The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-08-30
THE BOOK-AGENT.

How the Modern Canyasser Works the
subscription-Book Racket.
The book-agent, like that twin nui-
sance, the sewing-machine agent, goes
to the homes of men, and here the
wives become the victims of his annoy
ances. OF late years this scourge upon
housewives has taken a worse form
that of female book-agents. The lady
of the house, so kind and sympathetic
toward one of her own sex who is striv-
ing TO get along in the wicked world
by selling books, is the special prey of
the female book-agent. A case of the
latter type, which occurred downtown
the other day, affords nice example of
the general character of the book-agent.
The first symptom of the case was the
lady book-agent, with a pleasant face
and manner that showed how awfully
hard it was for such lady to get down
to that business gab'' which only
book-agents and their like know. She
had a new and wonderful work, '.Our
Living World" just the thing for the
lady's little boy. The lady didn't want
it and neither did the little boy, for it
contained words and terms in Latin
and Greek for all the animated details
OF creation, from mastodons down to
animalcula. But the gentle book
agent stuck and stuck and stuck to
that housewife, who could not bear to
tell her to leave, until she took some
parts of the work, and then at the
earnest request of the fair agent she
allowed the latter to just put her name
down in her little notebook. The an
gelic agent then left and Just knew
that the book would cause such delight
in the family that the lady would be
glad to buy the remaining parts.
Then came the second phase of the
plague. The next day or two ''de-
liverer" came. He had the other parts
of the book which 1.-The lady of the
house had ordered" The lady said
that she had not ordered them and did
not want them. He left only after
baking boisterous threats of illegal
trouble" and then not until he saw
some of the male members of the
household approaching, and had time
firm about her contracts.
In the next mail the lady was the
alarmed recipient of the following by
postal card:
1--WE received an order signed by YOU
for the work, Our Living World
You received and paid for some parts,
ratifying your order thereby. We
printed the books for you and paid a
commission on YOUR order, conse-
quently can not release you from YOUR
contract. 1t is only trife to you
every two weeks, and l hope YOU will
reconsider your decision and take the
next parts when the deliverer calls
again, in preference to putting YOUR
self and me to legal trouble and ex-
pense.n
Most people would never pay any at
tention to the matter further, but the
husband of the lady wrote the follow
ing reply:
when your deliverer calls again, he
may expect to leave much sooner than
he did the last time NV wife paid for
what she received and told your agent
that she didn't want the remaining
parts of the work, and you and your
agent know this. only wish you and
your agent knew half as well what in
fernal nuisances you are. The frauds
by which your agents get well-meaning
persons to sign their names in book,
which they do to get relief from their
impudent opportunities, the cowardice
which your deliverers display in threat
ening timid ladies with trouble if they
do not comply with some alleged con-
tract, and your attempt to do the same
by blufing and dunning on United
States postal cards, are equally mean
practices, which no respectable man or
woman in business or society can in
dulge in if they have any reputation to
lose.
SIN conclusion, let me admonish YOU
about the use of the United States
postal card. You had better read up
the statutes on the subject. l will
hand your postal card over to the
United States commissioners, and you
may have an opportunity to get consti-
tutlonal light on the subject from
Judge McKennan or Judge Butler. In
the meantime, if your deliverer has any
regard for his physical well-being, let
him stay away from - street"
1t is hardly necessary to add that the
deliverer has not called since Toledo
Blade.