Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-04-05
A BOOK AGENT,
His Observations.-Peop Interviewed In
the Course of Forty Thousand Miles.
of Travel.

agent. In that time he has visited
every city or town of any size in these
United States. During his career as q
seller of books Mr.. Jones has Travelled
| over forty thousand miles. ever ready
to dispose of anything from Hustler
the Five-Year-Old Bootblack Detec.
tive. to treatise on protoplastie
archetypes.
He has sold the highest-priced works
every published i'll this country. and
has met nearly every man of note
from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Mr..
Jones has studied carefully the man.
ners and faces of his customers. He
was in Philadelphia recently, and
| while trying to convince a representa-.
tive of the Philadelphia Times that he
needed an encyclopedia costing $500
told something of his impressions OF
Istinguished men and women he has
met:
Experience has taught me-" said
MIR. Jones, ''that it is truly great men
who are always polite, and that the
most rude are those who have sudden
y acquired riches or been thrust into
hotoriety. The most polite men have
ever met are Roscoe Conkling, James
@. Blaine. Gov. James A. Beaver, and
eX-Gov. John 7. Hoffman, of New
York. Their consideration and court
eous treatment | regard as wonderful.
The man of whom tie firm remarked
that they just as much expected to see
| the devils name brought in as his was
Wilbur F. Story, of Chicago.
George w. Childs has a keen ap-
probation of fne works. and ALWAYS
has pleasant words. William NJ.
5ingerly although quick and impul-
sive, knows well how to refuse with
polite consistency book costing
several hundred thousand dollars to
produce. Philip d. Armour, the great
Chicago millionaire, is decided, ag-
gresslve, combative, yet sympathetic
and tender. Every book agent has a
liking for CEauncey M. Depew. /
was surprised at his courteous treat
ment He is true humanitarian, and
| is very sensitive to the cause of the
weak. Gen. U. S. Grant was decisive
an laconic. David Dudley Field is
polite, and has an admirable, refined
manner in which to refuse or accept.
| William M. Evarts is paraphrastical.
Once he has made decision he is i'm
movable. John Jacob Astor was
critical and had excellent Judgment.
Il was in William H. Vanderbilt's
art gallery when he died." continued
Mr.. Jones, awaiting to see him in re-
lation to $4,000 worth of books for
Christmas. Vanderbilt had a strong,
tender, friendly nature and a deep
Of =,
constantly increasing his library of
merited works, and is an aspiring
student in the branches of science. art
and music. Jay Gould is very liberal
after you have once gained his con-
fidence. He is very interested, and
always inquiries deeply into every
thing. Whitelaw Reid and Carl
Schurz value the contents only of the
book, and fine bindings are no induce
| nent to them. William B. d, nsmore,
president of the Adams Express COM
pany, is a genial student of human
nature. Marshall Field has face in
dicative of caution and progressive
ness.
"There is something about Col.
Robert G. Ingersoll which is magnetic
He has a very deep insight into
character, and seems always to warm
the room with a genial atmosphere.
In many respects Col. Ingersoll is
much like the late Henry Ward
Beecher, Rollin M. Squire is lover
Of books and a Judge. The late Gen.
John A. Logan was urbane and suave.
Robert L. Lincoln is positive, and of
Keen perception. Gov. Foraker, of
Ohio, has every thing abont him which
indicates principle. decision and I'M
swerving fidelity. ShIpbuilder John
Roacn rarely bought books, rather
wishing to study the solution of practi-
cal experience. George M. Pullman,
VI sleeping-car fame is gentleman to
perfection. Murat Halstead 1 could
not help comparing to Napoleon. He
has great strength of individuality.
Bishop Potter is chilly ahd yet mag
letic.
"A. j. Drexel has keen eye and a
brain of eyes. Potter Palmer, of
{ icago, is bland and eagle-eyed.
CHARLES A. Dana is of we'll knitted
and strongly fortified temperament.
VSyor Carter Harrison, of Chicago, is
bn0yant, with great persisteDcy and
vitality. Ferdinand Ward is impul-
sive and decisive. | sold him 81, 0U0
set of books in less than three min
utes. l sold the late Samuel J. Tilden
a 5000 set of Macaulay. l sold the
highest priced and handsomest en-
cyclopedia ever made in the world,
twents-seven volumes, costing $500, to
the United States commissioners and
esidents of New Orleans, who pre-
ented it TO Mai. E. A. Burke, director
general of the Worlds exhibition.
Mrs. General Logan is charming ap-
preciator of merit. The busiest man,
AMI the quickest to dispatch business
ever met. was j. Pierrepont Morgan.
Benjamin Harris Brewster is cordial
and has a large degree of agreeable
ness.
The highest-priced book l ever
sold" continued Mr.. Jones, '.was
Audubon's Birds and Animals, to
William Rockefeller, president of the
Standard OIL company. The book
cost $500. Ex-Gov. Baldwin, of
Detroit, | found to be an estimable
gentleman, refined to the grain; Gen.
Beauregard quiet and modest; Col. j.
h. G.. Pitkin, of New Orleans, an adj
yancing orator and student. Gen.
Sheridan is dignifed, but quite cor
dial. John Wentworth, of Chicago,
is volcanic and impulsive. Gov.
Hoadly is austere, with clear cutting
judgment.
Il have always excellent success
among theatrical people. The late
John Mccullough always struck me as
being of a very melancholy DISPOSE
ton, but he treated me with much
consideration. John t. Raymond was
d nnnd indna Of hooks althnnnh he