Show BIG COUNTRY MERCHANTS Fred Mann Proves That Nothing is Too Good For Farmers By Dy A. A B. B Macdonald In Country Gentleman Theres There's a story about a merchant in n a country town who came down to business one Saturday morning and found that the rival merchant at atho the tho right of af hIm him had had plastered r Ahe whet y front of his s store ore with canvass signs signs and huge hug red red- e l letters announcing a Price Cut Sale Sale of Bankrupt Stocks and another rival at the left of him had covered his store storefront storefront front wi with with h red lettered signs advertisIng advertising advertising adver adver- a Slashing Price Fire Sale There he was between two sales and it was Farmers Day There was no time to get up a sale of his own So he hurriedly had a red- red lettered sign painted Main Entrance Entrance Entrance En En- trance and hung it across his own store front and the cream of the trade came to him When a cent and store was looking for a location in the town of Devils Lake North Dakota a few years ears ago each storekeeper in town except one was afraid It might settle settle settle set set- tle down near him and was vas doing his best to shoo it away The one exception was Fred Mann who has the biggest store in a country town in that state When he learned that the cent and store folks wanted wanted wanted want want- ed to open up In the town he went to the man who was looking for the site and said to him I I own a vacant building next door to my own store My business is growing so that I bought this place intending to expand Into It But if you'll put your store In there and aud take a lease for ten years Ill I'll remodel it to suit you Disappointing His Rivals The cent and store man agreed and Fred Mann spent 20 remodeling it Rival merchants laughed at Mann and said he was a fool to plant a astore astore astore store like that l plumb lumb up against his own especially when Mann carried in his bargain basement the same same sort of stuff the new store sold As Asfar Asfar Asfar far as they were concerned the farther away from them that and 5 c 10 cent 10 nt store was the better they would like It But Mann had been looking for a chance like that for or a long time There weren't enough people walkIng walking walk walk- ing lug on his side of the street to suit him At different times he ho had counted the people walking on both sides of the street and found that a little more than one hair walked on his side The cent and store has been there two years and now eighty per cent of the people who pass pass on that street walk walle on Manns Mann's side and only twenty per cent go on n the tho other side I wanted the crowd that store would attract says Mann Iann When they opened I simply did moro ad- ad like the fellow who put the I sign Main Entrance over his store between the two fire and bankrupt sales My store is still the main entrance and the cent and w 11 Its ts glaring red red rout front r i and d sf sign 1 and mass of cheap things has hns helped my business Mann l has a way of or doing things like Uke that so different from the ways of average country storekeepers that they cannot always understand him For twenty-seven twenty years they i pave have been predicting disaster for him aim but he has kept on growing and growing When Mann opened a little store in Devils Lake twenty-seven twenty years ago and began taking two whole pages of or the weekly paper for his advertising advertising ad ad- the other storekeepers said he couldn't do it and live Such an expense would bust him Everone Everyone Everyone Ev Ev- Ev- Ev knew the bulk of the trade that came to Devils Lake was farmers farmers' farmers farmers' farmers farmers' farm farm- ers' ers trade and farmers didn't read I advertising So what was the use of wasting money on it and so much money too But Mann kept on advertising advertising advertising ad ad- and growing When Mann built his new store eleven years ago he had a city architect architect architect archi archi- plan It and he told him to make male it the biggest and brightest and handsomest town country-town store in North Dakota and the architect did so When it was finished and Mann i put worth of fixtures of plate glass and mahogany and Cir Clr- I cassian walnut in It some other storekeepers called it Manns Iann's Folly Fol Fol- ly Word of ot this big and costly store went out over all aU the state and country storekeepers came from all parts to look at it Too fine th they y said All that finery will drive farmers away Farmers and their wives wont won't feel at home among all these mirrors and fine fixings They wont won't want to track mud in onto these velvet carpets This big fine store will be Fred Manns Mann's finish you watch and see if it wont won't Mann answered that he couldn't have havo a store too nice and prosperous looking for his farmer friends When Mann put Into his store the finest line of or nationally advertised advertised advertised adver adver- mens men's clothing in this country country country coun coun- try tho khe greater part of it made to sell for 30 and more a suit the old-fashioned old storekeepers predicted that he had certainly bought an nn elephant elephant ele ole there Farmers wouldn't pay lay 50 or 40 or even 30 for a asuit asuit asuit suit of clothes anybody with sense to go in out of the rain knew that When Mann Maun and his brother went down to New York City and bought a great stock of women's to ready-to- wear garments and hats such as they Continued on Page Pago ag Two o BIG COUNTRY MERCHANTS Continued from Pago Page One have havo in the finest millinery stores r down lawn there and when he camo came back and gave up nearly one ono whole floor I t of his store to the display of those costly things for women the country storekeepers of the state were sure he had put his foot In it Why hes he's got enough fine dresses and coats and things there to supply the women of or ofa ora a city of or fifteen or twenty thousand people and theres there's only people in Devils Lake they argued Hes Hos I- I got goe to sell those fine things to the women of Devils Lake for the farmers farmers farmers farm- farm ers wives wont won't buy huy them they're too fine No ree sir it cant can't be done 1 t I But mut Mann didn't know It couldn't be done be-done done and so he ho went right ahead and did It it Since the new store opened opened opened open open- ed eleven clevea years ago Mann has added added added add add- ed worth more fixtures I making worth in all Ther The r j. farmers do feel at home in the store the they do track mud in on the tho rich green carpets for so sometimes the janitors sweep up bushels of dried mud after a bus busy day and the farmers do buy the high-class high clothing clothing cloth cloth- ing lug and other othe goods They b bought ugh more than a half million dollars' dollars worth last they are exceed- exceed v ring ing that by this year The Toe 1 business has grown so 80 that it is crowding and cramping the store storo that was too big eleven years ago Mann has more ground and i h going to build a big addition to the store right away The farmers like this new store and its merchandise so well wen that j J r the they drive in regularly from distances dist dis- dis t lances of twenty and thirty miles r and several hundred customers customer live 1 fifty to ninety miles away It la Jg not because there are no towns or stores within those dl distances of Devils De Lake for the county has ha l fifteen n i thousand population and there are J 1 other towns and stores aplenty but they Are the old fashioned kind You see it drat rat at Manns s s an advertising phrase so ao well vi knos known u Inthe in inthe inthe the Devils Lake Lake country that thit e believe It and act on it We Ve owe our suo sur 3 o 0 o three things says Frt Fr- 1 t Maun Mann end ind f r each of the three i is sn a important und end the three are so l m i tt t t it t t t I Ido Ido do not know whip hi i 1 to put first firs but butone butone one of the chief reasons why e eI I have gotten along so well is that T i saw in time tha the great greil change p. p hat that was co coming over the tse t Il firm life ife cf l f this Western Vestern oua on r ry 1 I In- In Ei r tx xi U Ur I r important rt factor tr in our nur sure sure sure- C. C J and ald the 1 Is what but bt F f heath calli community service P f. f g. g k r r f I 1 realized years ago that tha tle pioneer pio- pio 5 c neer ne'er neer days and cou had gone gono it forever ver just as surely as the 0 ox team sch ner l had vanished with the coming of if tie te t e railways I saw the tractor and the gang plow and the reaper and the threshing machine come in here t t. t make farming a great and profitable business business business busi busi- ness on these prairies Tho old- old time farmer with his primitive tastes and needs had given place to the twentieth century farmer of the plains who i a business man whose sons and daughters go through high school and the state university who reads the magazines magazines and newspapers and is as well in informed informed informed in- in formed as city folks I 1 saw farmers t. t of the new day building big modern houses with water plants and baths and sewer connections and lighted as well as city houses Calls for 15 l Shoes I saw the gasoline engine coming Into the far plant furnishing electric electric electric elec elec- light and power I saw the automobile automobile au- au 1 come in to the farm to annihilate anni- anni distances an I realized that the old-fashioned old town country-town store with Its dark forbidding Interior interior Inte into nor its piles of old stylo clothing and shoes and shoes which som smart travelIng traveling traveling travel- travel Ing man had dumped there must go gothe gothe gothe the way of the sod house the farm bug buggy the kerosene lamp the homeI homemade home- home 1 I made dress and the suit of clothing cut out with an ax I saw sawall all of that in time to get from under and to be ready for the new day Now let me show you how it works out In our wear to departments departments departments de de- de- de the very best stuff is bought by farmers not farmers not solely by bythe I 1 the young men and women of the farm but by the older odes ones too We Wo sell far more 40 HO and 50 suits to suits aults to farmers than we wo do 20 and 30 suits We have a big stock of Ij mens men's mens 60 CO suits coming for falland 11 the most of them will go to farmers I for for two-thirds two of cur trade is with I farmers Our best sellers In women's shoes this year rear cost 12 and 1 most popular shoe for good wear f fall ll will cost 1 15 We had a big demand for women's 50 50 and 65 suit and coats this spring and aud sold solda a ti a good number l at nO 70 to 30 80 We I thought when we marked a mans man's shirt that us used cd to sell at up to 3 our farmer tr trade de might balk bant a lit lit- tle tic But nut they pay 4 1 and 5 for tI a to Sunday shirt now Without a murmur We sold every every- thing we had at that price this spring When I was down East buying for this spring he added I looked looked looked look look- ed at covert and leather automobile coats but was a lIt little le dubious be because because because be- be cause the price was I said Til III take just one and display it ft If it it- doesn't sell Ill I'll wear it myself It wasn't in the store twenty-four twenty hours before it was sold to a Q farmer I sent and got one more and I sold It and took orders for two more the second du day it was shown I sent in for three more and they were sold 1 quickly Now we have given a good j order for those coats for this fall Mr Manns Mann's belief that the far farmer ner would buys buy the tho best for himself and home had been justified Many of I j our Ur farmers he said lodge their hired help in one big bg room with a piano and a t talking machine in it The demand for fine rugs and drapery drapery drapery drap drap- ery fabrics is growing all the time The old Idea that the more a store JO looks ks like a a. stable the better the farmer likes it is wrong They like an attractive e store The farmer to today today today to- to day is educated to see beauty in things and to be in love with it and to want it They are proud of the the store They bring visitors from other towns to this store to show it II off oa Mann says the farmer has progressed progressed progressed pro pro- I gressed much more rapidly than the average a country storekeeper who still h has s the old fashioned till under the counter He says too that a business doesn't have to stay star small I just because the town is small The automobile has brought the country right into town and the town small-town store has all the surrounding country country country coun coun- try to sell to Tl e day of isolation on the farm I p passed with the coming of the auto auto- mobile The day of the retired farmer farm farm- I er coming to town to live is passing too Now the farmer who is getting old has all the comforts of the city In his farm home homo and he stays there i amid the things he likes lIles This lengthens his days and makes mal him a producer long after the farmer Carmer farmer who retired to the town has been been buried burled Theres no place for the time old-time I country storekeeper says Mann He has dropped behind the procession procession procession sion has fallen lJ by the wayside He must change his ways or go and the I I sooner the better Dont Don't waste any sympathy on him himi he doesn't deserve deserve deserve de de- serve it If H he cant can't keep up he must give way to someone who can The order mail houses were quick to see the dawning of this new now i I day Notice their catalogues which they send out by the trainloads to farmers See how they appeal to the taste for the artistic and beautiful in thing to wear and for the home homb I I I i I See their colored fashion plates gotten up by the best artists Do you think they are spending all that money for fun Not at all And yet et the average town country-town store storekeeper storekeeper storekeeper keeper with his antiquated stocks and methods is crying g out that maUI mail maU- order houses are ruining him Of course they are The Juggernaut of progress is going to smash anyone who gets gels In the way But the mall mall- order houses are arc not hurting me nor any merchant who keeps up-to- up date Carloads of Catalo Catalogues cs j t I Man Ian Mann is p president riel of the North North Dakota Dakota Retail Retail Merchants Merchants' Ats' Ats c a- a tion and president of Cf the Federated Community Life Association of North Dakota These associations made made a survey of country stores in that state and found that where the mal mail order houes were doing the most business the merchants were backward backward back back- ward their stores were dark and d dirty their stocks stocks' old musty and dust dusty Their goods were not displayed displayed displayed dis dis- dis- dis played they did not advertise These associations found that tho the mail mall order houses sent two thirty-two carloads of catalogues into Fargo twenty carloads into Bismarck seven seven seven sev sev- en carloads into Minot and two into I North Dakota last year in to thousands of or cata- cata sent direct through the mails They sent into Devils Lake this spring four carloads each car containing containing con con- catalogues catalogues Mg big catalogues in all all to to be distributed among the farmers of the Devils Lake Lale region One order mail cloak I house sold in North Dakota i worth of women's coats last sear sea sea- I r son order Mail houses took fifteen million dollars out of th the tho state last year And yet I do not foar fear them at atall atall I all says Mann They dont don't keep kap j me from growing steadily because I 1 pursue the same methods to get business that the matt mail houses Douses do I even go then them one or nr two |