BY DUBIOUS MEANS
BUYERS OF GOODS FORCED TO
PAY EXORBITANT PRICES.
SOME COMMON GRAFTS
Alleged Wholesale Houses Growing
Rich Through Trade Secured by
Agents Who Work in the
Rural Districts.
It is the desire to get bargains, to
buy something at prices so low as will
"•'save dealers' profits,'' that costs many
residents of rural communities vast
amounts of money. It is the seduc
tive argument held out by certain
-classes of houses that seek to do busi
ness through the mails, that the local
dealers are charging too much for
their goods, and that it Is fair for the
consumers to save their dealers'
profits themselves, that causes many
to gain experience that Is costly.
For many years past traveling
agents have been numerous iu agri
cultural sections soliciting orders for
goods among the farmers. This class
of agents is known as box-car men.
They enter a neighborhood, and aim
to sell sufficient goods so that, a car
load can be shipped to the nearest sta
tion and distributed. The ways of
these agents are much like the "heath
en Chinee"—"ways that are dark and
tricks that a*3 vain." But neverthe
less, they reap rich rewards, or they
would quit the business.
It should be known to every intelli
gent person that all classes of goods
have a real value. These values are
based upon conditions. The law of
supply and demand has not all to do
with fixing prices. To concisely sum
up the factors of cost of a manufac
tured article there are three principal
elements, viz.: The cost of the raw
material", the expense of manufacture
and the expense of distribution. From
the producer of the raw material to
the consumer, all interested in the
"transactions are entitled to equitable
•compensation. The farmer, the grow
er of oats sells his oats to the mill op
erator. The oats is manufactured
Into oat meal, or breakfast food. The
wholesale and retail dealers are em
ployed to distribute it. The wholesale
dealer is nothing more than a ware
houseman. and his compensation is for
storage, and for costs of handling, and
the guaranteeing to the manufacturer
the cost of the goods sold. He receives
only a small margin of profit.. It may
be said that the retailer tills a place
as to the consumer as does the whole
saler to the retailer. Now it is im
practical for the manufacturer to
maintain stores of his own in hun
dreds and thousands of towns. If he
could find a more economical way
of distribution than tho wholesaler
and the retailer he would do so. Hut
if they are cut out a more costly
system of distribution must be in
augurated.
Now as to the traveling sell-direct
•to-the-consumer agent. He does his
business chiefly with the people who
give little study to commercial mat
ters. He represents himself as agent
for a large wholesale house. He
•talks continually of how the consumer
,by buying from him can save the
profits that the retailer would make.
But the fact is that the expense is
not eliminated. The average traveler
who sells goods to the farmers re
ceives a commission of from 25 to 40
per cent., or about 15 to 20 per cent,
more fb;m the retailer's average on
such good 3 as he sells.
Hut this is not all. These men are
downright dishonest as a general rule.
They are a development of the
proverbial lightning rod agent. They
practice the same principles, only
«hift the kind of goods sold. In fact
the majority of them represent alleged
liouses that exist only in name. In
one western city are located a number
<of men who are doing business under
ia half dozen different names. They
•even haven't a warehouse. When or
ders are sent to them by their agents,
"they go to some wholesale grocer and
buy the goods. Not alone this, but
after they purchase what they need
they adulterate the same. They buy
dried fruits in bulk, the cheapest kind,
and repack them in boxes supposed to
weigh 25 pounds each, but in reality
only weighing from 20 to 22 pounds,
-cases included. The spices that are
Ijought are adulterated with ground
nut shells, starch, and other material
that makes up weight. The coffees
.are of the very cheapest and the teas
the same. It is seldom that the articles
sent to the purchaser are the same as
the samples shown. It must be re
membered that the agent is under
Jieavy expense, four to six dollars a
for team and hotel bills, and then
jie receives 25 per cent, commission
\n what he sells. To this must be
added the profits for the howse, which
Is about another 25 per cent. All this
must be made and the buyer of the
is the one who must make good.
Lately in the western states the box
car men have, adopted dubious meth
ods of getting trade. Knowing how
anxious the farmers are to secure the
highest prices for products, they have
been traveling around through the
country pretending to be buyers of
produce. They contract with the
farmer for butter, eggs, poultry, etc.,
p-omiaing about 25 to 30 per cent,
above the market price. They claim
they are shipping to Arizona, New
Mexico, or somewhere else, where
higher prices are received. Incident
ally they say that their house runs a
rnumbsr of large stores, and also sells
to the farmers, saving them the aver-
age profits of the dealer. This is suf
ficient. The farmer falls into the trap,
igives a good large order for supplies,
land a few weeks later he finds a
lot at goods awaiting liixu C. O.
D. at Ifte local depot. He waits In rain for
the crates, the egg cases, etc., prom
ised to lie sent so he can pack his
eggs. If he fails to take the goods
the leg'al end of the company conies
into play, and rather than have trou
ble, the gullible farmer pays dearly
for his supplies.
He remembers the deal. He is de
termined to not be again caught in a
similar trap. A few months later an
other agent appears. Ho promises
to sell a farm wagon, something
else, perhaps, that the farmer needs,
at a price so low that the farmer fee*s
friendly. He relates how he was done
up by the former agent. Then tha
traveler turns loose his vials of wrath.
He accuses the concern represented
by the first agent as a robbing outfit,
and one that should be put out of
business. He gets an order, but the
farmer does not understand that the
goods come from the same concern that
the other agent represented. That
only a different name was used, and
the farmer is on their regular list of
"suckers." The only safe way for
the consumer to do is to patronize
home concerns. His home merchants
are interested in being fair and square.
They know that they must deal hon
estly or they will lose customers.
Their percentage of profit is far less
than that made by the box-car con
cern. Then, again, the principle of
sending money from the neighborhood
where it is earned is all wrong. It Is
against the interests of the consumers
of every class and kind. A lively
home town always affords the best
market. There is a saving in freight
rates and commissions to middlemen.
D. M. CARR.
FOR SPRING AND SUMMER TRADE
Right Kind of Advertising Bring* In
the Customers and Builds Up
Business.
Merchants who get out and present
their lines in the right way are going
to capture the trade. Questions that
the retailers should ask themselves,
are: What am I doing in the way of
advertising? Have I the right kind
of space in my home paper? Have I
the proper style of copy? Have I
spoken to the printer about getting
up the advertisement tastefully and
with a border, etc., and in the right
kind of type?
Spring goods should be in show win
dows now, and much of all that ia
ready for the buyers.
If the merchant uses a page or a
half page in the local paper, he should
have the printer lift the form and run
off a thousand or more handbills that
can be circulated about the country.
No use in doing this unless it is the
right kind of advertising. No use in
just saying: "Spring goods of all kinds
at Brown's." Such won't bring busi
ness. Give prices, and tell how low
the prices are and how good the goods
are. The advertisement should be so
rtivi.loil »» «" ««-» « <■'- "™-—*
kinds of goods, and some good illustra
tions, and some prices that will talk,
so when the prospective buyers como
they will not be disappointed. Mer
chants should see that clerks don't lie,
don't misrepresent, and that they treat
every caller courteously. See that de
liveries of goods are promptly made,
and that in each package there goes
out a circular telling of other bargains.
Now should be tho merchants' harvest
time. Everybody who has money ex
pects to spend a goodly share of it.
Don't neglect advertising right. Tell
your patrons that you can secure for
them any kind of goods that they want
if you should happen not to have what
Is inquired for in stork. Your jobber
>lll take special pains to put up a
small order for you if you tell him
that there is need for it, and will try
to assist you all he can. Now is your
harvest time and rmike the best of it.
HOW LOSSES OCCUR.
Investors Fail to Study Finarfcial Mat
ters Closely and Act Unwisely.
The great, masses of people do not
give sufficient study to financial mat
ters. The farmer who is employed from
early morning till late at night has no
time to study into f'hings outside of
those that directly relate to his occu
pation. The same with the average
laborer. When either have a little
surplus money to Invest they are easy
victims of the schemers who make
great promises, plausible arguments,
and with a juggling of figures show
little money can be made to earn
great interest. It is always safe to
seek investment of surplus money in
local investments. You are certain
that, if you use good judgment you
cannot lose. When you place your
money into the hands of schemers in
some distant place and of whom you
know little, there is a chance that
you will be the loser and that chance
is strong against you.
Cleanliness About Stores.
Close observers note that the most
cuccessful grocery stores are the ones
•7vhicli are kept in the cleanest and
neatest order. There is a large class
of people, and they are not the richest
ones, either, who would rather have
good, clean groceries, things they
know are pure and kept right, and pay
a good price for them, than have in
ferior, carelessly kept goods at a cheap
price. Attractiveness about the grocery
is a most important thing. It, means a
saving all around. In the southern
country where the summer weather
continues for the greater part of the
year too great care cannot be exer
cised in the looking after stocks. A
little neglect will cause losses that
will prove serious. Some classes of
goods if not protected from Insects
will be soon ruined. The grocer who
would have his windows attractive
will do well to avoid having stala
things displayed. He should strive to
make an impression that his stocks are
clean and well-kept,
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1908.
| Picked Up
Pen nsyl van ia
TAMAQUA.—Because her love for a
well known Tamaqua man was not
requitted Elvira Tetter, aged 20 years,
committed suicide in her room by
asphyxiation.
BUTLER.—.I. Murphy, a Pittsburg
traveling salesman, was robbed of
a roll of money, a gold watch and
other valuables as he slept in a room
In the Miller house, Evans City.
TITUSVILLE. —R. E. Dickinson,
just inaugurated mayor of this city,
is the youngest mayor the city ever
elected and one of the youngest In
the state, being only 30 years old.
YORK.—Mrs. Edward G. Brownlee's
death brought a sad ending to a ro
mance. She was married on her
deathbed after it had been realized by
physicians that she could not long sur
vive.
BUTLER. After a struggle with
three robbers In his store at Lyndora,
Stephen Zombo saved a roll of S2OO in
his pocket and compelled the intrud
ers to leave with but $25 taken from
the cash drawer.
SCRANTON.—Otis Wood, aged 25
years, killed his old mother, Mrs.
Lucretia Wood, at Bald Mount, near
here. Wood claims he mistook his
mother for a burglar as she was en
tering the house.
TYRONE.—The Pittsburg express
on the Pennsylvania railroad was
wrecked near the station. Six Pull
man cars were derailed. The passen
gers were badly shaken up, but no
one was seriously hurt.
HARRISBURG. State Zoologist
Surface is receiving many twigs in
his daily mail. The twigs are sent
by farmers who fear that their trees
are affected by scale and they ask
the advice of the zoologist.
HARRISBURG.—The reports of the
chemists who made analyses of
canned goods purchased in various
parts of the state are being received
by Commissioner Foust. The reports
are said to be very favorable.
BEAVER FALLS.—Mrs. Mary Vale
Downey, 51 years old, who with her
husband, James M. Downey, was ter
ribly burned when gas exploded in a
cesspool into which both fell on April
1, died as a result of her burns.
NEW CASTLE.—'The lid which
former Mayor Hainer kept, so tightly
screwed down for months came off re
cently. Cigar stores were open and
Sunday newspapers were again being
sold on the streets without interfer
ence.
PH ILADELPHI A. —Warrick Brooks,
a negro, was hanged here for the
murder of William T. Jones, also a
negro, whom he shot during a quar
rel. Brooks is the seventh murderer
to be hanged here within the last
eight weeks.
WASHINGTON.—The central part
of Washington was shaken as if by
an earthquake when dynamite stored
in an outbuilding owned by Pietro
Emilio, an Italian, exploded. Win
dows were shattered and small build
ings damaged.
BRADFORD.—Crazed with jealousy
at the sight of his sweetheart driving
with another man, Forest Sprague, 25
years old, of Davis City shot himself
through the head in the highway
about a mile from his home. Sprague
died instantly.
PHILADELPHIA.—Without prelim
inary warning Director of Public
Safety Clay aroused the entire police
department and the political workers
here by demanding the resignation of
seven of the best-known detectives in
the city service.
HARRISBURG.—The state game
commission is anxious about some ot
the forest fires which are raging in
various parts of the state, in Lu
zerne county the woods are buring in
localities where there is an abundance
of game and it is feared that there
will be losses.
HARRISBURG.—The state revenue
commissioners have changed the form
of bond for surety companies acting
as surety for banking institutions hav
ing state deposits so that judgment
cannot be entered without 60 days'
notice. Reductions of half a, million
were reported instate debt in the last
year.
HARRISBURG.—The attorney gen
eral's department has given opinions
to the factory inspector's department
that children of aliens are required
to be able to read and write English
before being allowed togo to work
when under the age of 14. Ability to
read and write another language is
not sufficient.
YORK. —Dissatisfaction in the York
fire department because of the ap
pointment of George Croll as chief
and Walter Ziegler as superintendent
of the fire alarm system, by Mayor
Weaver, is growing and has caused
two companies of the department,
the Good Will and Vigilant, to be in
open rebellion.
WASHINGTON. Zollarsville offi
cers shot and wounded one of four
men who robbed the Strout general
store in daylight, but the thieves es
caped with considerable plunder.
READING.—A windstorm of unpre
cedented fury swept over (lie Schuyl
kill valley. Its greatest force seemed
to be concentrated at Temple, where
the roof of ihe engine house of the
Temple furnace was lifted bodily from
the building, sent. Into the air to a
height of at least 100 feet and then
sweeping over some some houses,
dropped into a field nearly 100 yards
away.
GREENSBURG.—Fire in the Mit
; inger block here did $10,500 damage
and for a time threatened the busi
ness section.
OIL CITY.—The 3-year-old daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. John Pueile fell into
a tub of scalding water and was
j scalded to death.
MONONGAHELA.—A fire at Mo
1 .Vlahan destroyed four dwellings, a
large warehouse and a church, entail
ing a loss of $7,500.
GREENSBURG.— Robert McNesson,
aged 16, of Everson, was struck in the
back with a baseball and seriously in
! jured. Both legs were paralyzed for
a time.
BUTLER.—Fifteen men were In
jured, three perhaps fatally, in a
wreck on the Pittsburg, Harmony,
Butler & Newcastle Street railway at
Evans City.
BELLEFONTE. The opening of
the trout season here was marred by
a hard rain, but scores of fishermen
lined every stream and the catches
were good.
WASHINGTON.—WhiIe plowing in
West Finley township Clifford Jenkins
1 turned up a nest of bumble bees. The
weather being warm, the bees caused
! the team to run away.
WASHINGTON.—A dwelling house
on Rock Lick, Greene county, occu
pied by Ritter. Sherrick, was de
stroyed by fire with all its contents,
| entailing a loss of about $3,000.
| HARRISBURG. Few enlistments
j are being made by the state police de
; partment, as the list is practically
filled. There are dozens of applica
tions, but few examinations are being
made.
MEADVlLLE.—Superintendent U.
G. Smith notified the Meadville school
board of his resignation, effective in
June. He has accepted the superin
tendence of public schools at Med
ford, Ore.
HARRISBURG.—In two years the
state debt has been reduced $1,121,-
700. In June, 1906, the state had out
standing $2,515,900 in 4 per cent bonds
and $045,800 in 3 per cent bonds, a
total of $3,161,700.
BUTLER.—J. D. Shearer, aged 45,
the expert machinist injured by an
explosion of gasoline while inspecting
a tank tar at the plant of the Valvo
line Oil Co. in East Butler April 3,
died at the hospital.
FRANKLIN. Jacob E. Mentzer,
freight conductor, alighting from his
caboose, stepped in front of a locomo
tive and was ground to pieces. liis
home was in Oil City.
PUNXSUTAWNEY. Suspected of
stealing boards from the Adrian mines
of the Rochester & Pittsburg Coal Co.
here John Stylonski, 19 years old, was
shot dead by Night Watchman George
Shallenberger of the mines.
CONNELLSVILLE. Fire, caused
by a defective flue, destroyed the resi
dence of Justice of the Peace George
B. Graham, in Dunbar township. Wil
liam Crossland's stable, near Moyer,
was burned, causing a loss of SI,OOO.
CONNELLSVILLE.—With her hus
band serving a year in the county jail
Mrs. David McMullen and her 10 chil
dren were rendered homeless by a
fire which severely burned several of
the babies before they were rescued.
WASHINGTON.—Mr. and Mrs. Ja
cob Blatt, an aged couple living on
Pigeon Creek, were maltreated by
three burglars. Mr. and Mrs. Blatt
were dragged from their beds, bound
and gagged. The house was then ran
sacked.
PUNXSUTAWNEY. — While kind
ling a fire with oil at Carrolton Mills,
eight miles east of here, Mrs. Cather
ine Spencer's clothing ignited. A
daughter entered the house as Mrs.
Spencer fell fainting. She died six
hours later.
MILLERSBURG.—Conductor C. W.
Kiel of Sunbury was badly injured in
a wreck on the Northern Central rail
road near this place when two empty
coal cars jumped the track in front of
the McClellan coal storage yards and
were thrown over a bridge that spans
a wagon road.
BEAVER FALLS.—Charles Patter
son, who went to Virginia to prospect
for gold, has returned home. He says
he found plenty of gold, but had
trouble clearing titles to the proper
ties. He says many natives, whites
> and negroes, wash out the pay dirt,
• but their methods are crude.
HARRISBURG.—Stories from Le
high county are to the effect that fruit
culture, which used to be a great
' business in that county, has been re
sumed. Some years ago the scale was
• so bad that orchards had to be given
up, but since spraying has become so
. general and the results so satisfactory
i landowners are turning to it once
more.
HARRISBURG.—Thirty-six children
" were marched out of the Day Nursery
1 and Free Kindergarten without a
- scratch during a fire which burned the
toi> story of the building. Twelve of
the youngsters were asleep when tha
- fire was discovered.
1 BUTLER.—A. G. Black of Slippery
' Rock township, a school teacher,
1 farmer and Democratic politician, car
i ried a dynamite cartridge in liis pock
a et while blasting stumps. One hand
[i is now minus four fingers and there
t, is a hole in his side. Black put his
s hand in his pocket to take out tbe
I cartridge and it exploded,
You Read tha
Other Fellow's Ad
!
IYeu art reading thla one.
That should convince you
that advertising in these
columns is a profitable prop
osition; that it will bring
business to your store.
The fact that the other
fellow advertises is prob
ably the reason he is get
ting more business than is
falling to you. Would it
not be well to give the
other fellow a chance
To Read Your Ad
In These Columne
Your Stationery
Is your Bitot representative. If
you Mil fin* aoods that are up
to-date In etyltt and of superior
quality It ought to be reflected
In y»nr printing. We produce the
kind that you need and will not
feel ashamed to have represent
you. That la the only kind it
pays to send out. Send your or
ders to this office.
-» The Buyers' «—i
Guide
The firms whose names are repre
sented in our advertising columns
are worthy of the confidence of every
person in the community wbo has
money to spend. The fact that they
advertise stamps them as enterpris
ing, progressive men of business, a
credit to our town, and deserving of
support. Our advertising columns
comprise a Buyers' Guide to fair
dealing, good goods, honest prices.
G.SCHMIDT'S,^
HEADQUARTERS FOR
FR£sH BREAD>
SM, unnn I^i* FANC* cakes,
LUUUICII . ICE CREAM,
n nui
"1 &
CONFECTIONERY
Dally Delivery.
Don't Use a Scarecrow
To Drive Away tha
Rvißfc Mail order w#lf
Y?U T f ' Ve
il rL-' |ljf thousands of dollars every
IMWAJ?/// v wcek in order to £ et trad<
'' 1 ' 1 12; tf)l'< /'>s■ ¥^'from the home merchants.
Mlfln ' Do you think for a minute
I ' IJtf wou 'd keep it up if
fj* they didn't get the busi
ness? Don't take it for
granted that every one
within a radius of 25 miles
knows what you have to
sell, and what your prices are. Nine times out of ten your prices
are lower, but the customer is influenced by the up-to-date adver
tising of the mail order house. Every article you advertise should
be described and priced. You rrtust tell your story in an inter
esting way, and when you want to reach the buyers of this com
munity use the columns of this paper.
' A MOST TOUCHING APPEAL
' a^s s ' l ° rt ' ts desired effect If ad-
S.'dressed to a small crowd of interested.
F listeners. Mr. Business Man, are
I jnVsjS^ll ~you wasting your ammunition on the
1 Tjsmall crowd that would trade with
you anyway, or do you want to reach
TTV those who arc not particularly inter
ested in your business? If you* do,
v 1—- —" make your appeal for trade to the
A, L Si largest and most intelligent
—— • audience in your commtin
_f r "\ r 3 r X ity, the readers of this
-W -^j'W paper. They have count
f r css wants. Your ads will
n\, ?X —be read by them, and t*iey
will become vour custom
ers. Try it and see.
i Tht Place to Bnf Cbeup i
) J. F. PARSONS' ?
loiaTca)
SCwZ
CL'IESI
RHEUMATISM!
LUMBAGO, SCIATICA!
NEURALGIA and!
KIDNEY TROUBLE!
"S DIOPS" taken internally. rids the blood H
of the poisonous matter and aotds which ■
are the direct causes of these diseases. ■
Applied externally It affords almost inf ■
stant relief from pain, while a permanent ■
oure Is being effeoted by purifying the ■
blood, dissolving tbe poisonous sab- ■
•tanoe and removing It from the system. ■
DR. 8. D. BLAND , ■
Of Brewton, Ga., wrltesi 9
"1 had bun a wlntr for a number of yean H
with Lumbago and Rbanmatlain la my ansa H
and lag*, and triad all tbe remedlae that loeuld H
gather from mtdloal work*, and alao wnsultad »
with a number of the beet pbj*lcl»na,b»l found ■
nothing that gave the railtl obtalnad from H
"t-DHOPS." I shall creeerlba It Is my praotlee ■
lor rheumatism and kindred dlaeasas." B
FREE
If you are guttering with Rheumatism, H
Neuralgia, Kidney Trouble or any kin-H
dred disease, write to us for a trial bottle ■
of "(•DROPS,and test It yourself. ■
"••DROPS" oan be used any length of H
time without aoqulrlns a "drug habit." ■
as It is entirely free of opium, cocaine, Bj
alcohol. laudanum, and other similar BJ
Ingredients. H
Large Mae Settle, "S-Diepg" (8«« Deeee) ■
SI. 00. Far Sale by Draggteta. ■
BWARSOR RHEUMATIC BUR! COMMIT, H
( Dept. 80. ISO Lake Street, Zj
3