The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-11-07
A TRADE SECRET.
In Readiness to Ride on Every.
body's Hobby.
A Drummer's story or How He Fire.
pared Himself TO Win and
Keep Customer and Dis
tRnce His RivnlkL


Sixth avenue elevated road at Franklin street
the other evening BE was recognized by a
Times reporter as one of the best paid
drummer in the country. There
was something In his appearance that was not
familiar, however. The inevitable n~ccompani-
mentz OF one OF his class. the silk skull
CAP and the "grip-sackn were missing. In
their place he had a formidable bundle of
ne~spapen and magazines. There were, in
addition TO copies of several of the daily
papers. issues OF The Irish Nation, The Iudo-
psndent, 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 mado a
speciality.
About to start a news staudr' asked the
reporter Of his friend, as be sat down beside
him
"Nou
"Going to become an editorT'
mo. I'm still In the same old line. selling
clothing for the million at prices utterly be-
yond composition"
What in the world arc you doing with all
those papers, theni Surely they can't be a
part Of your stock in trade-your samplesf
NO, they're not samples, but they are a
part Of my stock in trade, and a very import
ant part"
WIN you tell me what part they play in
the sale OF shoddy trousersr'
YES, l will reveal q trade secret, and one
that l consider n worry valuable one. l read
every one OF those papers nearly every week.
and a great many more not included In the
List you soc here. / read as many papers
each week. In all probability, as docs the
editor Of any daily paper. and in addition l
keep up with tho current literature of tho day
and with all theatrical, musical, and sporting
events, and an constantly "crammingn up
on the principal events of the day at home
and abroad 1t Is hard work, as you can
well imagine, but l believe it to DO necessary.
and also believe that It pays. know it has
paid me.
"When / went into the business OF a COM
msrcial traveller I intended to make a success
Of it You know that l have done 1t. / had
q love for the business Most men in the
profession. for l hold that when tho business
Is properly done 1t rises to the dignity Of a
profession. devoted their leisure time to story
telling. billiard playing, and other recrea-
tious mado up my mind to master the
business, so that l could not only get, but
keep customer. This was a score Of years
ago. / noticed that a customer was moro
pleased to meet a drummer who could talk
intellieently upon some subject In which he
was interested than one whose merits, outside
his sample trunk, consisted of his ability TO
tell 4 good story and to buy unlim-
tied cigars and drinks. So I began
to read The daily papers gave ma
a superficial knowledge Of every
thing, and l read both sides politically. Tho
newspapers Of those days didn't treat matters
50 fully or intelligently as they do to-day.
Consequently ! supplemented the iuforma-
ton ! got there by reading weekly papers
or well-conducted monthly publications
and quarterlies which treated special topics
sIhaustively. / had both European and
American politics, and social, sectional, reli-
gious, financial, and a hundred other topics
At my fingers an tongues n II l had a
customer in view l found out his peculiar
hobby. called on him and talked about his
bobby. That pleased him He became a
good hy for thi' very greedy spider. or
course, / didn't forget to mingle with my
speciality as a heavy man the low comedy ele.
ment-thAt is, the storytelling and joke
cracking. Nor did l neglect the
social part Of my duties-that's what we
call cigars and drinks. The scheme
worked admirably and paid well, got now
customers and held them, because kept pace
with them on their particular hobby. Some
Of them, l really believe, were glad TO see mo
come around. / gave up my sslaried posi-
ton and vert to work on commission The
general plan worked so well that in every
city I visited l made II a point to read the
daily papers thoroughly for their local news
alone before / visited a customer. So far az
could while flying about the country l kept
track OF what were distinctively matters of
interest TO particular localities only. That
paid. too. IL pleased customers, because 1t
made them think l was interested in their
cities and localities
MY experiment had convinced me that
the newspapers were the great educators, EnJ
from them ] managed to keep posted on art,
literature, the sciences, and the thousand and
one topics with which | deemed 1t necessary
TO keep acquainted to meet the as many diff
ferent hobbies Of my customers. There were
among nv victims a large number Of Ger
mans and Frenchmen, and ! wanted to culti-
vAte their trade, so | went to work as metho-
Ideally as Ihaddone in my newspaper scheme
and studied both languages, and now / speak
both, and have added TO my list OF papers
several printed in those languages, aud
some Of them published abroad / have also
learned 70 real both Italian and Spanish,
and to speak q little OF each. These accom-
piisbments are trump cards. | find, In the
west, particularly where a merchant is
pleased to have you chat with hir In his own
language. It has proved beneficial to me in
other why's, too, Ny knowledge Of these
languages ! have kept a secret 50 far as my
associate drummers are concerned. Some Of
these are Of German and French birth, and
are specially engaged TO handle that trade In
the west and south. They nave always been
free in talking about their business plans and
their engagements with persons OF their own
nationality, but selling other lines OF goods
The secrets they have thus uuwittingly put me
In possession OF were often OF much value.
Many TINES a revelation OF their plans has been
made in this way which has enabled me to
forsstan a rival that | feared in a particular
locality and didn't far In another. For in
stance, time and again I have mapped out a
route Tor my trip. anl because OF a chance
remark dropped IN German or French have
changed my entire route and boon enabled TO
rEecede q rival In my line aud make sales in
the cities which he had unwittingiy given ms
notice be was TO visit on certain dates, leay-
ing customers that 1 was sure Of until l could
attend 10 them at my leisure. That is how
silence Ia the right place as to my acquire.
ments has proved golden. A drummer can't
have too much education. you see. providing
be knows how TO use it, and providing It il
~ So" ~ he can make use OF among
nch customer
"sse ~nA- = vdrry around with me Just fot
us IN case OF IN emergency among the mer