July 1, 1911 



And they carry it out to the very letter. 

 I do not know whether the heads of these 

 great firms are professing Christians; but 

 they seem to have discovered that the 

 ChristianUke way of doing business is the 

 best advertisement that the world has ever 

 discovered. Let me give you one illustra- 

 tration: 



Some years ago I wanted a fur cap. I ask- 

 ed Montgomery Ward &: Co. to send me two 

 caps, saying that I would return one of them 

 at my own expense. You see I wanted the 

 privilege of examining both before deciding. 

 Well, I returned one of them, and paid the 

 postage on it; but just as soon as it was re- 

 ceived they sent back the postage. Just for 

 the fun of it I made a little protest, saying 

 that I wanted to try the two caps, and asked 

 only for the privilege of making a change, 

 and therefore it was my duty to pay return 

 postage. They replied that it was their cus- 

 tom to pay charges on any thing returned, 

 no matter what the circumstances were. 



Considerable has been said through the 

 papers about the duty of everybody patron- 

 izing his own town. I have heard both 

 sides of the case fully argued; but it seems 

 to me that every American citizen should 

 have the privilege of purchasing ichat he 

 wants where he chooses, and as he chooses. 

 Last winter I showed some of my neighbors 

 the things I had bought for 2 cts. each. One 

 of them remarked, "These things at our 

 hardware stores would cost 10 cts. each." 

 Another neighbor declared that 15 cts. would 

 be the price, and he would not get as good 

 an article even then. Now, when 1 say 

 this I do not mean that our Florida hard- 

 ware men charge more than do our mer- 

 chants up here in the North; and when we 

 come right down to the important question, 

 I can not understand ichy hardware men, 

 and especially those who run "racket 

 stores," do not send and get these two and 

 four cent goods, put them right out in sight 

 of their customers, and charge double the 

 price that they pay for them to the Chicago 

 houses. 



One more point before closing, and an ex- 

 ceedingly important one it is. It is worth 

 a big lot to be able to return something that, 

 for sufficient reason, you would rather not 

 keep. Here is a case in point: My neighbor 

 bought a quantity of oil for his automobile. 



413 



I think it cost him 60 cts. a gallon. When 

 he discovered it was not suitable for that 

 particular machine (and he discovered it in 

 a very short time) , the local merchant was 

 very much averse to taking it back. He 

 afterward got a very much better oil for his 

 purpose, of Sears, Roebuck «& Co. for only 30 

 cts. These institutions I have mentioned 

 take every thing back so cheerfully and will- 

 ingly, standing all expense, that customers 

 feel ashamed to trouble them, and I think 

 this is one great reason why so few goods 

 are sent back. 



A SEARS AUTOMOBILE WITH SOLID-RUBBER 

 TIRES. 



My brother in Michigan has been run- 

 ning one of the Sears automobiles for the 

 last few months. It cost (with top) only 

 $365, and has solid-rubber tires instead of 

 pneumatic like mine in Florida. Well, after 

 running the machine through mud and 

 sand, both up hill and down, for a good 

 many miles over the Michigan country 

 roads, I am very agreeably surprised to find 

 solid tires almost as easy riding as the pneu- 

 matic. When going at a pretty good speed 

 over loose gravel there is a sort of chatter or 

 rattle that pneumatic tires entirely prevent. 

 But when we take into consideration not 

 only the expense but thert/;/;o.y«»ceof punc- 

 tured tires, especially when they get to be a 

 little old, I believe Iwill give the preference 

 to the cheaper solid tires, or rather, perhaps, 

 to the somewhat more ex])ensive cushion 

 tires. The machine in question has given 

 no trouble so far at all; and it is so much 

 quicker to start than a horse and buggy, to 

 say nothing of the greater speed; and as it 

 never gets tired, it begins to look as if the 

 Sears automobile were really cheaper in the 

 end than a horse and buggy; and last, but 

 not least, when not in use it costs nothing. 

 While there my brother received a telegram 

 calling him to look after some property in 

 Arizona. Now, while he is absent, say for 

 a month or two, no such preparation has to 

 be made as is needed with a horse; and it is 

 the same way with my automobile down in 

 Florida. It may be locked up, and it stands 

 there without expense until it is wanted 

 once more; and when wanted it will be just 

 as ready to go as when it was running every 

 day. 



[i{]D(i[}{]o[p[^[ 



m\^\E (B[p\\!^m\Em^(B 



By A. I. Root 



"high-pressure" APPLE-TREES, SANDY 

 VETCH, ETC. 



My brother, J. H. Root, is at present lo- 

 cated near Fennville, Allegan Co., Michi- 

 gan, right on the east shore of Lake Michi- 

 gan, where fruit-growing is such an indus- 

 try. Well, while there on a visit we were 

 speaking of sandy vetch, and he remarked 

 that a lady who owned a forty-acre fruit- 

 farm, almost next neighbor, was growing 

 sandy vetch largely. He said, also, that 

 we must certainly make her a visit, because 



she was one of the most progressive fruit- 

 growers in that region. Her excellent fore- 

 man showed us over the place. It was just 

 after a big rain, and he said he wanted to 

 look over the farm anyway. I noticed 

 when he started out he picked up a nice 

 bright, light, and clean hoe. It was just 

 such a one as I have at home, that I want 

 in my hand whenever I go around to look 

 over the crops. Well, very soon I found a 

 field of several acres of sandy vetch and rye. 

 The vetch was in bloom, and presented a 



