a
lively interest in this work, and impart that interest to the
salespeople; and only so far as this personal interest extends, from
cash boy to president, does the business prosper.

Upon this foundation has been raised a business of such proportions that
it scarcely knows any limits, and wherever telephone or telegraph, mail
or express, reaches, there you will find this business represented.
Distance makes no difference. Customers served at any time and in any
place. Catalogues, representative of the entire stocks of these large
houses, are issued from time to time, and regularly find their way into
the people's homes, no expense being spared to keep customers informed
regarding goods and prices. The methods employed have won their trade,
and fair treatment retains it. The tremendous growth of this business is
the most satisfactory proof that it has succeeded. It clearly
demonstrates that they have the confidence of their customers
everywhere, that buying in this way is becoming better understood and
appreciated; and that the method of shopping by mail is no longer an
experiment, but, beyond argument, is an acknowledged success. A
perfectly organized mail-order department is a distributing agency for
the whole country, requiring a perfect system, demanding intelligence,
exactitude, and promptness, carefulness in filling, and despatch in
sending orders.

It reaches out for the trade of people in distant towns and villages.
These places are full of bright, intelligent people, whose ability to
buy is unquestioned. They are reached only by intelligent and truthful
advertising. The mails take the counters of the big stores to the doors
of these people. They like to shop by mail. They like to get samples and
catalogues, and to make a selection of city goods, being strongly
impressed that they get something different from what the local dealer
supplies; something their neighbors haven't got, something stylish,
exclusive. The means of communication are better and quicker than ever
before. Whoever can write a letter can send for nearly everything they
want. Wherever the catalogue goes the store goes.

Some of the appeals made, statements advanced, and arguments used to
influence and encourage trade among out-of-town customers might be
classified as follows:

Whenever you order, always bear this in mind, that if you don't get
goods as represented, back goes your money to you as soon as you want
it.

The smallest order yo