We are all used to thumbing through the catalogs that arrive in the mail almost daily for the latest bargains, even in this Internet age. The first such catalog — more of a flyer — was sent out by Montgomery Ward late this month in 1872. That first catalog consisted of only one page, featuring 163 items for mail order purchase. But the idea was so successful that by 1904, the Ward’s catalog weighed in at four pounds. While Montgomery Ward ceased producing its catalog in 1985, the home shopping business is still thriving, generating an increasing amount of sales on the Internet. There are about 22,000 electronic shopping and mail order houses, and each year they sell $221 billion worth of goods. You can find more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau, online at <www.census.gov>.