Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1878-04-12
The Chicago Drummer.
Waco TEX } Telephone.

He reached Waco late Monday eve
ming, but bright and early Tuesday
morning he was on Austin avenue, and
the moment the boys saw him they
scented fun He was from Bosque
county, he said, raised on Steels creek,
and was representing the mamoth whole
sale tea house of Long & Co., Wabash
Avenue, Chicago. About eighteen years
Of age, clad in butternut habliments,
that might have been fashionable cen
tennial agone, his guileless, unsophisto-
Gated countenance beamed upon Austin
street grocers like vision Of innocent
verdancy. A little leather case, about
the size of an average alhsm, contained
his samples, which were neatly disposed
in tin boxes, a teaspoonful of tea to
each box. He offered the tea marvel
ously cheap, and said his house allowed
him to sell on thirty, sixty, or ninety
days time, to reliable firms Printed
instructions for agents (pasted on the
lid Of his sample box confirmed his
statements, and, as he seemed anxious
to take orders, the boys helped him
along" literally. Mr.. Slackwater, a
clerk in an avenue bookstore, started
out with an order for $50 pounds Of tea,
to be shipped to Ross Station, ninety
days time; Mr.. Perkins Che runs a de-
livery wagon for an Austin street gro
cer) was establishing heavy house at
Bosqueville, gave an order for 200
pounds; Mr.. Bangs (he clerks for Muir
ray Winn) was large dealer in grocer
les at White Rock, and elated young
verdant with an order for 300 pounds Of
the fragrant product of China And so
they carried the tea drummer up and
down Austin avenue, always introduce
ing him to heavy grocery" merchants,
and the orders the boy got soon filled
up his printed blanks. He must have
sold 1000 pounds of tea. Late in the
evening he started for Bridge St., for
Mr.. CTom) Collins who, he said, had
been recommended to him as liberal
purchaser and big merchant.
Questioning the youth as to how he
got into such a business, he informed
the reporter that about month. ago he
saw an advertisement in a Chicago pa
per, from the firm of Long 4 Co., stat
ing that on receipt of 81 .35 they would
forward to any enterprising young man
a sample case of choice teas, and allow
the purchaser to act as their agent to
sell such teas, giving commission of
335 per cent. on all sales made. He
sent the money, the case came to him
by mail, with credentials to act as the
firm S travelling agent, and he selected
Waco, it being big town, to launch out
in business. The case, with the tea con-
tanned in it could be manufactured or
bought in Chicago for 81 at the outside.
Allowing 80 cents additional for print
ing and mailing expenses, the Chicago
firm would still net S2.S5 profit on each
sample case, and estimating that
throughout the Union 5000 persons
would nibble and bite at their bait, as
this lad did, they will clear from $4,000
to $4,000 on the tea dodge. The tea
composing the samples, was Of misera-
BILE quality, such as no Waco grocer
would buy, and it is scarcely necessary
to add that of the 1000 pounds ordered
Of the poor boy by ostensible merchants,
not pound will ever be called for
The boys had their full share of fun
out of him Yesterday, and this morning,
if the Chicago drummer should
chance to read these lines, he may as
well face the fact that he has been
made the sport of practical iokers. The
experience may mortify him, but it will
not come amiss, and he will have his
wisdom tooth filed and sand -papered
before he sends money to the city, where
free divorce lawyers and collapsed saw
ings banks are as plentiful as hog wal
lows on Texas prairie.