The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-01-07
THE sALEsmaN,s PARADISE.
Paimy Days In the Dry Goods Trade Ten
Years REO.

Palmy Days In the Dry Goods Trade Ten
Years RsO.
The wholesale drygoods salesman is moi
The light hearted, easy going, joyial fellow
he used to be. He once was famous for his
princely way of spending money on country
merchants, but that halcyon time is now
only dim memory. Several of these once
happy gentlemen sat around table in the
Blue Elephant last evening slipping their
coffee and cognac and discussing the threat
ened reduction of the salaries of every one
engaged in the dry goods business. West
ward the star of empire wends her way,
taking with it the cream of the dry goods
business, said one of the party, we'll
kept looking gentleman, who evidently had
not commenced to reduce his liberal way of
living in anticipation of reduction of sal
airy. Those were good times we used to
have when the West was young, Well
never see those times again here in New
York. It was then we lived on the fat of
the land at our employers expense, besides
drawing such salaries as would be sntsfa,
tory even to plumbers"
What is the cause of the changer" ask
oil a younger member of the party.
It is because New York has ceased t
be the dry goods centre of the country.
New York does not bear the same &elation
to the trade of the country it did ten years
ago, for the reason that hundreds of large
business houses in the West which then
bought here now import direct from
Europe. Where there was one buyer for a
Western house in London or Paris in 1870
there are ten now. Every bill of goods now
brought direct from Europe to some of the
Western cities affects us. Then Western
houses had buyers come here three or foni
times year to make their purchases, and
they always arranged things so as to combine
business with pleasure. 1t was the duty of us
statesmen to see that they succeeded in both
Our houses allowed us money to entertain
the visitor upon, and if he should wish to
paint the town vermillion we saw he was
furnished every facility for doing 80 with
out it costing him cent. Ours was very
near the ideal butterAy's life-lots of fun
and little work.
But although these days have passed
away, continued the speaker, with less
mournful expression on his face, g they will
not soon pass into oblivion they are iden
tilted with too many funny occurrences
One of my adventures just flashed across
my mind About ten years ago was with
hat r. NJ pnka n, ~
large buyer came here from Chicago and
was-I thought-the first man to strike him
upon his arrival at the Metropolitan Hotel.
He told me it was his first trip to New York
and l invited him to see it by gaslight.
Thers was no electric light then. He nc
ceptcd and we commenced by taking in o
couple of theatres. A supper with cham
payne followed at my expense. We took q
cab and made number of visits. In the
tiny hours of the morning my Chicago
friend, imagining himself in the untutored
West, grew so hilarious that he wound up
in fight, in which he whipped a man. |
fixed matters all satisfactorily with the
policeman, but the man who was whipped
was not at all pleased and refused to be for
less than $25, which paid. finally got
my companion to bed Next day l called
upon him, and, after telling him what a
good friend had been to him the night be.
fore, invited him around TO our store. II.
reluctantly accepted the invitation.
Why, you want to commence buying to
day, don't you p asked him.
My dear fellow he said in surprise /;
completed my purchases two days ago.
This rather took my breath, as 1 was
out 5000 on the fellow, but did not make
any noise, as the house paid for it.
=" The worst I ever got taken in was by q
marabout from Omaha" said another sales
man. " He was just married and was &C.
companied by his bride. entertained them
In fine style at my house for three days.
The third day brought him down to our
place and commenced talking dry goods to
him. He then informed me that he had
quit the dry goods business and was engng.
ed in pork packing. could not very well
charge that to the house. The fellow sent
me barrel of hams about year afterward,
but they were full of shippers and could
not be eaten and, besides, had to pay
the freight upon them"
My experience was even sadder still, ="
said third member Of the party. II was
in the clothing business at the time. met
man who had been in the clothing bust
ness at Cleveland, and l supposed he was
STILL grabbed his hand hookedit and pull.
ed him into my place of business, where ]
presented him with the finest suit of clothes
in the house. The next day heard he had
broken up in business, had come to New
York and engaged Us salesman in rival
house. Every time saw him aflerward in
that suit of clothes it made me feel as if ]
had dyspepsia"