Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1921-12-14

Owns MA0At uldll-Ofuer huNlnu
had been given the go-by.
The Knockout blow. however
was dealt TO a most unusual mer-
chant character in the person of
John Holiday. Holiday was a
genial. lOvable, active citizen.
moved by the highest and purest
ideals IN both his business and
personal lives. He had run the
corner store in Sheldon for ten
long years and was one of the
real bulwarks of the community.
His centrally-located store was
the meeting place for all the
farmers and young old-boys" for
miles around, and Holiday. al
ways n firm believer in the gold
en- rule, could not understand why
the pay-before-you-gct-it town
killers should so cut into his prof
its. He early saw that the towns
wealth, growth and well-being
were being put in serious jeopardy
by the inroads of the from-the-
city community wreckers.
Holiday knew the exact status
Of all his customers, among whom
were included most Of the worth
while inhabitants of Sheldon, and
because he trusted his fellow men,
he extended liberal credit TO all
who were deserving. HIS book of
accounts was always kept under
lock and key. as he did not want
his wife 10 know how much mon
~ was owing him or by whom.
As events turned out, from a sell
fish viewpoint, it is unfortunate
that he didn't take her into his
confidence, for she could have
told him that when these owners"
did have money they purchased
considerable merchandise from
the mail-order houses.
Holiday, however, had not rec
koned on the grab-all policy of
the mail-0rder houses and was
lulled into a false sense Of secur-
ity. This was not 70 be wonder
ed at because, during the first
eight or nine years that he had
operated the store, the mail-order
concerns hadn't received any Of
the trade of the inhabitants of
Sheldon. This was so becasue
there was not enough known
wealth in the town during these
years 10 warrant the mail-order
businesses sending in their snowy
catalogs. The coming of pros
perity, however, meant that they
exerted all their power and in
Eenuity in order TO separate these
good people from as much of
their cash as they could get their
talOns into.
After extending credit to his
customers whenever they had
been sick or some other misfor-
tune had overtaken them, Holli-
day in his believing. whole-souled
way figured that these people
would stand by him. However,
his wife's insistent demands that
ne collect some of these outstand-
ing accouts so that she could keep
up her home and properly clothe
and educate their daughter caused
Holiday to finally hand over his
book of accounts. When Mrs. Hol-
liday discovered the names of
those who owed her husband and
the amounts she knew ii would be
practically impossible for him TO
ever collect. 1t was not an inn
possible feat 70 collect the out
standing debts because the owners
didn't have the money, but be-
cause they had acquired the mail
order fever. Mrs. Holiday saw that
II the accounts were settled ut
50 cents on the dollar-even at
that reasonable figure, the un-
thinking townspeople would cease
trading at her husbands store
entirely and he would naturally
be compelled to close his doors.
She needed the money so badly
however. that she made an at
tempt to collect the sums due IN
person. In trying to effect set
element she dwelt at length on
the kindness of her husband in
letting them have credit, etc.
They took the attitude of Oh
let Holiday go hang. Poor
trusting Holidays faith in hum
AN nature was shattered but al
ter he had gone to the wall IN
sheldon. he later set up in another
nearby town, where home loyalty