How People Got Rich

[Fox Creek Kid]

Fascinating case study of early mercantilism involving cartage, routes, etc., in early Tucson:


http://americanjewisharchives.org/publications/journal/PDF/1971_23_01_00_stanley.pdf

[Crow Choker]

Interesting. Today in 2015, they would probably have so many state/federal regulations that if those people could travel through time they would tell the 'regulators to "pound sand"!

[Octagonal Barrel]

Interesting. Today in 2015, they would probably have so many state/federal regulations that if those people could travel through time they would tell the 'regulators to "pound sand"!

I am a 2015 State of California retailer, pleeeez don't get me started on the question of regulation!!!!!

But the above document makes it clear old west retailing was financially harrowing (can be today, too), and re-supply was anything but fast or certain.  Today, my truck arrives once a week, on the same day, and nearly always within a 2 hour window.  Compare that to a trip from SF to Yuma by water and overland by horse-drawn carts thereafter.  A two hour delivery trip for our truck today vs. 60 to 90 days in the old west.  Very serious over-regulation vs. very seriously fast resupply, maybe retailing then vs. now is a wash.  Both then and now, profit margin and store location were everything.  The biz has changed over the last century, but this article makes me think it isn't any easier or harder.  Just different.  In some ways.  Fox Creek Kid, thanks for bringing this article up.

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[Fox Creek Kid]

Anyone remember this?