Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-02-08
A TRADE SECRET.
In Readiness to Ride on Every.
body's Hobby.
A Drum mer's story or How lie Pre-
pared Himself to Win and
Keep Customers and Dis.
tance His Rivals.
New York Tilnes.l

l.NtW OTk j iiileS
A plainly but richly dressed gentleman, of
puXpossessng appearance and quiet, unls-
suming manners, boarded a train on the
Sixth avenue elevate road ut Franklin street
the other evening He was rec, ,nizei by a
Times reporter as one of the best paid
''diumners" in the country. There
was something in his appearance that was not
familiar, however The inevitable accompani-
lnents of one Of his class. the silk skull
cap and the ''grip-sack' were missing In
their place he had a formidable bundle Of
newspapers and magazines. There were. in
| addition to copies of several of the daily
papers, issues Of The Irish Nation. The indie
pendent, The American Review, The Free
mans Journal, Harpers Bazaar. The Chruch-
man, The Clipper, The Baptist Weekly. and
various trale journals and reviews. The
| collection was remarkable because of the
| widely differing character of the publica-
tions and the topics Of which they made a
speciality.
about to start news standF' asked the
reporter Of his friend, as he sat down beside
him.
"No."
'Going to become an iitorr'
mo. I'm still in the same old lne selling
| clothing for the million at prices utterly be-
yond competition"
What in the world are 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 very import
ant part"
"Will you tell me what part they play in
the sale of shoddy trousersl'
"Yes, will reveal trade secret, and one
that consider very valuable one. read
every one Of those papers nearly every week,
and a great many more not included in the
list you see here l read as many papers
each week, in all probability, as does the
! editor of any daily paper, and in addition l
keep up with the current literature of the day
and with all theatrical, musical, and sporting
events, and am constantly "cramminS" up
! on the principal events of the day at home
and abroad. 1t is hard work, as you can
we'll imagine, but believe it to be necessary,
and also believe that it pays. know it has
paid me.
"When went into the business Of a com
mercial traveller intended to make success
| Of it. You know that have done it. l had
| love for the business. Most men in the
profession, for hold that when the business
is properly done it rises to the dignity Of a
profession. devoted their leisure time to story
telling, billiard-playing, and other recrea-
tions made up my mind to master the
business, SO that I could not only get, but
keep customers. This was a score Of years
| ago I noticed that a customer was more
pleased to meet drummer who could talk
inteiligently upon some subject in which he
was interested than one whose merits, outside
his sample trunk, consisted of his ability to
tell good story and to buy unlim-
tied cigars and drinks. So 1 began
to read. The daily papers gave me
superficial knowledge of every
thing, and read both sides politically. The
newspapers Of those days didn't treat matters
so fully or intelligently as they do to-day.
Consequently supplemented the informa-
ton got there by reading weekly papers
or well-conducted monthly publications
and quarterlies which treated special topics
exhaustively. had both European and
American politics, and social, sectional, reli-
gious, financial, and hundred other topics
at my fingers and tongues ends. II hal a
customer in view found out his peculiar
hobby, called on him and talked about his
hobby. That pleased him. He became a
Soou hy AoA thiS Nciy SfCodJ SPitti. vi
course, didn't forget to mingle with my
speciality as heavy man the low comedy ele
ment-that is, the story telling and JOKE
social part OF my duties-that's what we
worked admirably and paid WELL I got new
customers and held them, because kept pace
with them on their particular hobby. Some
% r,1a. 4 -,
come around l gave up my salaried posi-
ton and wert to work on commission. The
general plan worked so we'll that in evory
city visited male it point to read the
daily papers thoroughly for their local news
alone before visited customer So far as
could while flying about the country kept
track Of what were distinctively matters Of
interest to particular localities only. That
paid. too. 1t pleased customers, because it
made them think was interested in their
cities and localities.
"My experiment had convinced me that
the newspapers were the great educators, and
from them I managed to keep posted on art,
literature, the sciences, and the thousand and
one topics with which deemed it necessary
to keep acquainted to meet the as many diff
ferent hobbies Of my customers. There were
among my victims a large number Of Ger
mans and Frenchmen, and l wanted to culti-
vate their trade so went to work as metho-
Ideally as l had done 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 and
some of them published abroad. l have also
learned to read both Italian and Spanish,
and to speak little Of each. These accom-
plishments are trump cards, find, in the
west, particularly where a merchant is
| pleased to have you chat with him in his own
language. It has proved beneficial to ne in
other ways, too. My knowledge of these
| languages have kept q secret so far as my
associate drummers are concerned. Some of
these are Of German and French birth, AMI
are specially engaged to han lie that ira le in
the west and south. They have always been
free in talking about their business plans and
their enga gements with persons Of their own
nationality but selling other lines Of goods.
The secrets they have thus unwittingly put me
in possession Of were often Of much value
Many times revelation Of their plans has been
made in this way which has enabled me to
forestall rival that feared in a particular
locality and didn't fear in another. For in
stance, time and again have mapped out a
route for my trip, and because of a chance
remark dropped in German or French have
changed my entire route and been enabled to
precedsa rival in my line AMI mike sale, in
the cities which hs had unwittinxly given mo
notice he was to visit Oh certain dates, leav-
ing customers that was sure Of until could
attenl to them at my leisure. That is how
silence in tho right place as to my acquire
meats has provel golden. A drummer can't
have too III Ich elucltion, You see, providin :
be knows how to use it, and providing it is
Of the kin that he can make use Of among
such customers
''Ses what | carry around with me Just for
use in case Of an emergency anon. the mer
chants Of the southwest exclusively. know
the record of every trotting horse in the
country Of any consequence, the exploits OF
| every Running horse, the standing Of every
base ball club and every individual player,
and yet very rarely attend a horse race or a
ball game, because don't have time. Every
merchant in that section is up in that sort OF
thing, though, and have to be prepared to
meet and talk with them ON these, their hob
bies"
"How in the world can you carry all this