Inside of these stores there was a jumble of merchandise in a long forgotten order that only the merchant could dare remember. There were long counters that ran the length of the side walls with drawers, bins, and shelves. The heavier hardware such as rakes, shovels, hay forks, adzes, plows, scythes and such were usually stored in the back of the store. Buggy whips hung from the ceiling where the buyer could make a careful selection then jerk the whip free and it was his. The ceiling itself was usually used for display and at times for storage. Corn poppers, kerosene lanterns, wooden buckets, tin pails, and kitchen ware all hung from hooks and string. Next to them would be leather wagon harnesses, horse collars and chains hanging haphazardly. Many times the merchants divided their store so that the “women’s” merchandise was on the right side of the store and the “men’s” on the left. At the front of the store toward the left of the double doors was the section for the drugs, patent medicines, pipes, tobacco products and knife ware. In fact, there was always a knife there for the customer to use to cut himself off a ten cent slice of tobacco. The little post office "cubby" holes was always located toward the back of the store near the merchant's desk and ledger books. This way the merchant could keep up with any of his customers who had the audacity to try and sneak by with an order through one of the mail order “wish books.”
