The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-06-11
The Brains of the Commercial
World in the Drummer Ele-

s now In Che drummer element. lney
create trade and keep it alive. They
are the working part OF every house,
and when you get a tirst-clas drum
mer, you have man combining the
action OF early life and the wisdom of
the aged. They have grown in i'm
portance and numbers till they have
come to be the bricks of the walls
which protect every city, its advanc-
ing force, the creators of it's solid
wealth, the architects of it's prosper
ty. For the size of the town no COM
munity has so many of these import
ant factors in the trade OF the coun-
try as Nashville. She has three where
Memphis has one; fully one-third more
than Louisville, and in Nashville's
own territory twelve to one over
Louisville. Atlanta is not even
considered competitor in particular.
They say in Alabama that an Allan
ia house gives q man $l2 and his
railroad money, and tells him to be
back Saturday night, and ii he strikes
O. Nashville man In town he leaves
for the next point on his circumscribed
route. The Nashville houses average
as large q number OF drummers each
as Louisville or Cincinnati, and taking
out the house OF Simmons & Co., and
Shapleigh, Cantwell & Co. OF st. Louis,
her average is greater thar even that
of St. Louis. These are facts, and they
bear the closest scrutiny.
Ten years ago there was one-third
less jobbing houses in Nashville than
at the present time, and the average
force now is also greater to the house
than then. There was then perhaps
100 men in the field, now there are
nearly 800 active, intelligent men
making four times year sally into
the southern country in Nashville's
interest.
The history of the growth of the
clan is marvellous. In 1870 there
were few men on the road, and they
were nearly all for "filling-up" trips
and collections. The clan has not
failed to grow since. Until 1876 mer-
chants focked into Nashville; now
not ten per cent. of the goods sold are
contracted for at the house.
Merchants have lost the habit of
coming to market, and wait for the
market to come to them. And the
markets go, for the country merchant
has now the goods of every great city
in the country to choose from, and
thus make the markets complete.
The salaries have declined as the eff
cheney and Importance OF the drum
mer increased; say in ten years fully
one-half everywhere. The percentage
of profit to the merchant must remain
the same, but the volume of profit be-
ing less, because all goods have de-
cIined in price, the unfortunate but
alway jovial drummer is forced to
make up the difference, and keep the
balance of power, SO to speak, still
with his employer. Yet his RESPONSE
bilities have gone on increasing, and
his labors, to.
An investigator of accurate mind
has calculated there are now about
so, 900 travelling statesmen on theroad
in this country, that their expense ac-
counts alone will average 81, 500 q
year each. He says, s'This means an
outlay OF $13O, 600, 600 year, and if
you count an average salary of 81 900
year, it will swell the total to $780,
000,OO year. This immense sum
is scattered all over the United States.
1t keeps up the hotels, is one of
the most important items of railroad
passengers receipts. The character
of the travelling salesman has changed
within a decade past. You will find
very few BOYS and fewer drunkards
upon the road. The competition is so
great and the expense so heavy that
firms have TO send out their best man
and salaries of $4,000 and
$4,000 year are by no
means uncommon. These trav-
cling men sell all sorts OF goods.
Some of them carry half dozen heavy
trunks and others carry their samples
in their overcoat pockets. One man
| know gets So, 600 a year for selling
the skins which butchers put around
sausages. He dresses like a Broad
way swell and carries his samples in a
bag mo- larger than alady's shopping
satchel. The best of such skins are
made in Europe and butchers buy of
him everywhere. Then thereis man
I know who travels from Boston to
San Francisco and sells nothing but
one grade of shoe blacking. Some
travellers sell by pictures of the articles
they have to sell. Clothing forms the
largest class of drummers, and next
come those who sell boots and shoes.
Then we have the dry goods salesman,
the grocer, the hardware men, hats
and caps, and others as numerous as
there are trades and factories.
Travelling men, this gentleman
continued, "are, as q rule, bright gem
erous fellows. They spend freely, and
many OF them, when they become old
and leave the road, find themselves
poor. We have now project to take
care nf diaahlad traualinr man II IL