Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-12-03
DBUMMER'S DEVICES.
How the Commercial Travellers In
crease Their Regular Monthly sal
aries.

aries
Dcurer RcDuGticdn.
at seems to me that you commercial
men have an easy time of it, remarked
Republican reporter to one OF the
numerous and irrepressible army OF
travelling tourists who go about the
country selling goods to country mer-
chants. The drummer" was standing
i'm the rotunda of the Windsor Hotel,
having Just returned from trip through
the interior of the State. He represents
q large Eastern house and commands
an extensive trade.
"Well, / don't know about that"
replied the commercial traveller. ave
work hard and our regular salaries are
not any too large"
ayes, but you are always on the go,
travelling from place to place, and the
change of scenry and associations make
life more endurable."
"Mest everybody talks that way, but
this is really the hardest part of the
business. We travel so much that II
makes us tired to hear anyone talk
about railroads, or stages, or hotels. II
it were not for travelling our life would
be far more pleasant. One doesn't
banker much after change of scenery
or associations, especially when it takes
him away from the city-where he
can have the advantage OF all con-
veniences which 60 TO make existence
satisfactOry-and lands him in coun-
try village, where he is in luck if he gets
something he can eat. Taking one
consideration with another, the life OF u
commercial man is not a happy one.
There's where the people who think
the way strewn with roses make
grand mistake"
"Well, what is there about the life
that makes 1t so fascinating? One
rarely leaves the road after he has fol-
lowed it for several years"
at is true that we are noted for
Sticking but this is partly because OF
preference and partly because of ncces-
sity. After one travels for awhile he
absorbs the idea that he is fit for moth
along the beaten paths. Then, again,
commercial men are the contrary of
penuriousness. They are the most lib
eral class of men Oh earth. They have
an idea that money is only made to
spend, and they squander their incomes
with the recklessness of a prince. That
is, they are lavish when their salaries
give them a chance to be; but they are
always reckless. Saving no money,
they cannot embark in business for
themselves-and so, to sum it up, L
suppose the only true reason why they
stick to the road so tenaciOusly is be-
cause necessity compels them to do so.
| know that but few men who travel
are in love with the business"
"But you men don't pretend to live
upon the regular salaries you receive"
mo, we don't; that's true. In fact
we couldn't do it. We are spendthrifts,
all of us. But man soon catches on
and learns how to inrrOaro his o"l"ry.
There are plenty of legitimate oppor-
tunitieS to DO so, and man can't be
blamed for taking advantage of them,
you know. could enumerate dozen
or more of the 'racketS' that are in COM
mon use with us, but the two most
prominent are hotels and extra bag
gage. We negotiate with the land
lords and get hotel rates down to little
more than half the regular schedule;
in our bill OfeSpenseS We forget to make
a note of this. Then, when we lay over
in place for several days, week or
month, as sometimes happens, we put
in bill for charges made on extra bag
gage. Oftentimes we get solid with the
conductor and our baggage is carried
free; you wouldn't say anything about
this to the house if you were on the
road? Why, of course not. Most
houses allow their travelling statesmen
any expense that may be incurred in
extending courtesies to customers. This
allows us to put in bills for carriages,
theatre ticketsand various other things.
OF course, we can't draw on the house
too heavily, for that might give us away,
but have made as high rs 5000, on the
side, in one month. could give you.
some other pointers, but have an en-
gagement to meet customer at Q
o'clock, and must he going. Oh, while
it is true we work hard and have to un-
dergo many hartiships, We don't suffer
very much"
And the drummer" hurried off in u
clipper sort of way that left little doubt
behind as to the peace and contentment
that reigned supreme within his bosom.