The Wilmington morning star., 1943-08-13
By ROGER BABSON

GLOUCESTER, Mass. - l am
again down here at my old home
city for the day. I had lunch at
a little store on Bass Avenue own
ed by en- old school friend, Carl
Crittenden. His case so well IL
ll1strates certain good opportunities
and safe initiation hedges, for aver
age people, that I want to tell
lis story.
Carl was poor boy, but of good
habits and had no trouble getting
4 job when he finished school. His
first work was driving a horse
and wagon for Bickford the whole
sale grocer. The pay was only
seven dollars a week. Then Carl
worked tor a fish concern and fl
rally became a clerk in a shore
store. He got married 30 years
ago and started to raise family.
He saw, however, that he would
never get anywhere clerking in a
shoe sore. He wanted a little
business Of his own.
At first, he thought of starting
combined grocery store and lunch
room provided he Lived on t h
property and provided his wife and
family would help. To this they
al agreed. They have stuck to
their trade. In fact, his wife, who
is very attractive woman, served
Mrs. Babson and me today.
It was IA years ago when Carl
started this venture and it has
been real success. The store is
still very small, but he has had
a good living out of it and made
enough more money to pay for
the entire property and built up
a real bank account. He doesn't
sell very much during the hours
that the big grocery super-mar-
izets are open; but after they close,
he does a big business. He also
has an exhibit of curios in his
store which attracts many people.
Most of my boyhood Gloucester
friends are complaining about the
labor unions, but Carl is not. The
more these unions reduce the hours
that the chain stores can be open,
The better Carl likes it! The higher
The wages the chains are compelled
10 pay. the more profits there are
for Carts family because he can
get higher prices for his goods
while lis expenses remain fixed.
But here is the point I want to
drive nome to readers. Carl lives
over his store He owns only one
piece of property and this serves
him both for a home and place
o: business. He follows the Gus
tom so prevalent in Europe where
even the bankers live over their
banks; the lawyers live over their
offices; and he owners of great
stores live adjoining
their business property. Now,
make a forecast which readers
should remember:
The small merchant who lives
in the restri ted residential Sec
ton and has no help from his fam
'ly and must drive every day to
his place of business m ay be
doomed. 1t may continually be
harder for nm to maintain both
places and compete with the chains
ard big business" He is handi-
capped in many ways. The small
businessman, however, who lives
with MS store. factory or office
has a real future. He cannot be
licked by new deals or old deals
CT labor unions or anything else
provided he has good wife and
VIII keep out of debt.
AS I go around the city here
I see many vacant small stores
IN office buildings. These probably
must be rented to the chains. I,
however, see some houses in the
business section where a family
could live on the second floor and
have a good little business on the
street floor. 1t could be a small
store cf some kind, or a unch
room, or repair shop, or beauty
parlor, or even an insurance and
real estate office. l know a man