The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-01-13


were ST. SO, one had TO eat at night in order TO
get through the twenty four hours.
date many friendship from that time among
men of the road, among men of the trade. Often
l think of those 1 knew in California, Nevada
and Colorado, aud would like to walk in on them
with, Glow are you off for soda2" fancy some
OF the old manner must cling to me still. am
sometimes greeted with whats your lne?" and
once, in Champaign, ILL.,, going to preach, L
found no one to meet me. strolIing INTO an
o1hce, short man came in, red of face and short
OF breath. well, there's no preaching to-mor-
row; the minister hasn't come" "Mr. Baer, let
me introduce you TO Mr.. McCulloch, the
preacher" "Youl Why, saw you. but thought
| you were travelling man."
Out Of that experience, beginning when was
| eighteen, l have brought muoh-a large. ac-
quaintance with this country, with It's business
men and business resources a regard for 10
all, feeling proprietary interest IN
Its industries and commerce; a knowI-
| edge of and liking for men; belief
| that every human heart is human, liking for
the Astounding good spirits and exuberant life
| OF the men of the road, and business knowledge
which use daily.
sincerely honor business life. 1t is in the
highest degree educative. 1t produces no mar
row men. He must be quick, alert, openeyed,
adaptive who succeeds. 1t is a school for char
acter. 1t helps and 1t hurts 1t brings out what
Is IN man. FIT is goodness it is polished highly.
III II is meanness, it cannot be hid. 1t is the
wheel on which natures are polished the gem
to take higher luster, the common rock to have
Its own coarseness revealed.
One OF the greatest of Engand's practical
statesmen, Richard Golden, began life as a CONF
mercial traveller. He it was who lifted his
country out of the commercial depression and
secured the passage of the free-trade laws. At
eighteen he went into house in London. At
muslin and calico. This was his school, his coll
lege his university; he had no other. Here"
says his biographer, she found humble sphere
for those Unborn qualities of energy aud s0ciabil
lty which made MIN the most active and most
persuasive OF popular statesmen" He had au
unsuitable desire TO know the affairs OF the
world. He had genial eye for character aud
good-humOred tolerance of foibes.
AT the age OF twenty-four he started q business
DAU w " N
other young men, on capital of $1,000
half of which was borrowed. Going to Man-
CHESTER, the great cotton producing centre, he
told his affairs to one of the large firms there,
concealing nothing. In two years he owed them
character He says; 81 frequently talked with
them in later times on the great confidence they
showed in u.s. Their answer was that they
would always prefer to trust young men with
connections and with knowledge of their trade,
if they knew them to possess char
%hs sfartaa ability rather than those
In another letter Olden says: at is the charac-
ter, experience and conviction of the man want
portunities Of making it available in the struggle
OF life. that weigh with the shrewd capitalist far
more than the actual command of a few thou
sands more or less Of money" Gentlemen,
friends, these are the words of a wise and sue
cessful business man. They are worth your
needing.
thank you for your courtesy and attention,
and wish you pleasant reunion.
"our Association next in order, was given
the send-off by Mr.. W. c. Van Arsdel, in the fol.
lowing address:
Mr.. VAN ARsDEL's RESPONSE.
1t has been said, by some envious foreigner
believe, that when two or three Americans hap
pen to meet on the street that they at once nrO-
coed to organize by the election of a president
and secretary and the appointment of a commit.
tee to draft constitution and bylaws.
However this may be- from the time of the
organization effected for the purpose of building
the "Fower of Babel" "that the builders might
make for themselves name," until the inaugu-
ton of the enterprise to encourage the propaga-
ton OF coffee, ETC., at Boorioboola Cha" and
from that time until the present, men have
banded themselves together for every conceive
BILE purpose
1t has often been asked and often will be,
whether or no such an organization can stand
the test OF time. would answer, yes. So long
tary TO the cities here represented produces
from twenty to sixty bushels of wheat per acre.
citation will live. We may labor under some
disadvantages, but we have many things for
which we ought to be grateful.
Neither of the cities in this assOcia-
ton has millions OF acres to the north and east,
entirely ruined by lake, has Chicago NOI
have we billions of the east utterly
spoiled by an ocean, has New York;
but IN every direction we have rich broad acres.
1t is true that few small tracts of contiguous
territory are taken up by suburban villages
like Cincinnati and Louisville, but the land OccU.
pied by these towns is rough and billy, and not
worth much for agricultural purposes anyhow.
Like all other kinds of business, that of selling
goods on the road had to have a beginning, and
In Its 1ncipency, few men were employed who
were not an honor to the business Many of
you no doubt have had amusing experiences,
caused by the character and reputation OF these
men.
few days ago was showing a gentleman
the photographs of the president, secretary, vice
presidents and directors of this association. For
some timei in looking at the group, he seemed
lost in thought as If in rapt ecstasy in contem-
plation of that galaxy of beauty and intell genee;
finally, coming to himself, he said: "If 1 only
had dollar for every lie that crowd of fellows
has told in the practice OF their business, In
the last ten years, [ would not want another
nickel while live"
This organization might very aptlv be called
"The Society for the Diffusion of Knowledge"
AS you all know, the members of this association
ton as any body of on the face
of the earth. Or possibly it might be
Cruelty to Human Beings" as it is our business
to make it unnecessary Tor merchants to come
to the cities where they may he cruelty treated
by landlords and other evil-dIsposed persons.
Seriously, believe the membership of this as
ISOLATION Will compare favorably with that of
any organization of whatever Kind in the coun-
try.
Composed, as 1t is of the representative young
Fort Wayne, New Albany, Terre Haute, Evans
vile and Indianapolis-cities the peer of any
in the world, in all that goes to make up an in
telltgent, happy and prosperous community
thore is less of envy and jealousy for the sue
cess OF Others, more warm-hearted, generous
sympathy for everybody, and more noble dis
position to help one another in this organization
and among travelling men generally than there
is in any other association or business with
which am acquainted.
The Commercial Travellers Association of In
diana organized nearly eight years ago
"for purposes of mutual protection ard benefit;
also for the purpose of creating fund TO assisE
the families or friends of deceased members, and
in other ways to care for and protect them"
How well these declarations in the articles
Of incorporation have been lived up to by this
association, need not state here. Our work
shows for itself.
Since our organization we have lost four men,
bers by death, two of this number slnce we mot
one year ago-Brothers Hardy and Scribner.
You will. all bear me out in saying that tho
money we have in che treasury on assessments,
to go TO the widow and the orphan, has paid us
the largest possible interest, in the knowledge
that in every instance the 81, 500 paid our bene-
ficaries, came TO them as n "God-seDd."
The growth of our association in the nast year
is certainly good cause for congratulation to-