Smyrna times., 1886-04-07
How Drummers Make Money.
CLEVER SCHEME OF AN AGENT FOR A
SEWING MACHINE COMPANY.

IF l give you your fare on a street
car and you walk, you earn that money
don't you? Just so with the drummer
He knows his manager will audit his
bill of expenses if it doesn't run over
$4 or $3.50 per day. Some firms let
their men have more rope than that
but $3.50 is the average. Ifa drummer
misses a meal he charges half dollar
for it, as though he ate the meal. If he
eats a twenty cent lunch it Gusts the
firm fifty cents-his stomach earns the
other thirty cents" The speaker was
a drummer for a firm of Broadway
glove importers, and he gave away
trade secrets to a Star reporter last
evening at the Morton House.
"The fare from Buffalo to New York,
first class, $1125. A scalper ticket
costs 81. What is the matter with rid
ing on a scalper ticket and charging
full fare? The drummer saws, Il denv
myself, therefore l earn the 1925 OF
course, that kind of reasoning may be
carried too far. knew a traveller,
Jack COkejaw, of a Union Square
house, who put suit of clothes in his
first months expense account. Here,
said the manager, we don't clOthe you.
oh, l thought you did, said Jack, in
nocently. Not long afterWard, Jack
was in the city again, he brought in
another bill of expenses. You don't
see a suit of clothes there now, do you?
said Jack. No, this bill is all right.
This is the way we want to see your
eXpenses-all itemized, replied the
manager. But there is a suit of clothes
there all the same chuckled Jack. He
had spread the cost of suit on like but
ter, the whole length of the account.
When | first met Jack he was always
flush. In fact he is now, heis manager.
Jack was at work for u sewing machine
and had charge Of the city trade. He
used to ask me often to dine with him,
and l noticed he never paid for what
he got. We seldom ate twice at tn e
same place, and l began to think
his credit was monumental. Next
time we go to Crafts let's take all the
boys i'll the Office with US, said Jack.
as we left well known restaurant one
day. 1 don't like the place at all, and
I'm anxious to eat up what he owes
me-
Then he owes you money ?" said 1,
to draw Jack out.
eyes, they all owe me more than I'll
ever get. might quit work now and
board from place to place for two years
and not eat the accounts up. You see,
l once put an advertisement in a Sun
day paper, which read something like
this:
EIRST CLASS board wanted for first class sew
ing machine direct from the factory Ref
erences required.
We'll, / got over seventy-fvc an
swers. | was given the best of refer
ences-bankers, preachers and doctors.
Most of the letters were from boarding
house keepers and drestaurateurs. They
were from all parts of the city. As
manager of the city trade / could sell
single machine as a sample machine
at the wholesale price. But l didn't
do that. | picked out twenty good
restaurants and boarding houses, and
bought twenty machines on my own
account on four months time. The
wholesale price of each machine was
Sl9, and the retail price $50. OF course
| paid $40 each, and sold them at the
retail price. At each of the twenty
places told them that if they wanted
a brand new sewing machine I would
let them have one direct from the Of
fee for 500 dollars cash, and would
take balance out in board. They
jumped at it, especially as the machine
was one Of the best made, and prom
ised to take it back if not satisfactory.
Near three restaurants l got suite of
rooms on the machine account. In
less than two days had delivered the
twenty machines, and had S4OO in
my pocket, with four months in which
to pay for the goods. l had 500 to
take out in board and lodging in vari-
GUS parts of the city, and as l say, l
got tired of eating up my profits on
the scheme. The 500 was all profit.
and also 81 dollar on each machine.
Why, l worked the same plan on the
tailOrs--they wanted sewing machines.
| could sell tailor heavy manufact-
uring machine for $50 which cost me
S3O-and what an elegant suit of
clothes | got for that S3O'"