River Falls journal. [volume], March 13, 1913, Image 10

About River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019

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The Root
of Evil
By THOMAS DIXON
Copyright, 1911, by Thomas
Dixon
(Continued from page 5)
CHAPTER IX.
The Storm Breaks.
THE sensation which the district
attorney sprang in the sudden
indictment of the president of
the Iroquois company was pro
found and farreaching. The day before
tiie indictment was presented to the
grand jury stocks began to tumble
without any apparent cause.
When the warrant for the arrest of
the great man had been served, and
be was admitted to bail to await his
coming trial, there was a feeble rally
in the market, but the rats quickly be
gan to desert a sinking ship. The
president under indictment had ceased
to be a power. There was a wild
scramble of his associates who were
equally guilty to save their own skins.
The press, which at first denounced
Ftuart, now boldly demanded the mer
ciless prosecution of all the guilty, and
they hailed the brilliant young district
attorney as the coming man.
For six consecutive days stocks had
fallen with scarcely an hour’s tem
porary rally. Every effort of the bull
operators, who had ruled the market
for the two years past, to stem the
tide was futile. Below the surface, in
the silent depths of growing suspicion
and fear, an army of sappers and min
ers under the eye of one man were
digging at the foundations of the busi
ness world —the faith of man in his
fellow man.
Each day there was a crash, and
each day the little financier and his
unscrupulous allies marked a new vic
tim. In the midst of the campaign
for the destruction of public credit
which Bivens and his associates, the
Allied Bankers, were conducting with
such profound secrecy and such re
markable results, when their profits
had piled up into millions, a bomb was
suddenly exploded under their own
headquarters.
The Van Dam Trust company was
put under the ban of the New York
clearing house. The act was a breach
of faith, utterly unwarranted by any
known law of the game. But it was
done.
When the president of the company
walked quietly into Bivens’ office and
made the announcement for a moment
the little dark man completely lost his
nerve. Cold beads of sweat started
from his swarthy forehead.
•’There must be some mistake.”
“There’s no mistake, it’s a blow be
low the belt, but it’s a knockout for
the moment. They know we are sol
vent. two dollars for one. But they
know we have $90,000,000 on deposit,
and we have some big enemies. They
know that the group we have support
ed have smashed this market, and
they’ve set out to fight the devil with
fire They’re determined to force a
showdown and see how much real
money is behind us. We can pull
through if we stand together.”
Bivens sprang to his feet, exclaiming
fiercely:
“Until hell freezes over!”
The banker smiled feebly for the
first time in a week.
“Theo it’s all right, Mr. Bivens.
■We’ll pull through. They’ll start a
run on us tomorrow. Five millions in
cash will meet it, and we’ll win hands
down. We have powerful friends.
Our only sin is our association with
your group. We must have that five
millions in the safe before the doors
are opened tomorrow.”
“You shall have it,” was the firm an
swer.
With a cheerful pressure of the hand
the president of the Van Dam Trust
company left, and Bivens called his
secretary.
“We turn the market tomorrow —or-
ders to all our men. Knock the bottom
out of it until the noon hour, then
turn and send it skyward with a
bound.”
• •«****
When Dr. Woodman returned home
that night from one of his endless
tramps among the poor Harriet opened
the door.
Something about the expression of
his face startled her. For the first
time in her life she saw in its gaunt
lines the shadow of despair.
"What is it. papa, dear?” she asked
tenderly, slipping an arm about his
neck as she drew him down into his
favorite chair.
"What, child?” he responded vaguely.
“You look utterly worn out. Tell me
what’s the matter. I’m no longer a
child. I’m a woman now—strong and
well and brave. Let me help you."
“You do help me. baby!” he laughed,
with an effort at his old tine joyous
spirit. “Every time I touch your little
hand you give me new life. Some day
yeur voice will thrill thousands as it
now thrills my heart. You’ll win fame
and wealth for your father. You shall
care for him in old age. I’m not mis
erable. I’ve really had a good day.
I’ve spent the whole afternoon super
intending the distributing of flowers
among the hospitals. I saved a kid’s
life with a flower. His father used to
work for me in the old days. They
asked me to come to see him. There
was no hope. He had been given up
to die. I gave him a fragrant white
pink. His thin, feverish fingers grasp
ed it eagerly. In all his life he had
never held a flower in his hand before
He pressed it to his lips, his soul thrill
ed at its sweet odor, and the little tired
spirit came staggering back from the
mists of eternity just to see what it
meant. He will live.”
jphe _girrs arms slipped _around his
neck in a tightening hold, and she
pressed her cheek against his a mo
ment in silence.
"Papa. dear, it’s no use trying to
deceive me. I’ve the right to know
what is troubling you. I’m not a
child. You must tell me.”
"Why. it’s nothing much, dearie.”
he answered gently. "I’m worried a
little about money. I’ve a note due
at the bank, and they’ve called on me
unexpectedly to meet it. But I’ll
manage somehow.”
“I’ll give up my music, go to work
and help you right away.”
The father placed his hand gently
over her lips, and the tears sprang into
his eyes in spite of his effort to keep
them back
"Don’t talk sacrilege, my child. Such
words are blasphemy. God gave me a
man’s body for the coarse work of
bread winning. He gave you the su
preme gift, a voice that throbs with
eloquence, a power that can lift and
inspire the world.
"Promise me. dear—it’s the one wish
of my heart the one thing worth
working and struggling for—promise
me that yon will never stop until the
training of your voice Is complete;
that no matter what happens you will
obey me in this. It is my one com
mand. You will obey me?”
"Yes. papa. 1 promise, if it will
make yon happy.”
"It’s the -nly thing I live for. AH
I ask is that you do your level best
with the gift of God.”
“I’ll try. papa dear.” was the quiet
answer as she kissed him again and
softly left he room.
Harriet had scarcely reached her
room when Adams, the cashier of one
of the allied banks, who owed the
doctor for three months’ rent, entered
the library with quick, nervous tread.
"I’ve news, sir.’’ he said excitedly
“I’ve a big tip on the stock market.”
The older man grunted contemptu
ou sly
“\es. that’s what ails you. I know.
You’ve been getting them for some
time That’s why you owe me for
your rooms. That's why there’s some
thing the matter with your accounts.”
“1 swear to you. doctor, my accounts
are clean I’ve bought a few stocks.
I’ve made a little and lost a little.
I’ve got the chance now I’ve been
waiting for. I’ve a real piece of in
formation from the big insiders who
are going to make the market tomor
row. I got it from Bivens’ private
secretary. The little weasel has made
millions on this break, and he has
been selling the market short for two
weeks Tomorrow morning he is go
ing to smash it for the last time and
at noon throw his millions on the bull
side. The market will go down three
points on the break in the morning.
It will jump five points in ten min
utes when it turns the other way.
There are stocks on the list that will
recover ten points before the market
closes.’’
“Bivens is going to do this?” the
older man interrupted. “Then it’s a
trick. It’s a lie. Take my advice and
do just the opposite from what you
understand. Bivens will sell out his
partners in the deal.”
“Man. he can’t sell out!” the cashier
insisted. “It’s his own deai He’s in
It for all he’s worth!”
The doctor rose with sudden excite
ment.
“Adams, this is the first time in my
life I’ve ever been tempted to buy
stocks. I’m In desperate need of
money. I’ve a note for $3,000 due
I’ve $2,000 set aside to finish my little
girl’s musical studies. I’ve got to
meet that note somehow’, and I’ve got
to have the money for her. It looks
like a chance. I’ll go in and watch the
market tomorrow.”
“If it don’t act exactly as I say don’t
touch it. If it does, go in for all you’re
worth. It stocks start down as 1 say
they will, sell short, cover at noon and
they buy for a rise. Don’t listen to
fools—just buy. buy. buy! You can sell
before the market closes and make
$20,000.”
“I’ll drop into a broker’s office and
watch the market open, anyway,
Adams. Thank you.”
The next day the more optimistic
traders on the stock exchange expected
a change in the market. Stocks had de
dined for two weeks* with appalling
swiftness and fatality. Every hour had
marked the ruin of men hitherto bul
warks of solidity. Experienced men
reasoned and reasoned from experience
that there must be a turn somewhere.
The bottom surely had been reached
The time for a rally had come.
Stuart slept late. He was up until 1
o’clock writing a reply to a peculiarly
venomous attack on his integrity w’hich
a morning paper had printed. The
writer had boldly accused him of be
ing the hired tool of the group of finan
cial cutthroats who were coining mil
lions out of the ruin of others in the de
struction of public faith.
His reply was simple, and his con
cluding paragraph was unanswerable
except by an epithet.
“My business is the enforcement of
justice. I am the servant of the people.
If Wall street cannot stand the en
forcement of law so much the worse
for the street. It is no affair of mine.”
Dr. Woodman hurried downtown to
the office of a friend on Pine street, an
old fashioned banker and broker whose
name bad always stood for honesty and
fair dealing and conservative business.
It was half an hour before the stock
exchange opened, but the dingy little
office was packed with an excited
crowd of customers.
The doctor followed old Dugro. the
head of the firm, into his private office
and asked his advice. He got it—sharp,
short and to the point
"Go home, doctor, and stay there
This market is no place for an ama
teur. It’s all i’can do to keep the wolf
from my door in these days."
“But I’ve received some important
information."
“Keep It dark,” old Dugro scowled.
“Don’t tell it to your worst enemy. If
you’ve got a dollar, nail it up and sleep
on the box.”
“But I’ve some information 1 think
I’m going to act on and I want to open
a small account with you.”
“All right I’ve warned you.” was
the grim answer. “I wish you good
luck.”
The doctor drew his check for $2,000
and smilingly took bis place among the
crowd before the board.
The ticker would tell the story in the
first hour. Lt. stocks should sell o_ff
three points before noon, he would
know. He determined to put this to
1 1 Fff
/ O'
ill B
Fw P
joj WJ u ijli
"If you’ve got a dollar, nail it up.”
the test first. He would uot sell the
market short He would be content
with the big jump the market would
make upward when it started.
As the noon hour drew near the doc
tor’s heart was beating like a sledge
hammer Bivens’ program had been
carried out to the letter. Stocks had de
clined for the first hour a point, and in
the second hour suddenly smashed
down two more points amid the wildest
excitement on the exchange.
The moment to buy had come. The
ior was sure of it Stocks had
niched bottom. The big bear pool
would turn bull in a moment and the
whole market would rise by leaps and
bounds.
He called old Dugro.
“Buy for me now Amalgamated Cop
per, the market leader, for all I’m
worth!”
The broker glared at him.
“Buy! Buy in this market? Man.
are you mad?”
“I said buy!” was the firm answer.
“What’s the limit?”
“Not a share without a stop loss or
der under it.”
“Well, with the stop?”
“I’ll buy you 400 shares on a four
point stop.”
“And when it goes up five points?”
the doctor asked eagerly.
“I’ll double your purchase and raise
your stop, and every five points up I’ll
keep on until you are a millionaire!”
The old broker smiled contemptu
ously, but it was all lost on the doctor.
“Do it quick.”
The order was scarcely given before
it was executed. Dugro handed the
memorandum to Woodman with a
grunt
“It don’t take long to get ’em today!”
The words had scarcely left his lips
when a hoarse cry rose from the crowd
hanging over the ticker.
Copper had leaped upward a whole
point between sales. A wild cheer
swept the room. For ten minutes every
stock on the list responded and began
to climb.
The doctor’s face was wreathed in
smiles. Men began to talk and laugh
and feel human for the first moment
in two weeks.
Dugro grasped the doctor’s hand,
and his deep voice rang above the
roar:
“You’re a mascot! You’ve broken
the spell! For God’s sake stay with
us!”
Suddenly another cry came from the
crowd at the ticker. The boy at the
board sprang to the instrument with
a single bound, his eyes blazing with
excitement. His cry of “Down!” pierc
ed every ear in the room with horror.
The panic had come.
In ten minutes stocks tumbled five
points, and the doctor’s last dollar was
swept into space, while the whole mar
ket plunged down, down, down into the
abyss of ruin and despair.
Men no longer tried to conceal their
emotion. Some wept, some cursed,
some laughed: but the most pitiful
sight of all was the man who could
do neither, the man with white lips
and the strange, hunted expression in
bis eyes who was looking death in the
face for the first time.
A full quarter of an hour of the panic
had spent itself before the dazed
crowds in the broker’s offices read the
startling news that caused • the big
break The ticker shrieked its message
above the storm’s din like a little
laughing demon.
“The Van Dam Trust Company Has
Closed Its Doors and Asked For the
Appointment of a Receiver!”
Bivens bad not kept his solemn
pledge The great bank had stood the
run for two hours and closed its doors
And the work of destruction had just
begun.
At 3 o'clock the doctor walked out of
Dugro’s office without a dollar He
felt almi«t happy by contrast with the
fools he left shuffling over the floors of
Dugro’s office.
His own sense of loss was merely a
blur The revelation he had just had
of the mad lust for money which had
begun to possess all classes was yet so
fresb and startling be could form no
adequate conception of his own post
tion
It was not until be entered his own
door and paused at the sound of Har
riet’s voice that he began to realize
the enormity of the tragedy that had
befallen him.
(Continued next week)
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GA-SNOWt
BELDENVILLE
Mrs. Merriman has the mumps.
John Clonts is loading potatoes at
the station this week.
Our station agent is about to be
sent on the main line.
The roads are not impassable in
spite of the snow and water.
Archie Stewart will resign his
post as mail carrier April first.
Sam Hunter had four of his ribs
broken in an accident last week.
Miss Williams spent the week
end at her Jiome in New Richmond.
M. Eckes and wife of Martell vis
ited at James Drake’s Sunday after
noon.
Mrs. Downey of Minneapolis is
visiting her sister-in-law, Mrs. John
Floody.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson went to
Lawton Sunday to have their baby
christened.
Mrs. Mattie Fenton went to
Spring Valley Tuesday to attend
the wedding of her niece.
Miss Anna Eaton, who is having
a vacation in her school at Fargo, is
visiting at A. J. Fenton’s.
About the heaviest fall of snow of
the season happened on Monday
morning. This is a special blessing
to the soil.
F. B. Severance shipped a car
load of potatoes to Chicago Friday.
John Neuman, who went with the
car to keep fires, got left somewhere
on the way and returned home the
same evening.
To feel strong, have good appe
tite and digestion, sleep soundly and
enjoy life, use Burdock Blood Bit
ters, the family system tonic. Price,
si.oo
VIKING
Rev. B. Oakland called at Hans
Gilstad’s Thursday evening.
School in District 4 closed Friday
for a three weeks’ vacation.
Mr. and Mrs. Peter Mattison and
daughter Pearl visited at G. Olson’s
Sunday.
Little Howard Halvorson has
teen sick but is better at this
writing.
Mr. and Mrs. Gust Sampson of
River Falls visited at Hans Gilstads
over Sunday.
A number of girls surprised Eva
McGinley Saturday, it being her
14th birthday.
Mrs. and Mrs. Martin Peterson
of Pleasant valley visited with her
parents, Mr. and Mrs. L. Larson
Sunday.
Itch! Itch! Itch!—Scratch! Scrat
ch! Scratch! The more you scratch,
the worse the itch. Try Doan’s
Ointment. For eczema, any skin
itching. 50c a box—adv.
OAK GROVE
Miss Tresa Simmon is home for
a vacation from Ellsworth.
Miss Williamson closed her
school in District no 2 for the spring
vacation.
Wm. Roberts of Colfax, N. D.,
spent Sunday at Mrs. B H.
Corcoran’s.
Miss Lena Carolan of Diamond
Bluff is going to spend the summer
at the Filkins home.
Miss Blanche Corcoran and
brother A. W. Corcoran, spent
Sunday in River Falls.
Frank Filkins and wife are
visiting at the home of his mother
before going to housekeeping.
Are You Constipated?
If so, get a box of Dr. King’s
New L>fe Pills, take them regularly
and your trouble will quickly dis
appear. They will stimulate the
liver improve your digestion and
get rid of all the poisons from your
system. They will surely get you
well again. 25c at all druggists.
—adv.
FARGO
Emil Johnson has purchased the
N. Grendall place.
Albert Wilcox and family spent
Sunday at Geoige Grifey’s.
Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Carlson re
turned to Grantsburg last Thursday.
T. B. Peters and family spent
Sunday at the home of C. S. Wil
cox.
Add Dopkins and family are
spending a few days with relatives
here.
For baby’s croup. Willie’s daily
cuts and bruises, mamma’s sore
throat, grandma’s lameness, —Dr.
Thomas’ Eclectic Oil—the house
hold remedy. 25c and 50c —adv.
SOUTH MARTELL
Martin Anderson was sick last
week.
Jul Lund had a break-down in
the saw-mill Monday.
Mrs. B A. Iverson entertained
the Ladies’ Aid on Thursday.
There will be services in the
Synod church on Good Friday.
Miss Alma Hanson, who is work
ingfor Mrs. B. Iverson, will spend
Easte; with her folks in Gilman.
Neighborhood News
from correspondents in the counties
PIERCE AND ST. CROIX.
’PLEASANT VALLEY
The dance at Martell was well
attended.
Wm. Schorn purchased a horse
from Julius Everson recently.
Hans and Wm. Everson drove
through this neighborhood Monday.
Mr. and Mis. Chas. O’Brien
visited at the home of the former’s
parents Sunday.
Miss Doshia Clause is having her
usual spring vacation from her
school duties in Pleasant Valley.
What You Have Been Looking For
Meritol White Liniment is a
preparation that gives universal
satisfaction in every instant where a
pain killer and healer is needed.
We do not believe you could get a
better liniment at any price. C. R.
Taggart, Exclusive Agent.—adv.
KINNICKINNIO
A. II Lovell spent a few days
in the city recently.
Mr. and Mrs. Will White gave a
dinner party Tuesday.
A basket social will be given by
the school taught by Miss Blanche
Wilcox next Friday evening.
The Aid Society scored another
success in the dinner given at the
home of Tony Nelson Thursday.
Don’t miss the fun at the basket
social to be given March 21 at the
'Fred Kurtz*home. All are invited.
From the sleigh ride parties it
looks as if our young people ap
preciated the joy of living in Wis
consin in the winter time. A party
enjoyed a ride and supper at Her
man Muller’s Friday.
Meritol Rheumat sm Powders
Stand as the results of the highest
medical achievement of modern sci
ence, and are guaranteed to give
permanent relief in all cases of
Rheumatism. If you suffer from
Rheumatism give this wonderful
remedy a trial. C. R. Taggart,
Exclusive Agent.—adv.
“THE MIDDLEMAN”
u
Extracts Taken From an Article By Mike Kin
ney, Teamster and Editor, As Published in
“The Gimlet,” January, 1913.
Has it ever occured to you just
why there has been so much writ
ten in the newspapers and maga
zines about the extortionate profits
of the middle man? Have you ever
wondered why almost every publi
cation that comes to your home
takes a shot at the poor- retail mer
chant? If you do not know, let me
give you the answer. It is—AD
VERTISING. The great metropol
itan newspapers, the farm journals,
and the hundreds of magazines that
are published, cannot and do not
expect any advertising patronage
from the retail merchant. Their
advertising comes from mail order
houses, from manufacturers, and
from department stores that are
seeking to deal with the consumer
direct. Therefore these papers
constantly contain articles encour
aging the consumer in every section
of the country to send his money to
some far-away merchant and thus
save the profit of the retail dealer
at home.
The subscription price of practi
cally all newspapers and magazines
shows a loss. Often this subscrip
tion price would not pay for the
amount of plain white paper used
in the magazines or newspapers
you rect ive. All of the profits of
these publications come from ad
vertising, and so it is to their in
terest to constantly work for a sys
tem of distribution that will lead to
more advertising.
If all goods were bought by the
consumer from his local store, there
would only be advertising in the
local paper. Such a method of dis
tribution, of course, would not suit
the magazines and newspapers.
They, therefore, have been for years
advocating and endeavoring to
build up all kinds of selling plans
which lead to consumers buying
their goods just as far away from
home as possible.
ADVERTISING was the reason
that all of these publications were
so much in favor of parcel post.
ADVERTISING was the reason
that it was next to impossible to
get any articles opposed to the
parcel post in a national daily pa
per or magazine. >
The parcel post is, of course, in
many respects a very good thing.
In many ways it will be a great
convenience. We have, however,
been promised that it would reduce
the cost of living. We have been
promised that it would bring the
city man and the country man in
closer contact. I have.been doing
a little investigating, and I find
that nearly all of the parcel post
packages are going from the city man
to the country man, while the coun
try man is not sending back any
packages to the city man. Pack
ages are going from the city to the
country, and money to pay for
these packages is coming from the
country to the city.
Under the old system the farmer
sold all of the products of the farm
for spot cash, and bought most: of
the goods he needed on credit,
Under the new system, as planned
by the magazines and newspapers,
the farmer is to sell his goods di
rect to the city consumer, without
the necessity of any middleman in
the shape of a merchant. What I
should like to know is, how is the
farmer going to secure his city
customers? Will the farmer adver
tise in the newspapers and maga
zines? Will he send out circulars
offering his chickens, eggs and but
ter to city consumer? Will he sell
goods to the city consumer only for
cash, or will he give credit? If he
extends credit, how will he find out
about the financial standing of his
customers? It would be somewhat
of a joke, wouldn’t it, if the state of
affairs were reversed and the farm
er should have to pay cash for all
the goods he buys that he needs on
the farm, while, in turn, he would
have to sell his farm products on
credit, to the city man? I would
like to have a fine large photograph
of the farmer of this country selling
their products on time to the fel
low who lives in the city.
Manufacturers, jobbers, and re
tail merchants all tell me that they
are getting up mail order parcel
post catalogues and circulars to be
distributed by the million, in order
to derive the greatest benefits from
parcel post in selling goods.
Now of course I am just a com
mon, ordinary teamster; my intel
lectual dynamo only runs about
half time. But what I would like
to figure out, if all the above things
are true—and I do not believe they
can be disputed—how is the par
cel post going to lower the high
cost of living? If merchants are to
be put to all these expenses they
must either lose money, or add the
expenses to the cost of doing busi
ness, and necessarily advance their
prices in order to cover the added
cost.
Then, while I am rambling
around in my weak-minded way,
suppose we discuss this point: Has
it ever occured to you that under
the old system, when goods were
shipped by express or freight,
the transportations charges
were collected from the consignee?
Now when we send goods by parcel
post we must buy parcel post
stamps, pay cash for them, and at
tach these stamps to the package,
in advance. How are these stamps
to be charged for by the merchant?
The item is too small for a separate
spot cash bill. The stamps, there
fore, will probably be charged on
the regular invoice for the goods.
If a customer takes two or three
months’ time to pay the regular
bill, then the merchant will be out
the actual cash stamp investment
for this period without any interest
or profit in return. If, on the other
hand, the merchant allows the cash
discount, then the chances are that
his customer will deduct the cash
discount, from the price of the
stamps as well as on the price of
the goods. As a result, the mer
chant will have to pay spot cash
for parcel post stamps, and then
for his trouble he will lose the cash
discount on the cash he has ad
vanced.
Wasn’t that a beautiful dream
that the magazines told about when
they described how a farmer could
send a dozen of eggs by parcel post
to his city customer? Just figure
out the price of eggs in the country,
then add the cost of the special
pasteboard box in which the eggs
would have to be sent, also the
postage on the eggs, together with
the loss from breakage, and we
think you will find that fresh
country eggs would cost our city
friends about 7 cent each. I guess
it would be cheaper to . get them
from the corner grocery.
The other day I meandered into a
drug store and ordered certain
chemicals which I happened to
know actually cost 11 cents. The
druggist charged me 35 cents. I
inquired if he hadn’t added too
much profit. I told him just what
the items cost. “My dear sir ’’
answered he, “in this corner drug
store we do not pay any attention
to the cost of the chemicals in the
drugs —that is the smallest part of
our expense. We are selling you
the high rental of a drug store on a
convenient corner, electric light,
furnace heat, free telephone service,
stamps sold at cost, a meeting
place for the neighborhood, a place
where you can stand on a cold day
and wait for your car, free seats,
free newspapers. Not only that,
but we are prepared to tell you
what is good for dyspepsia, tooth
ache, indigestion, lumbago; in fact,
we prescribe, free of charge, for
most human ills. It is for this
class of service we charge —the
drugs that we dispose of are sim
ply incidentals.” Well, brother,
don’t you think this druggist was
about right? At the same time, it
is just like you and me to accept all
these conveniences and accommo.
dations, and then kick if a fly hap
pens light in our soda Water.
Did it ever occur to you, when
you happened to want anything and
needed it in a hurry, what it cost to
have this particular item all ready
for your use at a store just around
the corner?
I remember a case where a city
took issue with an electric lighting
plant on account of their charges
for the service. The electric light
plant showed, in cold figures, what
it cost them to be prepared at all
times to serve that city with electric
light. When the sun was shining
brightly and the days were long,
that city did not want much electric
juice. If, however, a st jrm sud
denly blew up and darkness came
over the city, then everybody ex
pected to turn on his electric light
When the storm was over and the
sun came out again, he turned off
the juice. “Now,” said this light
ing plant, “we have to have in re
serve all the time enough power to
take care of these sudden and un
expected demands; we have to be
ready to serve every minute of the
day and night. This readiness to
serve costs money, and we can only
get our mcaey back by charging it
in the price of the juice.”
In my fashion, 1 am in this ar
ticle making a plea for the retail
merchant. He must be ready to
serve you with anything you want
in his line on a moment’s notice.
Isn’t it really wonderful that you
can walk into a retail hardware
store, call for almost any item in
hardware, and always find it on
hand? For instance, if you wish a
pocket knife of a peculiar style,
there it is —it has just been waiting
for you to call for it. Then the
merchant takes it out of the case
and waits while you lean with your
elbows on the glass counter and
paw it all over. You smear your
greasy hands all over its beauti
fully polished blades; you blow
your breath on the blades to see
whether the steel is good or not.
Probably you inspect fifteen or
twenty knives before you finally de
cide to invest 50 cents. In the
meanwhile the merchant patiently
shows you his stock, and tells you
the entire history of the manufact
ure of cutlery from the time of
Pharaoh down to the present date.
Maybe after consuming twenty
minutes of this merchant’s time
you smile sweetly and tell him that
you will think it over and drop in
again to-morrow. Maybe before
leaving his store you go to the
telephone and have a chat with
your best girl, and also borrow a
stamp to mail a letter. Or, per
haps, you ask if he won’t loan you
a pipe wrench for awhile. Then if
you are real smart the proper thing
is to go home, send an order to a
mail order house for a pocket knife,
cash in advance, and take your
chances on whether the steel is
good or not, when the knife arrives.
Then let us reflect, that after all
the hard work he does, after all the
chances he takes, after all the im
positions to which he patiently sub
mits, after all the bad accounts he
accumulates on his books,‘ after all
the knowledge of the business that
is necessary to follow up fashions
and fads and have the goods on
hand when the consumers call for
them, after all the abuse he receives
as a middleman from the magazines
and the daily press, it stands out
as a fact in the commercial reports,
that ninety-five out of every one
hundred retail merchants make a
failure in business. This is a hor
rible record, but there it is. One
reason retail merchants fail is
that they do not realize what all
these incidentals cost in doing
business. They do not add these
outside things to the cost of their
goods. They are not like the drug
store man referred to. They think
that all they are selling is hard
ware. They do not realize that
they are selling hardware plus ser
vice, and that one costs just as
much as the other.
A lazy liver leads to chronic dys
pepsia and constipation,—weakens
the whole system. Doan’s Regulets
(25c per boxjact mildly on the liver
and bowels. At all drug stores-adv.
THROWING
MONEY AWAY
When you throw away the
useless odds and ends of scrap
iron, etc., which collect about
•the farm, you are literally
throwing away good money.
Instead of littering up the
yard with this junk, pile it up
and cart it in to Max Fein, or
’phone to him (No. 319) and
he will call for it, and will pay
you top prices for it. He also
pays the best prices for hides
and furs.
MAX FEIN
River Falls, Wisconsin