Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-10-25

offer had by this time taken on
the rosiest of hues, so the mer-
chants, despite their warning, had
to be content with about 10 per
cent of their former sales in suits.
They then figured that extra
blouses would be bought or pos
sibly a fancy skirt, but the mail
order house had its plans too well
laid for any such diversion of
money from their Golfers to those
of the local merchants, where it
rightfully belonged. They sent
with the suit a cleverly wordcd
letter with an illustrated circular
Of some blouses, laying stress on
the saving that the extra skirt
made, and soliciting orders for
blouses, girdles and collars. Again
the mail-order house scored-the
women seemed hypnOtized by this
time. The much cheaper delu-
sion had them firmly in its grasp.
Now the storekeepers were up
against their problems at all
times were mighty complex, as IT
is no easy matter TO conduct a
retail store, and it requires un-
usual ability to run such a store
profitably. But when a big outlay
had been made for stock and it
was left on their hands, what
could they 90? Unlike the mail
order houses, they could not
dump it on people in some far
away towns. They decided that by
fall their customers would be
back, but in this they were mis-
taken. The women had the idea
well drilled into them by the mail
order houses brand of literature
that mail-Order houses only too
we'll understand that 10 per cent
of the buying in the country is
done by women and that these 70
per cent influence their men folks
to buy where they do, they knew
that at least % per cent of Hamp-
denis buying would be made from
their house in the future.
The beginning of 1919 saw
Hampden with three stores less.
These dealers knew that while the
mail-order house purchases seemed
logical in the eyes of the commun-
ity dwellers, they were funda-
mentally wrong and extravagant
as cheap material is costly at
any price. But they also knew
that it would take these people at
least two years to be disillusioned
and they could not hope to cope
with the Vaccinations of the mail
order houses. For the time being
the shoddy goods sold by the mail
order houses masquerading under
the name of "high-class merchan-
disc" proved lure that completely
fascinated these buyers.
Hampden was a dandy little
town, especially desirable from the
viewpoint of the manufacturer, as
the railroad facilities were extra
good. This is an important asset
for any community as it is bound
to attract new enterprises.
Everybody in Hampden previous
to the spring of 1918 seemed to be
particularly happy and prosperous.
The town had plenty of good
dwelling, a good sewerage system,
good transportation facilities, re-
creation eenters-kept alive to
great extent through the store
keepers liberality-but now dis
comfort has come over the inhab-
itants, as it always does when they
kill the goose that lays the golden
eggs.
You recall the modern fable of
George AIDE about said goose. It
seems that the owner of the goose
was invited for a six-month cruise
on a friends yacht, expenses paid.
He had no need of golden eggs
for the time being; also, ne was
afraid that if he left the goose
in somebody eles's hands, said
somebody would probably steal
most of the eggs. so he locked
the goose in the safe.