The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-04-19
THE DRUMMERs.
Bin Arp Falls in with Crowd of Them

comforts that are possible. l am no.
thinking about myself but about these
drummers. don't like to call then
drummers, for it is not very comely
name and sounds harsh and slapgy, but
it started that way and sticks, and We
mean no harm by it. A regular drum
mer used to be fellow who beat the
kettle drum to call up the boys and gel
them into line at the old fashioned mus
ters. One played the fife and another
ratified the drum, and when they began
their music the captains of the militia
wculd cry out: "Ob, yesl Oh, yesl all
that belongs to Captain Jenkins's COM
pany, parade here-fall in men, fall in p
Then the boys would begin to straggle
into line, some with guns and some with
sticks, and some with cornstalks or
umbrellas, and the line was as straight
as crooked fence and never got any
straighter. Some stood up straight and
some half bent and some squatted down
some had coats and some had none, and
all were talking or laughing, but they
were drummed up nevertheless. "Do
you hear the drum, boys-let's 60 and
fall into line," they would say, and SO a
drummer now is a man who draws the
attention and makes the boys fall into
line. was talking to merchant yes.
terday in Chattanooga, and a courteous
young man came in with some cigars and
took off his hat politely and introduced
himself and showed his cigars and asked
the privilege of placing his brand in the
show case for trial. he did itso nicely
and WAS so pleasant that the merchant
could not refuse. I was in another store
and young man came in to show his
samples of cutlery, and he, too, was so
polite the merchant had to humor him,
although he did not wish to buy. Civil.
ity pays; politeness pays, good manners
and good breeding pays. We may ad-
mire diamond in the rough, and there
are people with big hearts and rough
manners, but after all, pleasant and
agreeable manners are the best. They
are the best among the ladies. I know
from experience. I was speaking of q
man the other day to my wife, and she
said, 81 like him very much, he has such
nice manners, he is so attentive and kind.
Why the other day when left my para.
sol in the store he brought it across the
street and took off his hat as he presented
it to me.n Well, the truth is I diden't
like him so everlasting much, for 1
thought him little too dogone obse-
quios and my wife oughten't to have
forgot her parasol no how, but politeness
pays AMI the women appreciate>it more
than tho men. My wife says there was
time away back when, if she dropped her
I would jump ten feet to get
it but now set there like stump and
simply say, my dear you have dropped
your handkerchief. Just so-AnDo
Domini will tell-nevertheless I don't
like to see politeness overdone. Bill
Jones was mighty polite and was very
fond of escorting Mrs. Goulding to din.
ner or suprer at the hotel when Captain
Goulding was away in his steamboat.
Well she thought it was nothing but
gentlemanly politeness and 80 accepted
his invitations. The captain came in
Unexpectedly one evening, and as Bill
was prancing along with Mrs. g. to sup
per, he grabbed him by the collar and
gave him twist and turn and kicked
him about rod, and remarked: CHOW,
dogon you, go and get wife of your
own" have known many good, solid
young man boycotted by the girls because
he lacked manners.
But was rumirating about the drum
mers. One of them got off the train with
me the other morning about an hour
before day, and we looked all around for
q light or porter, or some place to go
to, and finally settled down in piazza
of humble hotel, where three dogs were
sleeping, but they raped the floor with
their friendly tails, and 80 we sat down
and waited for daylight. 1t was a good
time to talk sense, and We talked it until
the roosters crowed and continued it until
the sun rose, and then the family got up
aud, to our surprise, gave Us a cordial
welcome and good, old-fashioDed break.
fast. A good breakfast is a splendid
harmonizer. The stomach is the thing
to work on, and these drummers know it.
They can tell you the precise character
of every hotel in their territory, ard they
make the hotel business a subject of
prayer. always go to the hotel that
they patronize They don't care half as
much about tariff reform or civil service
reform as they do about hotel reform.
They are long ways from home and
their loved ones. They have to take the
weather as it comes and get on and off
the trains at all times of night ind all
kinds of places and meet with disappoint-
ments and vexations, and it takes good
victuals and good beds to keep them
calm and serene.
My wife, Mrs. Arp, she knows how it
is. When Il get back home tired and
weary with travel she goes to the kitchen
herself and fixes me up something ever so
nice, and it revives me and rejuvenatea
me and causes me to bask in the sunshine
of domestic bliss, and so get out my
pocketbook and lay it in her lap, and
then she is calm and serene and don't
scold the children nor complain of the
cook or the washerwomen. But by and
|. by she slacks up little and puts me to
work and keeps me at it until get ready
to go off again. think che has an idea
thot 7 houo a uood time when am pOne