Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-04-23
PedIar,s Congress in Germany.

From All the Year Round.
Vattel informs us that there are three var
cites of congresses known in diplomacy
First, there is the congress of princes, such as
that of Verona where the regnants settle
how instructions are to be put down next
we have the congress of Plenipoteniaries, as
that of Aix-la- Chapelle; and lastly, the mixed
congress, where princes and ambassadors form
diplomatic pot pourri. The erudite writer
has entirely omitted another congress the
German Pedlars' Congress, held every Janu-
airy and June.
Ehningen, the place where the congress is
held, is situated at the foot of the Rauhe Alp,
in Wurtemberg. 1t is possibly shade dirtier
than other German villages, and an unusual
number of masterless pigs roam about its mar
row streets. Though assumed to contain five
thousand inhabitants, if you visit it at any
other period than that of the half yearly con
gress, you will probably only meet the parish
priests swne-herd for the entire population
live by hawking. The Teutonic Cheap Jack
halls from Ehningen, and he and his fellows
attend every fair for hundreds Of miles around
HOW THE CONGRESS is COMPOSED.
AS the period of the congress arrives all the
roads leading to Epningen are thronged with
homeward bound peddlers, their wives and
children. They have to reckon up the profits
Of the year, attend to parechial matters, marry
their daughters, and last but not least, lay in
their wares for the coming season. The con-
gress, i'll a word is composed of commercial
gentlemen, who arrive from all parts of the
civilized world, to do business with men who
can scarcely write their own names, and find
it a hard matter to make both ends meet. Still
many of these peddlers have yearly credit
amounting to five thousand pounds The
traveller to any large wholesale house would
be supposed TO have neglected the interests of
his masters unless he took orders for at least
twenty thousand pounds at each congress AS
at least two hundred travellers annually arrive
at Ehningen for orders, Vattel might have
mentioned the congress without any deroga-
ton to diplomacy. The most curious thing, is
that. though this enormous amount of credit is
granted to men only one remove from pauper-
dom, very few bad debts are made. The ped
oilers have their pride as well as the richest
merchant, and starve themselves in order to
meet their payment
THE INNS.
There is only one inn at Epnngen, where
the travellers dine together, lodging in the
private houses. German commercial gents
represent the fast type of the nation, and
though this class is much alike all over the
world, ndulging to an extreme in loud pat
terms and heavy jewery, the Germans sur
pass their brethren by their insane love of
smashing everything. Mine host of the
Traube can tell you many quaint story
about his guests how, on one occasion, four
of them destroyed property valued at eight
hundred and thirty fiorins, which they paid
for without a murmer.
THE CUSTOMERS.
So soon as the commercial has established
himself he hires young girl representing the
boots of civilization, who leads him to the
houses of his various customers. The female
population of Ehningen are peculiar for
damp umbrella SMELL by which you can know
them all through Germany Babe then
wades along through the sush and istops be-
fore the first house, where the new arrival
forms the end of long queue of travellers
standing OH the rickety wooden ladder leading
to the door. 1t is the fashion at Ehningen
that the gentlemen bagmen should pay their
respects to their customers and inquire at
what hour they will be pleased to look at sam.
pies.
TRAVELLERS.
AT length our special travellers turn ar
rives and he enters the low.Toofed smoky
sleeping room. Here the host probably offers
him hand odorous of the pigsty, while mad
anne is tidying herself at the glass, in short
petticoas which have once been cleaner. The
Traveller begins by inquiring after the health
of all the family, gradually working round 10
the object of his visit. Can Haus Michel or
as the case may be, do anything in calicoes
Hans Michel appeals to Matchen for her ad-
vice, and she replies that they are full of cal
leo up to the eyes, but there can be no harm
in having louk. Thereupon Hans consults
very dirty piece of paper covered with HER
oglyphics, and at length expresses his opinion
that the traveller may call next Thursday
week at P. NJ. The traveller books the hour,
and proceeds to the next house on the same
errand. When all the visits have been paid.
the traveller generally finds that lie has a
weeks leisure before business commences, for
the worthy pedars are not at all disposed to
hurry. A holiday is such a rarity to them
that they enjoy it to their hearts content.
ADJUSTMENTS.
While the pedlars are busted in regulating
their domestic affairs and bothering their
brains over the different currencies which rep
resent their floating capital the commercial
gentlemen indulge in their sole recreation
drinking and playing at skittles. How large
their consumption OF liquids might be is prov.
ed by the fact that mine host of the Traube is
enabled to keep his house open, year in and
year out, on his six weeks receipts. No one
would visit Ehningen save on compulsion.
The quantity OF champagne consumed in
those SIX weeks would run the widow dry,
but, fortunately for her, the rhubarb juice an
swers the purpose inditferenty well With
the German commercial travellers quantity is
the rule, quality is the exception.
BUSINESS
When business begins in earnest, it is salts.
factory. If the pedar wants your article he
gives you large order; if already overstocked
he tells you SO at once. There is no beating
about the bush, no buying job lots at dis
count because the hawker has no ready mon
ey: that is swallowed up by back debts. He
simply lives from hand to mouth, and never
can become rich, because he must pay what
the wholesale houses think proper to charge
in order to cover the risk. The traveller ad-