Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-02
SELLING SEWING MACH INES.
lPeck's Sun. I


sewing machine house." said a ma,
to a friend whom he found stan din.
on a corner with q piece Of cour
plaster on his nose TO hold it on
You have net thrown up the JOB
have you"
Yes, | have throwea up the Job,
said the stricken man, as he felt o,
his left ear 10 see if 1t was CROWN.
on all right. II was the victim o
misplaced confidence. The hos:
started me out wrong. He gave Utat
instructions 10 work in Wisconsin
and my being alive is a miracle"
Il don't seem 10 understand VIVA
Utah instructions have TO do with il
Let's 60 and take a drink and yor
can explain, and the two went into q
saloon followed by a newspaper man
who sat down al the same table. At
ter the martyr 10 Utah instruction:
had got his arm which was done up ia
splints, into an easy position on the
table, and his lame leg into another
chair. and blown of his beer, he
said:
You see the general agent of the
sewing machine company wanted me
10 travel through western Wisconsin
with 3 wagon, ceiling sewing ma
chimes on the installment plan, 10
farmers, aud ia towns where they
had no regular agent Before | had
started out he called me back and
gave me some instructions, He said
the onl y sure way TO sell sewing ma
chimes was TO deal directly with the
ladies of the house, and have nothing
to do with the men folks at all. Ii a
woman could be induced 10 like a
machine, and she wanted it, that set
tied it, and they would do all the
10 the men, and the sale
would be made. He told me that the
most successful agents all over the
country We're men who could talk
sweet TO women, and make them be-
lieve they were handsomer or smart
or than their neighbors, or more tasty,
or kept their house cleaner, or some
thing, aad bade me never attempt 10
sen a machine until | had got on the
right side of the woman whom | was
dealing with. He said sometimes a
playful pat on the cheek, or a chuck
under the chin Of woman in the
by an agent, would do more
to help along a sale than a weeks
talk about the merits of the machine.
aad as | was pretty good looking and
real smart he had no dOubl | would
succeed and soon become the leading
agent, and eventually be promoted to
the State agency. l was looking for
him on the corner when you spoke 10
me-" said the amateur agent, as he
felt of the strip of plaster on his nose,
ITO kill him. He must have known
Just how it would be, and | think he
wanted to get me killed, SO it would
be in the paper. and advertise the
machine. These general agents will
do anything To advertise. Well, |
had my machines shipped to Portage,
and drove there, and took a few on
my wagon and started out toward
Fox Lake, and after | had got out
about ten miles, outside the TERRITORY
of the local agent. | stopped at
house and went in and tackled the la
uy. She was real good looking,
rcd-faced woman, Of about forty,
and after talking with her about the
crops, and few things like that. ana
her on her good looks,
| put my hand up TO her face and
patted it, aud told her she was fat
little rascal. Have you ever been in
a railroad accident? No? Ever been
in a cyclone? No: Well, you don't
know anything about it. | thought
the chimney fell upon me but l
guess it was only mop, but it knock
ed me under the table. and the pail
OF dirty water she had been using to
mop the floor rolled over on me, aud
saw her reach for gun that was
hanging on Il couple of wooden hooks
and happcned to think ofmy horse.
and rushed out and cut the halter,
and it is lucky for me that | did, for
| last had time to get in the wagon
ahead of yellow dog that had me by
the pants As | drove off | heard the
gun. and all | could see was three
men coming on run from Is wheat
neld with pitch forks, and the dog in
the road sDeeZing and picking pieces
Of my pants out OF his teeth. swear
To you was never so scared in my
life and ran my horse two miles,
and then | took out my pocket mir
ror and looked at myself and | was
as white as Your shirt bosom. Did
sen q machine? Thunder no, Never
took machine out of the wagon.
Thought was lucky to get away
alive Every hill | came to looked
back expecting 10 see them grangers
coming vita pitch forks. but ! guess
she told them it was nothing serious
Well, | didn't make another break
until | had got about eleven miles
from there and then | went TO house
and inquired if they kept dog. and
a little woman told mig they had no
dog, and went in. She asked me if
was not well, and if | had fallen in.
10 a mud hole, and then | looked At
my clntneS. aud that mop water had
spoiled tacm Then | thought OF
where the dog took the mouthful
out of my pants, and kept my shoul
dcrs against The wall and began to
get solid wiki her. l asked her a5ou,
her husband and she said he WAS
sick and then | went 10 sell m =
chine. Here was u little womxn |
could whip, if worse came 10 worse,
who hal a husband who was sick,
and ! regained conf lence. and :ol,i
her she was daisy. | said it panied
me Ia see "A woman like her, endow
ed with all the charms of her sex,
doomed 10 wear her life out on d
sandy farm, in a God-forsaken coun
try, when she was calculated tC
adorn a mansion. | said her hands
were made for playing piano, in
stead OF working in bread foundry
or washing red flannel shirts for har
yes, hands. o. frying pork Cor thresh
ing machine pirates. and then
chucked her under the chin and told
her she reminded me of the Princes.
Louise. thought | heard bedroom