
roads merchant is he.
The progress of this happy com
family is uninterrupted I'M
til perchance, one day, one of those
parasitic maii-order houses-busi-
ness vampires, rather,-learns that
Happytown (for that is the name of
of the village we have been discus
sing) is ripe for wholesale receipt
of "catalogs". And every villager in
Happytown and every farmer for
miles around straightway is in pos
session of a fat, attractive-looking
book-a book that they learn came
to them as so much poison. We hear
feverish talk among the villagers
relative to the wonderful offerings
of this remarkable institution that
sells everything from a peanut to an
automobile, by mail. We see the in
sidious workings of this pretty"
book, gotten up by artists, who make
the merchandise appear so alluring,
using their artistic ability to conceal
the true shoddiness of the goods
themselves.
And now, let US return to Happy
town. One by one, we find Mr.. Pion-