Tales of the Road

of a successful wholesale or manufacturing house and you stand upon the threshold of an establishment represe

re cold, stiff winds than any kind of worker I know. He must think quickly, yet use judgment; he must act quickly and still have on hand a rich store of patience; he must work hard, and often long. He must coax one minute and "stand pat

s on the silk are blue instead of green; nor do I mean the man who wraps up a collar, size 16, and calls "cash;" I mean the man who takes his grip or sample t

happy to get there again. Yet were they permanently to adopt a profession-say the law-they would make better lawyers because they had been traveling men. Were many professional men to try the road, they would go back to their first occupation beca

tudying a profession. When he goes on the road he may save a great part of his salary, for the firm he will represent will pay his living expenses while traveling for them. He will also have many leisure hours, and even months, in which to study for a profession if he chooses; or, if he will, he may spend

salesman may achieve great success, not only on the road, but in any kind of activity. "The road" is a great training school. The chairman of the Transportation Committee in the Chicago city council, only a few years ago was a traveling man. He studied la

ling man; the present vice- president and the president's son-in-law was a traveling man when I went with the firm; one of the directors, who went with the house since I did, is a traveling man. Another who traveled for this firm is today a vice-president of a large wholesale dry goods house; one more saved enough to go recently into the wholesale business for himself. Out of the lot six married daughters of wealthy parents, and thirty or more,

week; and both of them have been drudges. One has moved up from slave-bookkeeper to credit-man slave

the road selling bonds. He asked me if I could give him any pointers. I said: "Work and be square-never come down on a price; m

e deal is the only thing to give your customer. You can do a little scaly work and win out at it for a while

l one for many years. He would not even look at another salesman's goods-and you know that it is a whole lot of satisfaction to get into a town and wal

his head that the business belonged to him, and he tried to run it. But Logan wouldn't stand

to open a new store and "buck" Logan. Well, you know it is not a bad thing to "stand in" with the head clerk when you wish to do business in an establishment. So I had always treated Fred right and he liked me and had confidence in me. In fact

bles a man on the road to get an established trade. The clerks in the store also get interested in some special brand because they have customers who come in and ask for that particular thing a few times. They do not s

and that he was going to put in a new stock. I, of course, had to tell him that I must stay with Logan, but that out of appreciation of his past kindness to me I would do t

tricks and a first-class establishment will always protect its customers. My house told Fred that before they could sell to him they would have to get my sanction. They wired me about it, and I, of course, had to be square with my faithful old friend, Logan; I placed the matter

inst it" in his town-my old customer gone out of business; Fred not wanting, then, of course, to buy of me. Bu

s a whole lot to do with business. Of course, a poor man would not prosper in the busy streets of Cairo, but the best sort of a hustler would starve to death doing business on the Sahara.

how sorry he was not to get hold of this "snap." I put my wits togethe

e city and go into the banking business. The banker knew all about the way that I had treated his brother-in-law, and I felt that because I had been square with Logan he would have c

ion, told him that he could have all the money he needed-$16,000. The banker also wired to the p

y cent's worth, that he uses in my line, from me. He i

ll not long continue to buy from a traveling man in whom he has no confidence. He, in great measure, depends on the judgment of the traveling man as to the styles and quantities he should buy. If the salesm

business in the salesman's line, buying the same kind of goods from two or more houses. Then the s

t to my sample room and gave me an order for a bill of hats. He bought at random. When I asked him what sizes he wanted, he said: "Oh, run 'em regular." "Very well," said I, "but will it not be well to look throu

s." I found that he had five dozen already on hand. "Look here," said I, "don't you think I wou

cated," I suggested. We worked together for four hours-until after midnight. It was the big

s to buy goods-"you have enough of some kinds to last you three years. Others, because they have gone out of style

one from my firm is just as guilty as the rest-have been loading you. Why, i

o along with them," broke in my frie

for three, or even for two. You can buy no more than you can sell to your customers, unless you go broke some day. Your interest and my interest are the same. In truth, I stand on the same side of the counter as you do. It is to my interest to treat you right. My firm is mer

all of his business; I

business. Many a man becomes a merchant and, because he is either too close-fisted or hasn't enough capital or credit with which to buy goods, is awakened, some fine morning, by the tapping on his front door of the Sheriff's hammer. A man may think that if he

ading hat salesman of St. Louis, on

w it goes-the more one sells the more he wants to sell and can sell. I heard of a big cattleman who was also running a cross-roads grocery stor

uld pick up a small bill anyway. I make it a rule never to overlook even a little order, for enough of them amount to as much as one big one. W

ght in at first only a couple of stacks of samples, thinking that

'a dollar apiece.' I used to always show c

lling a fine Stetson hat off his head, said

zen,' I answered, at the same time han

y suit us cattlemen; we are not pau

Tw

talking about a pasteboard box

come in a ca

give me

o him: 'That's lots more, Colonel, than I usually sell of that kind,

money. Did you see that big bunch of cattle as you came in? They're all mine-mine, suh; and I don't owe the bank a cent on

wo stacks with him and then brought in the rest of my samples. He bought a case of a kind right through-fine hats, medium hats and cheap hats for greasers; he bought blacks, browns and

have to call there again for a long time. The house s

at he would shoot me if I called on him. But when I reached the town next to his, my customer there, who was a friend of the Colone

been obliged to take the wooden cases they were shipped in and make out of these boxes an addition to his store. Lumber was scarce i

', suh. When you were heah befo' I fear that I allowed my indignation to arise. I am sorry of it, suh, sorr

fidence, but I fear that I myself was impertinent in trying to show you tha

Every one of these boys bought one of those finest hats you sold me. They spread the news that I had a big stock and a fine stock, all over this country; and, do you know, people have come two hundred miles to buy hats of me? Some of my friends laughed at me, they say, because I bought so many that I had to use the cases they came in to make an addition to my sto'. But the more they laughed, suh, the more necessary they made the addition. If you can only get people to talking about you, you will thrive. Beli

n any other customer I had. When I started to have my trunks unloaded the Colonel said to me: 'Now just hol' on there; that's entirely unnecessary. The last

e right stock. Here's where a man's personality and adaptability are his stock in trade when he is on the road; and the good salesman gets the bu

me how he sold a bill to a well-known ol

usic. Our shop boys organized a brass band. I played the trombone, and learned to do so fairly well. I never thought then that my music

'Wild Irishman of C

, the cran

Larry, t

let business drop enti

hadn't been in a minute until he said to me: 'Oi'm all full up;

anything from you, you know, he is always willing to sell you something, even if it is only a cigar. I've caught many a merchant's ear by buying somethi

e let me see it. 'Oi'll lit ye say the insthrumint,' said he, 'but pwhat's the good of it? Ye can't play the

es and fishes are very foine dishes for Saint Pathrick in the mairnin'' fairly ring. A big crowd came in. Larry let business drop entirely and danced a jig. He kept me playin

ond between us. When I finished, the old man said to me: 'Thank ye, thank ye, sor, with all my hairt! That's enoof. Let me put the hairn away. Go hoom now. But coom aroond in the mairnin' and Oi'll boy a bill

merchants in the town and made them buy from me. He bought every d