Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-04-10
X PEDDLER'S METHODS.
ONE OF THE FRATERNITY TELLS
 ALL ABOUT HIS WORK.

Ways That Arc Dark and Tricks That
 Are vafn-A Successful Peddler Must
 Have Just Enough Self Conhdence.
 Up Stairs and Down.
 Good peddlers, like successful men in the higher walks of life, are born, not made,n said the narticular member of the fraternity whom A reporter questioned on the subiect He was loaded down with rugs, door mats. feather dusters and other articles until he looked like a perambulating house furnishing store. Any or all of the articles under which he struggled he offered to sell on ''time pay ments of fifty cents week" and when the reporter gently but unhesitatingly declined the offer, the peddler looked so unutterably disgusted that the reporter offered him . chair and some refreshments. Soon the two were engaged in conversation which brought forth the observation made above.
 .No," he continued, "a peddler is naturally a good peddler, and no amount of training or trying will make good one of manwho hasn't it in him. On the other hand, . good peddler is generally good for nothing else on earth. Let him try to stop peddling for any other business and the chances are ten to one that he'll make a fizzle ot it"
 MADE SUCCESS.
 "Now, I am a born peddler, and at peddling I have at last made a success, where in all things that tried before failed. went to school until was IS, and since then-that's twelve years ago-I have been excessively lawyers clerk, bookkeeper in an importing house, clerk in dry goods store, driver of @ delivery wagon, car driver, elevated railroad guard, waiter and peddler. It's four years since found my true vocation, and I've done pretty we'll"
 "Does good peddler make much moneyf' the reporter asked guardedly.
 "Well, that depends. Now, average $30 a week. Some, a few, make more, but the majority make less Anybody that's good a week without any trouble and be able to go out on Sunday for a good time"
 "What characteristics must a good peddler possessl"
 "Oh, . great many. elf-confdence, or cheek as it is called, is the most essential Without it no peddler ever peddled with success But too much of it is even more fatal for his prosperity, for in addition to failure he often gets broken head. No, he must have self-conddence but not too much just enough, you know. Then he must be character reader-know just to whom he can sell and whom not, who will stand stiff price and who must be offered the goods at cut rates.
 ''To be good peddler you must also have a firm, yet gentle disposition. You must al- low nothing to deter you when you see per son to whom you feel you can sell. No mat ter what he or she says, you must persevere. This is where the frmness comes in. The gentleness is necessary, SO that you may, un- der no circumstances, lose your temper. It <hA S. c1~ s,> face, swearing will only make matters worse The people next door will only laugh at you. No, you must preserve dignified silence and smile indulgently as you turn away. Then you can sell to the neighbor. Her sym pathy will be aroused, and by patronizing you she thinks she can administer rebuke to the unmannerly woman next door and shine by comparison"
 UP STAIRS AND DOWN.
 "Is peddling hard workg'
 ''Trudging up stairs and down with this as- sortment of goods isn't as much fun as play ing poker, but there is more money in 1t for the average person; and, besides, it's no harder than many other things-selling dry goods, for instance I can pick my custom CTS in this business, but when was a counter jumper l was entirely at the mercy of any woman who happened along"
 w nat becomes or al1 CQo peQQlcrS!
 "That question has often puzzled me- There are two things I never saw in my life-a dead mule and dead peddler Sometimes I think that when mules and peddlers die Old Nick carries lem off bodily as choice bits of 'cussedness.'"
 ''Are all peddlers full of ways that lead to Old Nick"
 This was rather leading question, but the peddler met it unblushingly.
 "Well, generally, {" he replied, nonchalantly. s'Some save their money, but very few. I generally turn up with 0 big head and empty pockets on Monday morning"
 "Then how do you manage to buy your goodsl On time?'
 'We don't buy our goods. We get them from houses around town that are only too willing to let us have them to sell on commis- sion. When a new hand starts in he has to deposit the value of the goods he takes out, but after awhile, when he gets better ac- quainted, he can get all the goods he wants to take out.
 l' "I must go now. I just saw the red headed woman who lives across the street return. l knew she was out, and I've been waiting for | her all this time. I can always sell to a red headed woman. I don't know why, but can A red headed man, though, is useless being as far as peddlers are concerned"
 With this parting shot tthe reporters hair takes on russet tinge at sunseN the ungrate- full vender of rugs took his departure. York Press.