Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-07-14
ISAAC BROMLEY AS A BOOK
AGENT.
now HE CLIMBED A TALL HEIGHT WITH A
LADDER AND SECURED A SUBSCRIBER.

"a ihtt ANOM WIN fftOUUt
= on book agents, it appears to me, bear
m Bromley's ear marks. If so, no on
could speak more feelingly on this sui
ject than Bromley, for he was once
Ii, book agent himself. Bromley had bu
y just left college, and was hesitating q
y to what to do, whom the enterprisin
D. publisher of "The History of the World
n persuaded him to make trip to Ne'
s Brunswick to introduce the work.
After some hesitation, Bromley az
K ceded and started on his journey. Tn
y day after his arrival he sailed fourt
g. from his hotel to commence his can
vass, but for long while hesitated a
}; to where to begin. By and by h
o spied clerical-loolsing person of yer,
l. neat appearance and dignified demean
or, sitting on front step Approach
ing him, Bromley introduced himsel
as introducing "The History of th,
I. World"
}, "Please to meet you. Take seat,
Y said the stranger. "What have yot
to say about the book p
Much encouraged at this kindly re
ception, Bromley began his story, in
: which he had been very carefully in
structed on leaving home, to the effect
! that the book was "the history of the
world, from the creation down to the
= present year, 49,; embracing full and
/ complete descriptions OF the Garden Of
Eden, the world before the deluge, the
flood itself, the rise, progress, and fall
Of the Grecian and Roman empires,
with much information concerning 9th.
er nations of antiquity prior to the
birth of Christ; the rise and progress
of Christianity, conversion of Con
stantinc, growth of the Papacy, the
crusades, the thirty years war, the
American revolution, the French revo-
luton, the Mexican war, the great ex.
hibition, the voyages and fate OF Sir
John Franklin, a full exposition of the
Rochester knockings, the loss of the
Arctic, &C., &C. all in one magnificent
octave, half turkey morocco, of several
hundred pages, all at the low price of
five dollars Here the new solici-
tor paused for breath.
"Any illustrations ?" said the stran-
ger
"Picturesp | should say so. There
are steel plates by the dozen, litho-
graphs by the hundred, and wood cuts
by the thousand"
PORTRAITS or landscapes?7 was the
next query.
"Both, sir; and everything else on
earth or in the waters under the earth.
There are likenesses Of Adam, Eve,
Noah, Moses, Potiphar's wife, Daniel,
Hosea, Beelzebub, and all the other
old saints, besides Napoleon, George
Washington, ,Zack Taylor, Frank Pierce,
Henrietta Robinson, the yelled muir
deress, p. 7. Barnum, and innumera-
bic Others, besides engravings from
drawings by our own artists, engaged
at an enormous expense in every sec
tion of the globe. Among these are
views of the garden of Eden, crossing
of the Red Sea, tomb of Semiramis,
seven wonders of the world, ancient
Egyptian methods ofploughing, Italian
races, Daniel in the lions den, battle
fields of Bunker Hill, Waterloo, and
Buena Vista, the open polar sea, bay
and city of New York by moon light,
with figure of Hicks the pirate hang
ing from a scafiold on Bedloe's Island
in the foreground, interior of Bowery
concert saloon, the route of the pro-
posed Air Line Railroad, interior OF
Dr.-'s great pill factory, &C., &C.,
"Well," said the stranger, "that must
certainly be remarkable work.
ayes" said Bromley, 81 should say
so. or course you will subscribe for
copy"
Subscribe, oh, no. don't want
the book. | let you go on because /
used to canvass for it myself, and / |
just wanted to see whether you knew
your lesson. You will do pretty well,
though you forgot some things but
you made up for that by putting in a
good many that are not in. But you
forgot to say anything about any of
the pictures being colored Those
bright colors always take with the wo-
men folks. That's what makes Eoxs
Book of Martyrs go so. But, after
ysu have had ninety people say No
and been kicked down stairs hall a
dozen times, you will learn how
Good day" And with this the clerical
looking party went inside and slam
med the door.
Bromley gazed at the closed door a
few moments, then turned and went to
his hotel meditating. He stayed in
New Brunswick two weeks longer, but
did not essay any further canvass until
he received letter from the publisher,
surprise and regret at not
hearing from his now agent, save by
drafts forexpenses. This caused Brom-
ley to make another effort, and he
gave day to steady cahvnssing, with
out any success till near sundown.-
By this hour he had got well out into
the country, when in the centre of a
lot, remote from any neighbors, he
saw a carpenter at work on the roof
of a new house. Ascertaining that no
one was near Bromley approached the
house, ascended the ladder and accost-
cd the workman with, "Do you want
The History of the World, FROM"
'Nop interrupted the man sharply
Bromley was mad at last. And, look
ing at the carpenter moment, he re-
,umed, "Look hercl You've got to
buy the book" What do you mcanY"
Il mean just this: that | came from
Connecticut to New Brunswick to sell
his work. | have been here two
weeks, and have not sold q copy.
I'm going back tomorrow, and you are
-he last man shall speak to about it, ,
,ut you've got to subscribe. We are ,
'lone on this roof ! am bigger than !
you, and | have got control OF this lad ,
ier Down goes your name, or down ,
goes the ladderl" The carpenter sur ,
Keyed tho situation few moments,
md saw that Bromley held the key of ,
he position, and that there was no es-
ape. as nobody else was in hearing /,
md the ladder was the only means OF !
'ccess to the roof Hence he said ,
quietly, "Wbcre shall l sign2' There" ,
aid Bromley, handing him a blank |,
book. The man signed and then asked, |
How much2" olive dollars" @Therc
I is" handing over the amount. "All ,
light; you shall have the book in
ew days "All right GOOD day" /
Good day" "Don't trouble yourself ,
o come here again" Never With :
his Bromley went down the ladder, ,
went TO his hotel, packed his valise, /;
md started home that night