Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1886-04-20
MISCELLANEOUS.
How Drummers Make Money.
[Fronf the New York star.1

fFronFthc New York Star.
If 1 give you your fare on street
car and you walk, yon 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 81 or S4.5 per day.
Some firms let their men have more
rope than that, but S4. 30 IS the aver
age. If drummer misses meal he
charges half dollar for it, as though
he ate the meal. If he eats a twenty
cent lunch it costs the firm fifty cents
his stomach earns the other thirty
cents" The speakerw was drummer
for firm of Broadway glove import
crs, and he gave away trade secrets
to Star young man last evening at
the Morton house.
1.-The fare from Buffalo TO New
York. tirst-cIass, is S11.25. A scalper
ticket costs 50. What is the matter
with riding on the scalper ticket and
charging tirst-class fare? The drum
mer says, L deny myself, therefore
1 earn the S2.25.' OF course that
kind of reasoning may be carried too
far. I knew traveller, Jack Coke
iaw'of Union Square house, who put
suit OF clothes in his first months
expense account. Here said the
manager, I'VE don't clothe YOU Not
long afterward, Jack was in the city
again. He brought in another bill of
expenses. You don't sec n suit of
clothes there now, do you?' said he.
No; this bill is all right. This is
the way we want to see your expenses
all itemized, replied the manager.
But there is q suit of clothes there,
all the same,' chuckled Jack. He
had spread the cost of the suit on like
butter, the whole length of the ac-
count. When first met Jack he was
always flush. In fact, he is now, but
he is a manager. Jack was at work
then for sewing machine house, 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 ut the same
place, and began to think his credit
was monumental. Next time we go
to Crafts to dine let's take all the boys
in the office with u.s. said Jack, as
we left well known restaurant one
day. don't like the place at all.
and Im anxious to eat up what he
owes me- ON. ~.
" Then he owes you money!" said
I, to draw Jack out.
@ Yes, they all owe me more. than
I'll ever get. might quit work now
and board around from place TO place
for two years and not eat the accounts
up. You see. once put an adver-
tisement in a Sunday paper, which
read something like this:
FIRST-CLASs hoard wanted for q frst-class
sewing machine. direct from the factory. Ref
ereuccs required.
We'll. 1 got over seventy;fve an
swers. | was given the best of ref
erences-bankers, preachers and doc
tors. Most of the letters were from
boarding house keepers and restaur-
atcurS. They were from all parts of
the city. AS manager of the city
trade could sell single machine as
sample at the wholesale price. But
L didn't do that. Ipicked out twenty
good restaurants and boarding houses
anu INClLf OIl NY
own account on four months time.
The wholesale price on each machine
was Sl9, and the retail price s55. OF
course, / paid S19 each. and sold
them at the retail price. At each of
the twenty places told them that if
they wanted n bran-new machine ]
would let them have one direct from
the office for $50 cash, and would take
the balance out in board. They
jumped at it, especially as the ma
chine was one of the best made, and
promised to take it hack if not sat
isfactory. Near three restaurants 1
got n suite of rooms on the machine
account. In less than two days l
had delivered the twenty machines,
had 500 cash in pocket, with four
months in which to pay for the goods.
1 had 500 to take out in board and
lodging in various parts of the city,
and as say, got tired of eating up
my profits on the scheme. The 800
was all profit, and also 81 on each
machine. could sell tailor heavy
manufacturing machine for $50 which
cost me S3O-and what an elegant
suit of clothes 1 got for that S3O."