WRONGS TO FIGHT
EFFORTS TO PREVENT MONEY
LEAVING HOME COMMUNITIES.
MAIL-ORDER SYSTEM BAD
Many Concerns in Small Towns Im
poverished for the Benefit of the
Few in Business in Larger
Cities.
Bright minds of the different trade
associations have for some years been
"working devising means of preventing
the growth of the mail order business.
Various plans have been projected.
Nearly all that have been tried have
met with failure. The catalogue sys
tem of business continues to advance.
Some small houses have dropped out
of sight, but tho big ones are grow
ing bigger.
The mail order problem Is a trouble
some one. One of the reasons why it
is so is because of the methods that
the houses pursue, their wide adver
tising, and the presentation of their
side of the question by the hundreds
and thousands of farm, religicAs, so
ciety, fashion and mail order papers
that goto the homes of the masses,
and which are mainly supported by
the advertising of the mail order con
cerns. Each locality has its peculiar
local conditions. Merchants in some
towns, and these towns are many, are
not the aggressive and enterprising
class that are capable of competing
with the mail order concerns. The
Agricultural classes are among the
most intelligent, are readers and think
ers, but there are channels along
•which their thoughts flow. Close study
demonstrates that as a general rule
farmers labor under the impression
that a low estimate is placed upon
them by the people of the towns. The
city folk dress better, the children of
the merchants move in a different
class front the children of the farmer,
and even tho merchants' wives per
haps dross a little more expensively
than do the wives of the farmers. All
these things have their reflection in
business matters. Then, owing to the
impressions that are the result of con
tinual reading of the advertisements
of the catalogue houses, the farmer
is Is d to believe that he unnecessarily
pays higher prices for what goods he
requires when he purchases them of
the home merchant than he should.
He believes that he is made a victim
and that the profits that goto the
merchant should not be so great.
It is evident that the farmer's educa
tion ahjng economic lines is defective.
He has to a great extent developed a
warped idea of business and commer
cial values. If the catalogue house
proposition be ameliorated it is evi
dent. that the consumers of every class
he made to realize that they are in
error. In fact, a course of education
along right lines is necessary. It is
not good business policy for the pa
pers that draw support from mail or
der concerns to combat a business or
publish anything that is likely to in
jure the income from advettising.
Thus little help can be expected from
the papers that have their columns
filled with mail order advertising.
Then there remains only the country
press as the medium through which
the people may be enlightened. But
here is another problem. The .aver
age country editor is not by training
equipped to carry on an intelligent
•campaign. He is likely to injure the
cause by creating prejudices, by his
too blunt attacks on the catalogue
house system, and on their patrons.
Any effort that he may make is looked
upon by the farmer as emanating from
the business interests of the town, and
published solely with a selfish mo
tive. Thus are excellent arguments
deadened, and shafts that should be
< ffeeUve, act as a boomerang.
It has been the inclination of the
merchants' associations to discuss the
mail order house behind closed doors.
'ln his small knowledge of association
work the farmer is most likely to
think that when business men of a
town organize it is for the purpose
of raising prices and working against
the interests of the farmers in gen
eral. The way the associations have
been conducted in many towns almost
justified this belief on the part of the
farmer. It must be understood by
th" merchants that any matter that
-affects the interests of merchants and
farmers and laborers alike should be
discussed openly. There is no reason
why a lecturer on business economy
should caution hi 3 hearers that, only
merchants should be present to hear
him. If his proposition will not stand
the criticisms of all whom it should
interest, it is a poor one.
Farmers and laborers have their
own organizations. These are all of
the protective class. It is the aim
of the average farmers' organization
to combat the machinations of the
trusts that dictate to them the prices
that they shall receive for their prod
ucts. It is the object of the laborers'
associations to combat the inclination
of the capitalistic classes to lower
wages, and raise prices of commodi
ties. On close investigation it will
be found that the farmer who is the
most, active worker against the trusts,
and the laborer who cries loudest
against tho oppression of the employ
ers. are the ones who by their short
sighted policy give the very systems
that they complain about the greatest
support. The evils of trade and corn
mere*' to-day are the offspring of cap
(ltal concentration. For years vast
•sums have been diverted from all sec
tions of the union to the great metro
politan centers. Billions of dollars
have been drawn by the great insur
ance companies; country banks have
jmade in the aggregate many millions
of dollars' deposits in the big cit/
banks. The trust companies are load
ed down with trust money from all
sections of the land. These vast
sums must be employed In a way that
wil pay Interest. Financiers devis®
means for investment. A dozen con
cerns are amalgamated, combined into
one mammoth concern, and the money
for the purpose is the money of the
people of the country at large who
send it to the large cities through dif
ferent channels. Here we find a trust
built up that works to the detriment
of the farmer and the masses of the
land, and operated by the dollars that
were supplied by the very people op
pressed by it.
There is one cure, and one euro
only for capital concentration. That
is a strict adherence to simple homo
trade principles. Keep in each com
munity to the greatest extent all the
earnings of the people of that commu
nity. The withdrawal of capital from
a section impoverishes it just so much.
It takes away the means of establish
ing new industries for tho employment
of the people. Thus are towns re
tarded in their upbuilding, and real
estate values are kept from advanc
ing. The home market for the farm
ers' products is destroyed, and every
interest and every person in the com
munity suffers from the effects.
Thus it be seen how vital it is
to the masses to understand that any
system of business that draws from a
community the surplus earnings of the
people and takes away the legitimate
profits that should goto its trades
men, is a system worthy of condemna
tion. Cannot these questions be dis
cussed openly before the farmers and
the other laborers? Is there any argu
ment that cannot be well sustained?
Is there an intelligent farmer who
would not do some substantial think
ing when it is shown to him that he
is working directly against his own
financial interests when he patronizes
other than home stores and home in
stitutions?
n. M. CARH.
USING SHOW WINDOWS.
Arrangement of Goods to Attract At
tention Is Not to Be Neglected.
Many grocers consider it useless to
display stocks in windows for the pur
pose of attracting attention. The
same ones will carelessly stack up out
side heaps of perishable goods, and
fail to even use mosquito netting to
keep the flies off. One of the most
prosperous groceries in a large city
in the west made rapid progress from
a small stand to a big concern in a few
years. It was the neatness of the
place and the display of the goods, and
tho promptness in looking after orders
that built up the business. This, at
least, is what is claimed by the rtwner.
One of the notable things about the
place is that there is nothing displayed
outside the store unless the same is in
a case. The show windows, one each
side of the door, are as carefully fixed
up two or three times a week as the
windows of a fashionable dry goods
store. One display will be of a certain
kind of canned goods on which the
grocer is making a run. Cans will be
artistically arranged in pyramids,
stars, triangles, with a view to har
mony in the color arrangement of tho
labels. Later a display of olives,
products, bacon, hams, sausages, lard,
catsups, condiments of all kinds, will
be arranged. Everything is season*
able. When the berries begin to ar>
rive these are displayed in the win<
dows, and sometimes the windows
made to hold whole stocks. While in
one window there may be a display of
canned goods, in the other will be ar
tistically arranged a line of meat
and complete assortments of the goods
of some well-known house. Neatness
and cleanliness are the two principal
things to be observed in the grocery
window display. There sl\otild be am
ple protection from flies and insects.
It is necessary that changes be made
frequently. And let the arrangement
of the goods in the store correspond
well with the show made in the win
dows.
Personal Advertising.
Advertising of the proper kind al
ways pays, whether it is by circular,
letter, billboard or the columns of the
frcal paper. The newspapers are by
far the best mediums and the least
expensive in the long run. Yet it may
be not amiss to back up your news
paper advertising with circulars now
and then, or better still, by letters.
Merchants in small towns sometimes
labor under the impression that they
are well known to all in tho communi
ty; that there is little need of adver
tising, as there is only so much trade
to be had and it will naturally drift
their way. This reasoning is wrong.
not if Mr. John Jones visits
your store daily, he will appreciate
getting a letter from you calling his
attention to some new things that
perhaps he has been studying up in
the mail-order house catalogue. It. is
a pretty good idea to spend a few dol
lars in special advertising every time
you get in stock anything new and
salable. Dollars spent in advertising
are never lost if good judgment is ex
ercised in the construction of the
notice.
Business Methods Changing.
Merchants should consider well all
phases of any proposition that will
eventually work to their detriment.
Year alter year conditions are chang
ing. The retailer is finding the screws
becoming a little more tightened.
There is bound to be a reaction. He
bates in the way of railroad rates, in
tiie way of trade in general, arc being
pretty well aired by the government.
The time is not far distant when tho
interests of the consumers and the re
tailers will be much better protected.
For the carrying out of these purposes
there is necessity for stringent action.
When any system is a bad thing for
the people iu geueral It should be
changed. . ...,
CAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY," MAY 7, 1908.
Picked Up I
I
FORD CITY. The residences of
Steve Paliem and John Morosky were
damaged $1,500 by Are.
H ARR ISBU RG—The Pennsylvania
national guard will be mobilized by
brigades at the division encampment
at Gettysburg this summer.
BRADFORD.—SamueI Christcnson,
residing 011 a farm about two miles out
of Kane, McKean county, on a country
road, killed himself by shooting.
GREENSBURG— Suffering from »;■-
phoid fever Irwin Sell, a farmer of
Youngwood, committed suicide by
shooting himself through the head.
JOHNSTOWN. Louis Flecken
stein, a well known German, attacked
his wife with a hatchet, fatally in
juring her, and then hanged himself.
BUTLER.— Thomas M. Marshall,
aged 09, of Mars, died at the Butler
hospital from injuries sustained on a
Baltimore & Ohio railroad siding at.
Mars.
BUTLER. Through an explosion
of gas in tlie firebox at an oil well
pump station near Chicora Miss Mar
garet Blaney, aged 15, was seriously
burned.
GREENSBURG.— For an alleged
threat to kill his three children, roast
them, eat them and then kilt himself,
John Kurdy of Haydenville was lodged
in the county jail.
CONN ELLSVILLE.— The dead .body
of James English, aged 68 years, of
Pittsburg, a civil war veteran, and for
years a wanderer, was found in a
shanty at Lemont.
HARRISBURG.— Josiah T. Evans,
for 2:5 years an inspector of mines in
the Cambria district, has retired. He
is one of the oldest inspectors 111
point of service.
KITTANNING.— A trolley car ran
into Charles Lugnet's automobile, dam
aging the machine and injuring Lug
net so seriously that he had to be
taken to the hospital.
PITTSBURG.— .Mrs. Margaret Wol
fram was killed and her husband and
4-year-old child seriously fnjured on
the North Side when they were
thrown from a buggy.
WEST NEWTON. —John Abley, a
retireil merchant, aged 89. is dead at
his home here. Mr. Abley spent
most of his life here and was a mem
ber of the Lutheran church.
K ITT AN NING. —The shade tree com
mission of Wickboro has decided that
all poplar trees in the borough's
streets must be cut down by next
fall and give place to maple trees.
GREENSBURG— WiIIiam Strippey,
45 years old, of East Greensburg was
killed at the new courthouse, mark
ing the first fatality attending con
struction of the $1,500,000 building.
NEW CASTLE. —Notice was post
ed here that the Shenango Valley
steel plant, operated by the Carnegie
Steel Co., would start in full opera
tion. The order affects 1,200 men.
BELLEFONTE. Robbers entered
the store of Montgomery & Co., clo
thiers, and Heller's drug store, and
carried off clothing and cigars and
almost ruined a SI,OOO cash register.
BUTLER. Complaints to county
authorities from the Butler county oil
districts indicate that brass thieves
have looted machinery to the extent
of thousands of dollars within a few
weeks.
CORRY. —ln trying to save her
aged parents, David Weatherbee and
wife, both past 70, from death in their
burning home in Centertown, Mrs.
Arthur Lemm perished with them in
the flames.
ERlE. —Bernard, 2-year-old son of
Bailey B. Nagel, president of the
Pennsylvania Boiler works, died as
the result of taking medicine that had
been prescribed for his father, believ
ing it was candy.
H ARRISBU RG. An application
has been made for a charter for the
t Goldsboro Light, Heat and Power
Co. of that town. Charles F. Will
iams, who will build the plant, is the
chief owner of the new company.
HARRISBURG.—The April bulletin
of State Zoologist Surface deals with
pests of household, orchard and farm,
110 less than 33 classes being brought
before the public with cold-blooded ad
vice as to the best means to kill them.
WASHINGTON.— Spencer Gardner,
a farmer near Sycamore, has a sheep
killing horse. Gardner saw the horse
carry off a lamb between his teeth.
It also rushed into a Hock of sheep
and. trampling one to death, carried
it off.
BUTLER. A forest fire which
started from a locomotive spark along
the Bessemer & Lake Erie railroad in
the "pine tract," near Oneida, north
of here, destroyed timber 011 hun
dreds of acres and endangered a score
of oil rigs.
WASHINGTON— Arter taking his
nine children to see a circus William
Gatlin, a negro, had five of his young
est offspring committed to the Chil
dren's home at Arden. Catlin, al
though industrious, is unable to sup
port his large family.
RALSTON. —A work train 011 the
Susquehanna & New York railroad
near Laquin. Pa., was wrecked by a
runaway car which dashed into the
train after descending a steep grade.
Eight lumbermen were killed out
light, one died after being taken to a
hospital and 15 were seriously in
jured.
MONONGAHELA.- Pete Taschca,
10 years old. was caught in cog wheels
at the American Tinplate works and
bis left foot torn off.
CARLISLE. —Fire destroyed the
dwelling and barn at Longsdorf sta
tion belonging to Dr. 11. H. Longsdorf,
causing a loss of SIO,OOO.
WASHINGTON. While burning
brush 011 her farm near Mt. Morris,
Greene county, Mrs. Charlotte Will
iams, a widow, aged 77. was burned
to death, her clothing catching lire.
CORRY. —Three persons were cre
mated and a fourth probably fatally
burned in a lire which destroyed the
home of David Wetherbee at Cen
tervilie, a village 15 miles north of
Corry.
KITTANNING. —James Sowers, a
farmer, was found under a wagon in
an alley and died without recovering
consciousness. lie had evidently been
struck on the head, but was not
robbed.
JEANNETTE. —It is confidently
claimed street, cars of the Jeannette,
West Newton & Monongahela Valley
Street Railway Co. will be running be
tween Jeannette and West Newton
within a year.
LANCASTER. —Construction opera
tions on the great dam and power
plant of the McCall's Ferry Power Co.
on the Susquehanna river have been
resumed after having been suspended
since last fall.
JOHNSTOWN. —Pennsylvania Rail
road Brakenian Smay of Jeannette
and Conductor John J. Cunningham of
Piteairn are dead as the result of an
accident on the main line at. Center
ville, west of here.
LANCASTER. —Struck by lightning,
Miss Jennie Martin, 1!) years old. of
Bird-in-Hand, lives to joke over her
experience. The bolt tore off every
particle of clothing and ripped her
shoes to tatters.
MONONGAHELA.— WhiIe attempt
ing to arrest two men who had broken
into a box car in the Pittsburg, Vir
ginia & Charleston yards Officer W.
Bergman was beaten into uncon
sciousness. The thieves escaped.
HARRISBURG. —The state authori
ties have killed 20 of the fine cattle at
Danville hospital because of tubercu
losis. Wernersville and Harrisburg
state hospitals have also lost lately
through the rigorous state inspection.
PHILADELPHIA.— After an illness
of several weeks Very Rev. John Jo
seph Fedigan, former prryrlncial of the
Order of St. Augustine, and well
known throughout the United States,
died at the Augustlnian monastery at
Villa Nova, near here.
CARLISLE. —By an order made by
Judge Sadler all grade crossings 011
the Philadelphia, Harrisburg & Pitts
burg division of the Philadelphia &
Reading railroad will be abandoned
111 Lower Allen township, Cumber
land county, and subways erected.
HARRISBURG. —The annual report
of the state bureau of railways for
1907, just handed to the governor,
shows that 87,000,000 more passengers
were carried 011 the street railways of
Pennsylvania tliifn in 1900, while there
was a tremendous growth of capitali
zation.
BUTLER. —Awakened early in the
morning Joseph 6. Miller, an oil opera
tor. arose from bed and stumbled
against a burglar, who gave battle.
The intruder shot Miller in the
breast. The wounded man did not re
lease his hold until a second shot
was fired.
WASHINGTON. —Fear of punish
ishment for some prank caused 11-
year-old George Lambert of C'anons
burg to leave home. A strange negro
promised to pilot him to Pittsburg.
Young Lambert was found in a serious
condition near Marshalsea, and the
negro is being hunted.
H AR RISBU RG. —Deputy Attorney
General Fleitz gave an opinion to
State Highway Commissioner Hunter
that the Westmoreland county com
missioners cannot annul the contract
made with the Pitt Construction Co.
of Pittsburg for the improvement of a
portion of road in North Huntingdon
township.
OIL CITY. —The Farmers' National
bank of Emlenton, Pa., with a capital
of $50,000, and the First National
bank of Clintonville, Pa., with a capi
tal of $25,000. were closed by the
comptroller of the currency. It is be
lieved the suspension is only tempor
ary. and that the stockholders and de
positors will lose nothing.
HARRISBURG. —The general order
for the summer encampment of the na
tional guard has been issued at the
capitol, designating July 10 to 25 as
the dates 011 which the encampment
will be held at Gettysburg. The or
ders for the brigades to enter camp
are different from those heretofore is
sued, the Third being ordered out
from July 10 to 23, Second, 17th to
24th, apd First, 18th to 25th.
YORK. —Crazed over the death of
his 10-year-old daughter Nathaniel De
vinney, 44 years old, committed sui
cide by hanging at the county aims
bouse. He used a bedspread which
he tore into strips.
HARRISBURG— "I'd like to see the
reports that we are having no trouble
with foreigners," said State Game
Commissioner Secretary Kalbfus.
"Why, we have almost daily calls
from people who say that Italians and
other Europeans are violating our
laws. We are making arrests as rap
idly as possible, but the scamps out
number us."
You Read the
Other Fellow's Ad
j p You ar« reading this one.
i | That should convince you
112 J that advertising in these
| a columnsisaprofitableprop
-3 I osition; that it will bring
.j I business to your store,
112 | The fact that tha other
A M feilow advertises is prob
; | ably the reason he is get
g 1 ting more business than is
t S falling to you. Would it
H | not be well to give the
I I other fellow a chance
To IM Your Ad
In Thsse SsHaratss
)
Your Stationery
!s your silent representative. If
you sell flno goods that are up
to-date in style and of superior
quality it ought to be reflected
in your printing. We produce the
kind that you need and will not
feel ashamed to have represent
you. That is the only kind it
pays to send out. Send your or
ders to this office.
The Buyers'
Guide
The firms whose names are repre
sented in our advertising columns
are worthy ot the confidence of every
person in the community who 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,^
__HEADQUA«TERS FOR
|JP^ ' ' FRESH BREAD
J popular p " nc '^ ea ,
J; r \ n NUI
| a
CONFECTIONERY
Daily Delivery, All orders given prompt and
skillful attention.
Don't Use a Scarecrow
tTo Drive Away tbs
Mail Order Wolf
Yc>u can drive him out
thousands of dollars every
week in order to get trade
from the home merchants.
Do you think for a minute
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 must 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.
jSpfk A MOST TOUCHING APPEAL
falls short of its desired effect If ad
dressed to a small crowd of interested
L .r listeners. Mr. Business Man, are
I -ou -ou wast ' n ff your ammunition on the
1 Aj small crowd that would trade with
\ > ou an v way, or do you want to reach
Tv\ ssr those who are not particularly inter- j
ested in your business? If yoti do,
y-' mm Sas^~~- —" make your appeal for trade to the ®
® largest and most intelligent
. audience {n your commun
r4 \Vt\ ity, the readers of this i y/y
y/y tytf paper. They have count
jC \\ 1 less wants. Your ads will
be read by them, and they
will become your custom
ers. Try it and see.
S The Plate to Bnj Cheap S
; J. F. PARSONS' ?
iiiiyMATlSlwl
I otbsqo, ssi&Tical
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DR. S. D. BLAND ,
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HQ with Lumbago and Kbwumatlsm In my arras
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MB with a number of the beet physicians, but round
fIH nothing that #a*e the relief obtained from
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3