Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-08-24
THE FESTIVE DRUMMER.
An Important Member of the CONNER
cia1 Communitv-His Life on the

An Important Member of the CONNER
riaI Communitv-His Life on the
Road.
The Savannah wholesale trade is rep
resented son the road by about two hum
dred and twenty-five drummers, or COM
mercial tourists. as they are more gener-
ally called. The commercial tourist is a
necessity to modern trade, and his con-
sequence in commercial circles Is duly
recognized as a power. The Savannah
drummer ..dOes up" Georgia, Florida,
Alabama and some portions Of South Caro-
lima and Tennessee. The houses employing
travellers in this city do a business Of at
least S.. 0O0, 900 per year. over 30 per cent.
is made ON the road by the gay and some
times aesthetic drummer.
The salaries paid travelling men by Sa-
vannah firms range from $50 to $40 per
month. Their travelling expenses amount
to from 50 To s. per day, and sometimes
higher, and are paid by the firm. Nearly
all of the travel is done by rail. In lew
instances a buggy or wagon Is used to 90
10 crossroads and into the interior VII
lagos.
The drummer is a regular bonanza to
the livery men-he is liOniZed by nearly
everybody whom he meets in small towns,
and never tails TO make a ''mash" wherever
he stops He is Oftentimes known as
person who wears the most costly jeWelry,
and is every inch Il person Of ''cultuar.'
The Forest City tourist never fails to OBJ
serve the Sabbath. and manages to spend
it at some mountain resort or near de-
Iightful spring. He takes his soda every
morning and declares it better than the
savannah river Water-he eats well,
a
good days work.
'.What are your sales month"; IN
quired "A MORNING News reporter OF
commercial tourist Yesterday.
sometimes / take orders for three and
four thousand dollars a month, and some
times less
..How do YOU fare on the road regarding
your mealsE" asked the reporter.
This is a question nearest my heart.
Sometimes we drummers have the pleas
ure of dining on roast lamb, beef and
claret. and at other times we sit down
with aching hearts to "a dish Of pork
and hOminy. When we eat pork
we rarely ever sell any goods tor week
after-it poisOns our whole system. show
me a man who eats pork. and I'll show
YOU man who can't reason three feet be-
fore his nose" he remarked.
The drummer il happy-gO-lucky fellow
who takes everything as 1t comes. One OF
the boys i'm savannah started out last year
on a salary OF SO. While travelling in
Florida he met young lady. worth. it is
claimed. about $50. 600. lie talked her into
business transaction and married her
To-day he owns a large orange grove, a
truck farm, and a small trundle-bed with
"a bright little boy squalling in it. lie was
one Of the lucky boys. He was in the city
last Monday, and bought bill of goods
from his old employer amounting to 81, 700.
I'VE have one dude drummer in the
trade" remarked traveller for well
known house. lie has twenty-siX diff
ferent craVats. four hats of different shape
and pattern. and six new suits Of clothes.
He travels on his shape. but last year
while i'm Albany lie went to spark his
sirl and the faithful old sentinel-the bull
uurp-erabbed BIN as he entered the gate.
Ills pride went before a fall, and since
then the ugly scar sends many an aching
pain to his heart. He 10 longer wears
tights, but SHES into Albany with trous-
ers three times the width Of the fashion
able cut
There are only two things a commercial
tourist dreads-pOOr sales and Il prospect
of a NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. he can overcome
! by perseverance; the other, if the girls
mother is living, is natural sequence.