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The Selection of a Soda Fountain

T seems simple, but it is not always an easy task to do right. This task I is made difficult, when you try to get what you ought to have, by many false prophets who point out the wrong roads for selfish aims. There are many conditions affecting the consideration of any particular style of fountain which must have your attention before you can intelligently decide upon the wise purchase of a reliable apparatus. Merchants having had previous experience with fountains and their installation, are, as a rule, buyers of larger and more expensive fountains than the beginner, who is inclined to be timid, not having had the pleasant previous experience of seeing the nickels and dimes come over the counter in liberal paying amounts. Soda water in every part of the country is being consumed in constantly increasing qualities. Therefore, a well arranged and thoroughly constructed soda fountain, where a high quality of syrups, fruits, ice cream and carbonated waters are dispensed, is sure of a success, which in business always means reputation and profit. The size of your fountain outfit will naturally vary and depends upon your location, and in a measure on the population of your city and its suburbs. It is our experience as manufacturers of soda water apparatus that a merchant making his first purchase of a fountain buys much too small an outfit. He looks only at the price, and $500 or $1,000 seems a large sum to invest in a proposition where the returns are in five and ten-cent pieces, and from that standpoint his purchase is almost invariably of too small capacity. Whether you buy for cash or on our easy payment plan, your fountain must be considered as an investment and the price of it is not the most important consideration, as you receive full value for your money invested. It is really remarkable on what easy terms we sell fountains. The small monthly payments are easily made out of the profits, and thousands of merchants everywhere have successfully established themselves in profitable business with but small capital. Having a thriving city of 5,000 inhabitants it would seem quite safe to purchase a fountain outfit from $1,000 to $1,500. Many cities, especially in the South, of 5,000 inhabitants, boast of five fountains, and they are successful, too. A merchant near Lake Michigan, where the season is short, has a $6,500 outfit and says it was the best investment he ever made and his city's population is barely 12,000. Conservative advice suggests that you don't plunge, but don't be too timid. Small villages support two and three fountains costing from $300 to $800 each. Large cities support hundreds and thousands of fountains, and always the more fountains the more soda water consumption. Competition is the life of trade. Another important consideration for the buyer is the fact that your fountain will be in your store many years, generally from seven to ten years. You must have a fountain that will wear well and look well and work well after long service. Also this is a long period and your population may double or treble and you must provide more for the future than the present. Concerning the apparatus itself each purchaser has his individual ideas and notions about its beauty and convenience. We can, therefore, only suggest for your consideration the following: The better the construction, the better the fountain. The more thoroughly the work is planned and carried out, the better the results. A fountain is only as good as its weakest part. Don't forget it must be practical and substantial. The fountain that gives you the best display and contains the best materials will save you the most money. No business can attain its full measure of success without advertising. Make your fountain your advertiser. A handsome fountain, complete, correctly installed and well run will make fifty men where it will break one. Buy a fountain only from thoroughly old and reliable manufacturers with a well earned reputation, and through salesmen who know their business from A to Z, and you won't go wrong. Your good business judgment must indicate your preference in size and style.