St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-08-22

A. L. Goyer did Kansas for Orr & Lind
sley in the boot and shoe trade. He started
out with the grip when only II years of
age, traversing Tennessee and Kentucky
for st. Louis wholesale clothing house.
He got his knowledge OF the gents fur
nishing trade from Wilson Bros. d Boyd,
and he left them only to become the
manager of the Black Hills business
of George Hearst, San Francisco
millionaire. Mr.. Hearst made him his sole
buyer, and put confidence enough il him to
let him go and purchase $40. 900 worth of
goods at time. AS an instance of his de-
termination to get there" once when he
was travelling through Kansas, he had
barely time to catch leaving train.
Selling his strings of boots and shoes he
slung them over his shoulder and ran for al
he was worth catching the train and leav-
ing discomlitted rival behind. He looked
over the situation in ST. Paul in May, 1885,
and was soon getting his plans laid for
business Ion his own hook and future
greatness. Last Monday he left for the
East to purchase his fall and winter stock.
w. A. Goyer has an unbrokem business
record Nov. IL, 1859, he engaged with
John W. dickinson Il Co., wholesale fancy
dry goods, of st. Louis. Commencing as
entry clerk, in four years he was made
cashier. When he went there, Mr. Hickin-
son asked:
"Goyer, do you think you can make out
bill?"
81 guess So" responded the youth; and
this self-confidence has always been a
prominent characteristic in him He occu-
pied the important responsible positions
OF cashier, bookkeeper and con-
confidential clerk before he left this firm.
: For five years he was with Dodd Brown &
Co., at that time the largest wholesale
house in the West. One day travelling
man met with an accident and was disabled
Mr.. Dodd asked Goyer if he would go out
on the road. Yes, [ will" responded the
clerk with alacrity, and he went. taking in
forty-one orders in sixteen days. When
travelling for Ely. Janis & Co. he fastened
on the idea of doing exclusively cash bust
ness. He was with them until July /,
1885, and on Aug. he with his brother
had their present gents furnishing
plant located on Third street in this city
which they opened a month later.
w. A. Goyer in company with rival
salesman was on the cars ell route to Leba-
non, ILL.,, when his competitor said:
Il have a customer in Lebanon, and I
am going to get from him an order for
ST. 200 WORTH
Goyer never said word. He simply
made an excuse and went into the baggage
car, where he wrote letter to this Lee
banon merchant, asking him to look over
his samples before purchasing of s., and
see which could do the best with him. The
letter was dropped into the mail car and
reached the prospective customer before the
rival commercial traveller got his trunks off
the train. S had his samples all open
in the mercants store soon, but the mer-
chant put him off until it became monot-
onous. Goyer had seen him and told him
he would show him his goods in the eve
ming when he had leisure. Train time came
and the rival had to 60. He was trying to
keep track of Goyer with eagle eyes, and
was surprised to not find him at the depot
He must go on, however, without his
friend, whom he had doubtless taken for
''chump." AS the train steamed out of the
depot with him on board minus his antici-
pated order, Goyer was quietly writing
down descriptions of goods not to exceed
81, 200 worth for his Lebanon newly-made
customer.