Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-09-09

PsculIaritlss Of DrHmmsrs as Told
by 0ns Of Them.
Tales Of a Dizzy Dude Drummer-A Fortune
Packed Away 10 Sample T~runks-HOw
Diamonds are Caried-fliring on
the Boulevard - Big Salaries
Paid Successful Men.
Says the Chicago News:

il his trunk had come. He was = Ne"
York drummer.
Haven't seen it," carelessly replied
the man behind the counter.
"That's strange. 1t must be here"
"Oh, it'll turn up all right"
81 know, but l must have it immedi-
ately," answered the drummer, with a
tinge of anxiety on his couAtenance.
as it especially necessary that you
should have the baggage right away? ~
%interposed another clerk.
"That trunk has $4,000 worth of
samples in it," replied the travelling
man.
The eyes Of the two hotel men spark
led more than did the diamonds on
their shirt fronts. Hurriedly q porter
was called and instructed to find the
missing baggage Immediately. Lei>-
uIely he went toa pile of heavy trunks
accompanied by the travelling man.
The baggage was found and sent to the
salesman'S rooms.
'NIsny men bothered with such loads
as that?" asked a reporter of the 5tran-
ger, as he returned to the hotel lobby.
oh. "a Few OfThem,"
he replied, Especially those who rep.
resent jewelry establishments. Some
times drummers carry pretty valuable
loads. Not long ago | went to BelOit,
Wis, and, registering at II oft b no.
tells, asked for q room. A tall, smooth
faced fellow, with black eyes and hair,
followed and registered just below me
He said he wanted Il room. It's always
best to ask tor a room without arguing,
and let the clerk assign you. II yOu go
to talking he's sure TO send you oil to
the top. The man in charge of the
office, on this occasion, asked il we OBJ
ieCted to taking u o together. The
latest arrival opposed such a move, and
| wasn't at all anxious to be put with a
stranger with such goods as l had i'll
my possession. There was no alterna-
tive, however, and We took the room.
On going up the stranger said his ac-
tions might have seemed Q little queer,
but ne would explain everything in the
morning. After we had been in bed
about fifteen minutes he whispered TO
ne: Asleep YETI l told him, NO.
aud began to grow q little suspicious.
Presently he asked the same Question
again. | heard him, but pretended to
be asleep. He turned over and was soon
snoring, and before long | followed suit.
When | awoke in the morning the
stranger was up and dressed, and ap-
psrently waiting for me.
ibid you hear me ask If you were
asleep last night" he inquired.
81 told him yes, and he replied that
he never would have gone to sleep II he
had known that"
why" | asked.
Immediately he pulled off his coat
and vest, and opening his shirt showed
me a buckskin belt, with pockets,
around its body. I've got
S6O.OOO wOr Of Diamonds
il there he slid.
LAS | had trunk full Of jewelry
worth more than that, / told him was
in the same box with him."
We've got to be mighty careful and
watch our samples. stay right with
mine, and have them in my room at
night. No matter where | am | al ways
60 heavily armed"
statesmen for iewelry houses carry
O valuable samples than any other
class of drummers, do they nOt?"
"Meu handling fine silks, laces and
dress goods generally sometimes have
costly samples. They are generally
loaded down with trunks. ] met a man
in Milwaukee last week, travelling for a
fancy goods house, that had seventeen
'Saratogas.' He hadtO have four rooms
for displaying his samples. y few days
after | met another drummer Of diff
ferent sort. He was representing a
needle mandatory. Some one asked
him where his sample case was. With
out cracking q smile, and with all the
dignity imaginable, he pulled q single
needle from his vest pocket and said:
There it is Quitea difference between
carrying a single needle and seventeen
huge trunks.
"Men of the former class havea COM
pa~ratively easy time in travelling. There
are a few men, drummers, who. go
around and actually sell goods without
telling from twenty to thirty travelling
mems tales before beginning to talk
business. They represent a special
brand oil silk thread, 90 TO a merchant,
open the drawers of his thread case,
ana take down the numbers of which
here is Il scarcity. Tuat class Of drum
mcrs know better what the merchant
wants than he does himself. y few
salesmen dictate what their customers
shall buy. This is especially so when a
MAJ represents an establishment that
Is manufacturing n particular Kind OF
cloth fer mems clothing. The travel
ing man goes t. a tailor, asks him if he
wants any of the goods in question, ami
if he receives an affirmative answer,
says: You can have So much The
tailor couldn't get any more for love or
n because the goods are appor-
toned To- the different cities"
"There's No Truth
in the stories that drummers are such
awful t~llrts"""
"Flirts" No! They're handsome
and can't help it, and he girls will fall
in love with them, Chicago Is a great
Sunday town. and often travelling
men will 60 one hundred or more miles
10 spend Sunday here. Every place
that has good hotels is called a sun
day town \ number Of men always
srend Sunday at these places and have
a good time together. About five weeks
ago two companions aud myself came
here to spend Sunday. One was q
handsome sewing machine man that
could make more 'mashes' than any
person | ever saw. After dinner it was
proposed that we take a stroll. We
walked on the South Side for three
hours, and then concluded to try Wash
ington Boulevard. We hadn't gone
more than half dozen SQUARES when
we saw three girls at q window of one
of the handsomest private residences.
They smiled as W passed by, and we
all lifted our hats. The sewing ma
chine man proposed that We so back.
We returned, and again saw the girls
smile, and tipped our hats. a consul
tation was held on the next corner, and
the agent said he was going to call.
"'Callr l exclaimed, surprised a. his
audacity
"'Will you GO slong@ he asked of
me and our third companion. The
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