The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-09-08
STORY OF A BOOK AGENT.
HOW he Climbed a Ladder and Sc
cured q Subscriber.
| late Tribune editorial

A late Tribune editorial on book
agents, it appears to me, says cores
pondent of the Springfield Republican,
bears Bromley's ear marks. Ii SO. no
one could speak more feelingly on
this subject than Bromley, for he was
once book agent himself. Bromley
had just left College. and was hesita
ting as to what to do, when the enter
prising publisher of 1.-The History of
the World persuaded him to make
trip to New Brunswick to introduce
the work. After some hesitation,
Bromley acceded. aud started on his
journey. The day after his arrival he
sailed forth from his hotel to com
mence his canvass, but for a long
while hesitated as to where to begin.
By-and-by he spied clerical-looking
person of very neat appearance and
dignifed demeanor, sitting on a front
step. Approaching him, Bromley in
troduced himself as introducing The
History of the World
Pleased to meet you. Take
seat" said the stranger. What have
you 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 1.-The history of the
world, from the creation down to the
present year, 49,; bracing full and
complete description of the Garden of
Eden, the world before the deluge,
the food itself, progress OF the Gre
clan and Roman empires, with much
information concerning other nations
of antiquity. prior to the birth of
Christ, the rise and progress of Chris
tianity, conversion of Constantine.
growth OF the Papacy, the crusades.
tile thirty years war, the American
Revolution, the, French Revolution,
the Mexican war, the great exhi bition,
the voyages and fate of Sir John
Franklin, full exposition of the
Rochester knockings, the loss of the
Arctic, &C., DC, all in one magnificent
octave, half Turkey morocco. of sew
eral hundred pages, all at the low
price OF FIVE dollars" Hero the new
solicitor paused for breath.
ANY illustrations? said the stran-
GER .1ts
Pictures? [ should say so. There
are steele plates by the dozen, litho
graphs by the hundred, and woodeuts
by the thousand"
Portraits or landscapes p was the
next query.
Both, sir; and everything else on
earth or IN the waters under the earth.
There are lkenesses of Adam, Eve,
Noah, Moses, Potipher's s wife, Daniel,
Hosea, Beelzebub, aud all the other
old saints, besides Napoleon, George
Washington, Zack Taylor, Frank
Pierce, Henrietta Robinson, the
veiled murderess, p T. Barnum, and
innumerable others. besides engrav-
ings from drawings by our own artists
engaged at an enormous expense in
every section 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 of
ploughing, Italian races, Daniel in the
lions den, battlefield of Bunker I'LL.
Waterloo, and Buena Vista, the open
Polar Sea. bay and city OF New York
by moonlight. with figure Of Hicks,
the pirate hanging from a scaffold on
Bedloc Island In the foreground,
interior of Bowery concert saloon,
the route Of the proposed Air Line
Railroad. interior Of DIR. IS great
pill factory, &C., &C."
Well said the stranger, that
must certainly be remarkable
work.
Yes" said Bromley, 81 should say
SO. OF course you will subscribe for
a copy?"
Subscribe, 0, no. / don't want
the book. l let you go on because |
used to canvass tor 1t myself, and L
inst wanted to see whether You knew
your lesson. You will do pretty we'll,
though you forget some things. but
you made up for that by putting in
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