St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-14
STAND TOGETHER.
Ante Lucem Urges Commercial
Travellers to Pull! TOgether.

Travellers to Pull Together.
The Saturday GLOBE made: its regu-
lar daily trip to the town where | am at
present dOmiciled, coming in on time
despite the rigors of the Northwest
climate. As usual the travelling mems
department contained much of interest
to one identified with the craft. 1t was
pleasure to know so many of the good
fellows had been so handsomely enter
tanned by the hosts of the Windsor at
Minneapolis. 1t is good for the breth-
eren TO assemble together and dwell in
unity. In union there is strength. |
heard brother traveller, whose territory
is south. extending into Texas. deScant-
ing with another traveller of one of the
more central states. and he pronounced
them mighty host. While they had
many Just grievances, great and small,
they could thank themselves for many
of them, and all through lack of con-
eerted action. Said he: Each men,
Der of the great body seems to be tray
cling along at his own chosen gait, re-
CARELESS of the hundreds of thousands
of other fellows passing over the same
course, intent upon his own
work, curSing the ills imposed
upon himself and forgetting his
associate" He advocated OrganiZa-
tiOnS of every kind tending to correct
the evils, and the fostering of every
scheme having for its object the i'm
prOvement of the personnel of the entire
cial travellers. with such Efforts
he said, las the commercial traveller
is alone able to put forth unitedly rail-
roads, hotels and common carriers who
are now daily imposing upon them
would be brought low and made to
humble themselves somewhat So say
we all. While there has been an organ
iZatiOn for several years, it is also true
that it is only within the last twelve or
eighteen months that the commercial
traveller has began to don his war paint
and make an onslaught upon those per-
sons and corporations who look upon
him as their common prey. 1t would
have been pleasure to the writer to
have been present at the Windsor and
lent encore to the efforts of j. G. Apple
gate, alias Tom Collins, for his orator
zeal efforts. Tom is good fellow, and
TO know him is to like him. The rail-
road people have been discussing and
tinkering with the mileage question of
late, and any real SystematiZed action
Is as far Off now as six months ago.
The 1000 mile book has been pro-
nounced impracticable. Several schemes
have been advanced, among others the
5000 mile book good Oh all roads, but so
far not one adopted. The 5000 mile
books find most universal favor among
travellers and mercantile houses. Very
many of the eastern roads are selling
LOCO mile $40 books, and it is most likely
that form will come into quite general
use. Legislation upon the interstate
commerce law in the near future will
make some changes and the travelling
tourists may confidently look for bet
ter and more universal form of mileage
before the ides of December, 1888.
and perhaps in the form of
5.OOO-mile book, no rebate, good twelve
months. There is no good reason Why
the commercial men or their respective
houses should put up sum i'm shane of
rebates of several hundred thousand
dollars for the several railroads to bank
upon. If they want a Jackpot let them
assess the stockholders. 1t is neither
Justice or horse sense to eXtOrt money
from their patrons whose labOrS i'm the
end make them wealthy corporations.
While the rate of fare is getting atten-
ton from the railroad magnateS, it is to
be hoped they will not overlook the eX-
cess baggage question. Travelling as |
dO. without baggage, | am not fully
posted, but consider it one of the great
est Outrages heaped upon the CON-
merc1al traveller. VIII not Scottie or
some one who yields sharp pen prod
them Oh that score. L should like to
know what has become of ScOttie,
the man with the glass and a few
more. c. w. Lans represents the we'll
known cutlery house of Henry Sears d
Go. In matters of business he is a
painstaking gentleman, as thoroughly
reliable as an eight-day clock, and al
ways manages to get there on time,
barring floods and cyclones. The re-
suit is good trade for his house. So
cially he ranks with the peers, and is
doing his part toward making mankind
happy as well as one of felicitous turn
of mind can possibly do. Like the line
of keen-cdged tools which he carries, he
is equally keen for a joke as we'll as the
advancement of all the general inter
eSts of the commercial traveller. Like
many another sensible fellow, he lives
in Minneapolis and owns some of its
dirt. ANTE LIJCEM.