Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-09
A TRADE SECRET.
In Readiness to Ride on Every.
body's Hobby.
A Drummer's Story OF How He Kre.
pared Himself to Win and
Keep Customers and Dis
lance His Rivals.
NeW York Tirnes.l

New York Times]
A plainly but richly dressed gentleman, OF
progressing appearance and quiet, unas-
Stunning manners, boarded train on the
Sixth avenue elevated road at Franklin street
the other evening. He was recognized by a
Times reporter IS one Of the best paid
''drummers" IA ihe country. There
was something in his appearance that was not
familiar, however. The inevitable accompani-
ments of one of his class. the silk skull
cap and the 'tgrip-sack" were missing. In
their place he had formidable bundle of
newspapers and magazines. There were, in
addition to copies of several of the daily
papers, issues of The Irish Nation, The INDIE
pendent, The American Review, The Free
mans Journal, Harper's Bazaar, The Chruch-
man, The Clipper, The Baptist Weekly, and
various trade journals and reviews The
collection was remarkable because of the
widely differing character of the publica-
tons and the topics of which they made
specially.
"Abolt to start a news stand:n asked the
reporter of his friend, as lie sat down BESIDE
him.
'No.n
'Going to become an editorgn
''No. I'm still in the same old line, selling
closing for the million at prices utterly be-
yond competition"
''What in the world are you doing with all
those papers then? Surely they can't be
part of your stock in trade-your samples"
"No, they're not samples, but they are q
part of my stock in trade, and very import
ant part"
"Will you tell me what part they play in
the sale Of shoddy trousers!'
Eyes, | will reveal trade secret, and ORC
that consider a very valuable one. l reaG
every one of those papers nearly every week,
and great many more not included in the
list you see here I read as many papers
each week, in all probability, as does the
editor of any daily paper, and in addition 1
keep up with the current literature of the day
and with all theatrical, musical, and sporting
events, and am constantly "cramming" up
on the principal events of the day at home
and abroad. 1t is hard work, as you can
well imagine, bat believe it to be necessary,
and also believe that it pays. l know it has
paid me-
"When I went into the business Of a COM
mercial traveller l intended to make a success
Of it. You know that have done it. L had
a love for the business. Most men in the
profession, for l hold that when the business
is properly done IL rises to the dignity of
profession, devoted 5heirleisure time to story
telling, billiard-playing, and other recrea-
tons. 1 made up my mind to master the
business, so that I could not only get, but
keep customers. This was a score of years
ago. l noticed that o customer was more
pleased to meet drummer who could talk
inteiligently upon some subject in which be
IL L.
his sample trunk, consisted of his ability to
tell good story and to buy unlim-
tied cigars and drinks. So I began
to read. The daily papers gave me
a superficial knowledge of every
thing, and read both sides politically. The
newspapers of those days didn't treat matters
50 fully or intelligently as they do to-day.
Consequently l supplemented the informa-
ton got there by reading weekly papers
or well-conducted monthly publications
and quarterlies which treated special topics
exhaustively l had both European and
American politics, and social, sectional, reli-
gious, financial, and hundred other topics
at my fingers and tongues ends. If had
customer in view found out his peculiar
hobby, called on him and talked about his
hobby. That pleased him. He became
good fly for this very greedy spider. OF
course, didn't forget to mingle with my
speciality as heavy man the ioE comedy ele-
! ment-that is, the Storytelling and joke
cracking Nor did 1 neglect the
social part of my duties-that's what we
call cigars and drinks. The scheme
worked admirably and paid well. got new
customers and held them, because l kept pace
with them On their particular hobby. Some
Of them, really believe, were glad to see me
come around. l gave up my salaried posi-
tion and vert to work on commission. The
| general plan worked SO well that in every
| city visited made It point to read the
/ daily papers thoroughly for their local news
alone before l Visited customer. So far as
I could while flying about the country 1 kept
track Of what were distinctively matters of
interest to particular localities only. That
paid, too. It pleased customers, because it
made them think l was interested in their
cities and localities.
sMy experiment had convinced me that
the newspapers were the great educators, Gn5
| from them managed to keep posted On art,
| literature, the sciences, and the thousand and
one topics with which / deemed it necessary
TO keep acquainted to meet the as many eif-
| ferent hobbies of my customers. There were
among nv victims large number Of Ger
mans and Frenchmen and / wanted to culti-
| yate their trade 50 I went to work es metho-
Ideally as had done in my newspaper scheme
| and studied both languages, and now l speak
| both. and have added to my list OF papers
several printed In those languages, and
some OF them published abroad l have also
learned to read both Italian and Spanish,
and to speak little Of each These accom-
plishrlents are trump cards, find, in the
west, particularly where merchant L
pleased to have you chat with hin in his OWL