The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-06-14
THE BOOK AGeNT QUESTION


Georgia asks us the following question:
II am at present engaged in the work
Of soliciting subscriptions for books.
Now, know that the generally accepted
opinion Of the world Is that 1t is 3 de-
grading and offensive work. And il is
also 70 me Intensely dIsagreeable bust
ness. as am of particularly retiring
disposition. But can make 3 much
larger income in that way than any 9TH
er ] know Of. ! can assure myself any
where from i've TO twenty dollars per
Day, usually averaging considerably
abuve ten, and this, Of course, without
any investment but my brains As
have those dependent on me who make
Is necessity for me TO have . pFesen,
income, the question comes up to nae
whether it Is the proper thing for me to
do. ! am Of good personal and business
appearance, but I am continually PANIED
20 eee peoples countenances change
from cordial welcome 10 intense disap-
pointment, and many times disgust, on
making my business known. have in
variablY been engaged on works that
were of intrinsic merit, and which the
world is really better for readiug-en-
cyclopedIas and the like. Is it the right 1
thing to doS"
OF course 1t is the right thing to do
You are engaged in an entirely respect
able and entirely honorable business. and
though fippant newspapers may laugh
at it. your occupation is one which serves
the convenience OF the public.
Il IL true, men are not so glad to see
you when they know that yOu come TO
sell . book e they would be Il your visit
az a. 49,. k,saY-NF,,,, man - r4-<,,. 4,
on them ct times when they are pressed
with other matters, and then they may
look on you as en- intrusive bore.
Doubtless, therefore, the business of
book agent Is dissgreeable, but so are
many other ways of making living out
OF which you could not get an income
quarter as large IS that you now earn.
II you encounter rebuffs, you must also
meet people who are glad Of the oppoE-
tnnity of obtaining the books you have
TO offer, and which they might not be
able to get in any other way than from q
soliciting agent. You at least call their
attention to works they might not see,
and thar you meet q want is shown by
your handsome success in making sales.
OF late years very large share of the
merchandise sold to country merchants
II sent in response TO orders given to
commercial travellers. These drummers,
as they are called, are now numbered by
the thousand, and there are 80 many of
them that hotels Oftentimes almost en-.
tirely subsist out Of their patronage. 1t
was the fashion once TO ridicule them as
nnisances, and the name of drummers |
was applied to them originally In deris-
ion. But now they are q recognized |
necessity. and soliciting orders from
methods Of the city trader.
Tue drummer is, in fact, only a trav
cling salesman, sent out for the conven-
fence OF the buyer, who is thus saved the |
necessity Of expensive journeys TO the
city to buy goods, and is enabled to get |
what he wants from week TO week OF |
course, the business of the drummer |
would not suit every body. 1t is tire
some to be on the road all the time. |
But, so far as responsibility goes, why |
should it be put below that OF the sta
tionAry salesman, who stands behind u |
counter to supply the demands of custo- !
mers, or who conducts them through the |
warehouse of his principalS It is just |
as respectable.
And SO selling books from house to |
house is just as respectable as selling |
them out of q bookstore, whether the |
bookseller Is the principle or clerk. If |
there is anything disreputable in your |
soliciting subscriptions for books, then
the house which employs you is engag- |
ed IN u disreputable business.
However. man may reasonably pre- |
fer some other occupation than that of |
book canvasser, even when it is less |
profitable. The book agent may have |
only chance occupation, and in the end |
earn less than If he was engaged at a |
salary in a business where his opportu-
mites Of getting up were better.
But book agent, like q commercial |
traYtl Ter or y life insurance solicitor, has |
Eare opportunities for pertecting him.
self IN the study of human nature. Be-
sides, he learns how to control his tenn
per, and Solomon says the man who can
do that Is better than he who taketh a
city.