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William Nielsen (far
left) is mayor cf Frank
lin. Deb Gooder (cen
ter) walks across a
nearly empty show
room at his Case Inter
national and Pontiac
dealership. Jeff Strong
(right), former man
ager of Franklin Feed
Service, stands near
three closed grain bins.
Photos by Joel Sartore
his repair shop is doing well because when people can't afford to
buy new, they repair the old.
Gooder isn't as optimistic as Slocum and the Muilowneys. He
sees no relief, at least not for two years.
The government isn't going to step in and raise grain prices, he
said. Grain prices must go up or everyone will go broke. "Our day
is coming," he said. "Next year this toe things will get screaming
bad."
But, Gooder hopes he is wrong
Two years ago he was debt-free. Now he owes nearly $60,000.
Gooder said he last sold a tractor in December and a combine in
September. "To sell a tractor in tltis day and age, it's unimaginable,"
he said
Gooder said he would like to sell 50 cars this year, six or seven
tractors and three combines. But he knows he won't. If he sells half
that many, he'll be lucky.
Yet he is concerned about his dealership. He's worried Case
International will force him to Install a computer. Then, he might
have to drop the franchise. "I don't think I'll make it," he said.
For his dealership to succeed, the farmers have to make it.
"We're so tied in agriculture," he said. "I don't know if anyone else
believes it. There's an old saying 'give a farmer a dollar and he'il
spend two."
If farmers don't have money, none of us do, he said.
It's Saturday in Franklin and George Davis works in his office.
Earlier, he delivered a wn to a customer. Later, he'll deliver a car
to the school to be used for driver's education.
Across the street from Case International, sales at Davis Chev
rolet remain low. Part sales and repair work have been up though,
he said.
In the past, Davis said, his business has thrived on pickup and
truck sales. That business is gone. People can't even afford to buy
used pickups or tracks.
Davis remembers in 1978 when he won a trip to New Zealand in
a pickup sales competition. Recently, General Motors started
another contest It cost him $400; he said he has to participate in it
Under contest rules, Davis needs to sell 11 trucks and five cars.
He knows he won't
Costs like these my force Davis to give up his new-car dealer
ship. "I'll give it six months,' he said He'll still sell used cars and
keep the repsir shop going.
Davis has another role in the community. As a city council
member he watches Franklin businesses close.
A
1.
!L silver chain and padlock guard the doors of the Ben
Franklin 5-10 store. The windows are soaped Next door, a large
building used to be called Helen's Boutique. Like the Ben Franklin,
if. closed. A similar store is scheduled to open soon, Davis said,
taking up half the space cf the former business. At least three other
businesses have closed.
Nielsen said he feels "completely, absolutely terrible" every
time a business closes. "We do everything and anything we can to
keep it from happening,"
It's Saturday in Franklin and Jeff Strong is watching basketball.
He would rather be working at the Franklin Feed Service. The
business is bankrupt and Strong is physically disabled.
As manager of the feed service, Strong increased sales gross
sales hit $1.5 million. Those were good times.
Two years ago, things changed, While on the job, a man ran a
stop sign and hit Strong's truck. Then came the bad times.
Sales dropped almost $40,000 because Strong was unable to
work. Too much credit was given and debts rose.
"I suppose you could call it bad management," he said.
He strokes the sparse beard that covers his face.
Debtors stopped making payments, either filing bankruptcy or
telling Strong to sue.
Sales dropped to $480,000 last year, and the business closed,
leaving Strong disabled and without a job.
Strong wants out He attends classes at Kearney State College.
He, his wife and children want to leave Franklin, but he has to
sell his house first. Strong says it won't be easy.
"Watching a business you busted your butt to make a profit and
then get in a wreck and watch it go to hell . . . it would have to be
anything but positive," Strong said.
"It blows the hell out of the American dream."
It's Saturday in Franklin and Wiilian Nielsen is mayor of a town
with an unclear future. Some see the town surviving the hard times;
others aren't so sure.
A large sign welcomes visitors to Franklin. It reads
Best of the Good Lifef Kfvia rinsske
'Franklin,