The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1941-10-30

SAUk
of it, once my uncle Al and had quite chat when
was fairly grown up man of or z Seemed
to me at the time I fairly convinced that
owed it to civilization to become policeman
Perhaps might have pursued that. Only some
thing happened to my growth along the line.
Travellers
For the past several years, with their daughter
and son-in- law of Minneapolis they have taken Off
by motor car for far places of this country. {.
1t is not unusual for people to travel these days,
long distances, weary miles. But Mr.. and Mrs.
Cooper are at age when a lot of people have seen
all of the travel they're going to. Mr.. Cooper is
than eighty; she trails him in the late
ties. From each trip they back more
refreshed, more keen to places. They are
just back from the deep SOUTH section they had
before. Old New Orleans the cotton
fields the stands of timber all these interest
ing. And in each section they take keener interest
in the people. Mr.. Cooper told of the provncialsm
of these poorer field laboring negroes. They had
stopped to ask directions to a certain town.
Well, he hestated, he had heard of the place.
The town wasn't over four miles away. Mr.
Cooper said after this last junket If only could
see these things when he younger. From
physical standpoint it would be better suppose.
But I've talked with number of older people who
of their sight seeing far beyond the comprehension
of young persons. 1t takes a lot of background
to enjoy travel. And keen age coupled with a
life of learning about people and customs to
III one Amy luz -.
Henry Benson, now here from California to join
his parents and enjoy the hunting season, is set
carpenter with Warner Bros. studios out in the
MOON picture capital Hank worked on sets for
Meet John Doe" probably the classic picture of
the year. and Abbot and Costellos Hold That Ghost
These set do some wonderful things in
miniature for the camera. One of their toughest
jobs came in Hold That Ghost where entire room
changed from a bedroom to gambling den by the
flick of hanger a coat tree. 1t was quite
an intricate mechanism that operated the set.
Light
It won't be long now before free matches from
your favorite tobacconst will be thing of the past
New higher prices this once bit of cheap mer-
chandise have added to their cost and additional
taxes are either here now or are promised on them
Some stores have already discontinued peddlins
them for nothing and others are bound to follow
suit. Free matches is one of the synonyms OF
America. An Englishman who used to good
things by their standards in the British Isles found
the most surprising thing in all America waists
course.
Eldoris Johnson but of course you won't know
who he is until we mention Curly" somewhat
beyond eighty years last week. 80 think is
right. At that age he reads without glasses,
mental being. And enjoys getting together with
the boys at Johns Place. Which at eighty-two
or twenty years younger is a bit of all right
Buffer
have been thinking some Of the Importance Of
these towns lately Certainly they neat picture
digest in several close looks. They are curious
pattern, today Of the rural and the urban sort of
bundled in one package Years back towns like
these made no pretense at being cities. They were
only more concentrated bit of ruralism in which
those who lived only indirectly by the soil in furn-
ishing to those who did live directly the quantities
Of supplies it impossible for them to get other
wise. Supply depot and market center becomes
the important jobs for these smaller towns.
The job sounds simple and for many years it was
comparatively Sure, there the difficulties
of travel and shipping and certain limitation on
the very population itself Yet those early years
were halcyon days Of building and bustling and
the original building ceased and travel become
easy and the press the radio and certain infilt-
ration of knowing everything about everything came
people here ceased to be country pumpkins.
There a new air in the country. suppose
the job of the smaller center retail merchant today
is among the most difficult in the world. He is
at once put up against the competition of larger
center stores whose capital stocks on hand, whose
ingenuity and attraction for those of ability is a
staggering thing. But that has not made the
job of the retailer any less important A few years
ago there great scurry to buy wholesale,
eliminate the middle man. 1t didn't work and
it can't really. For between the miles, the distance
and the task of selection is your merchant.
His store is great storehouse with stocks gathered
from all parts Of the country Every and
then get calls here about indiscriminate peddlers
who fleece someone of our residents 1t looked
like bargain had been struck. But the old adage
about buying from someone you know personally
in these smaller centers is still quite true In times
like these when money gets freer and more
people are looking for easy ways to extract money
from unsuspecting people 1t is not alone a
responsibility to buy at home. That isn't enough
craftsmanship. 1t is simply good business. For
between you and the rest of the economic world
stands the retail merchant. Inadequate he Is some
times. But he's firm and he has service. II he
doesn't he's failed his responsibility. And he
doesn't last. He's societys buffer assuming the
responsibility of collecting the towns needs to hold
for future buying at moments notice, of backing
the merchandise he sells, of being tap at your
call when something goes wrong. Looks to me
like he's pretty important person in your life and
mine. The gobetween.