The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-21
COMMERCIAL TOURISTS.
orATIsTICs AND FACTS OF INTER-
EST ABOUT THEM.

r,s Faults, Foibles, and Virtues OF the
r-,mrn er-Notes and Anecdotes of
II 1r+erest Showing His Trials and
q rroup1es, as Well as His Shrewd-
n ness.
Tho Pioneer of Trade-the DRUMMER.
q For Push and Energy-the Drummer.
q The Most Innocent Man on the Road
q the Drummer
i Tbase were the terse and characteristic
descriptions on the float of Post D, of the
q Trsvelers Protective Association, in the
Great trades display during the Jasper Fes-
rival last year.
The appearance of the drummers' float
everywhere provoked shouts of laughter
.nd applause, and it was feature of the
occasion.
In about sixty days will occur the convo-
cation OF travelling men in Savannah, at
81 which time the permanent organization of
81 the new southera association will be
"a oFscted In connection with the drum
Ell r,ers' convention the festivities and hospi-
M +alities of Merchants Week. will be ex-
81 tended, and the drummers and their GUS
81 toners in the interior of the state will, for
ri the time being, have possession OF the city.
MI Il
X# The drummer Is u ulSUlQCUlVelY AMERICAN
creation. He las been evolved out of the
81 nav conditions of business engendered by
# tbe building up and development of the
81 country, the construction and extension of
81 railroad and telegraph lines. Before the
war the commercial tourist was a rdra
81 GriS, now he is a prominent feature OF bus
So mess life, and familiar factor on
81 railway trains and at the hotels all over
81 the country. In the conservative ante
Fl bellum times, when the manufacturing in
terests of the country were in the embryo
state; when trade was largely local, and
when the sharp edge of competition was
scarcely felt in business circles, the knight
of the gripsack and sample-case was not
necessity. He was not the institution"
which he now is.
The statistics relating to drummers are as
vet in a crude state Various estimates
have been made of their number. l am in
cined to place the number at about $50, 900
strictly commercial men. In addition to these
81 there are fully $4,000 travelling insurance
q agents and railroad soliciting agents, who are
Il generally set down" as drummers. And, as
d NIX O'kell says in his book: 1.-The popu-
lation of America is 10000, 000-mostly
coouels," so may say, There are in the
United States 100000 drummers-mos ly
single men," 1t is astonishing how few
Il married drummers one meets nowadays,
especially where there are pretty girls.
4 y
b In Georgia there are about 1000 drum
+ mers. OF this number Savannah sends out
n about 800, Atlanta 200, Macon $50, Augusta
d 100 Columbus and Brunswick together
about 100, and scattering" (which includes
Il insurance and railroad solicitors $50. These
are the resident statesmen, travelling for
H firms and corporations located in the state
In addition to tnis l 200 may be added fully
as many more travellers, representing con-
h Germs in such cities as New York
AL,
h more and st. Louis, who visit Georgia-sOme
annually, others semi-annually. Drum
n mers may be divided into three classes:
l. Metropolitan statesmen, who make long
jumps" and only take in the large cities.
These drummers put on "airs" over the
other members of the craft stop at So and
81 day hotels, affect cosmopolitan ways,
and do not relish the cognomen of drum
mer;o they prefer to be styled representa-
tives.H0 g Statesmen whose firms are located
in another state, but who visit all the towns
and small places in this state, having regu-
II lar territory, which they work" semi
q annually. 3. The ''local" or Georgia drum
mers, who, of course, are ubiquitous in
their particular territory. and who may
4 be met with constantly on the road in the
sections tributary to their own city from
which they travel
New York sa lesmen are generally the
most metropolitan in their conversation and
manner of any men on the road, and are
b easily recognized by their easy-going self
assurance and quiet air of Importance.
If you meet Boston drummer, you can
safely put it down that he is selling 'boots
and shoes" If it be Philadelphia traveller,
you can gamble on his line being
clothing" The specialties of Baltimore
salesman are either motions" shoes" or
canned goods" AS soon as st. Louis
drummer registers he inquiries of the hotel
proprietor or clerk 'who handles the most
-four in this town. When an Atlanta
drummer autographs at hotel he imme-
diately demands the latest Constitution"
and If same is not on file, he affects aston
1shmeut, and wishes to know where he can
possibly get one. Engage him in converse
ton, aud he will ask you at once if you
4 have ever seen "the Kimball, or if you
have ever been on "Peachtree street
The Macon travelling man comes
IN and before going up to his
room wants to know if the 1ele-
n graph has come in yet. AS soon as he has
seen the latest copy he is ready for business.
II you talk with Macon drummer he will
ask you ''if you have any house in your city
mat sells as many goods as S. R. Jaques &
70" or = II you ever saw Coleman's store"
by way of variety
After an Augusta drummer registers he
HSAs Ihe Motel man, confidentially, if there
are any late advices from the river at
augusta" or whether he thinks this
leshet will go as high as the last one."
Inc Savannah commercial tourist is
more decidedly cosmopolitan in his man.
9erS and conversation than any of his con-
reres from the other Georgia cities. Sa-
nahnahs statesmen cover more territory
vuan do the travelling men from any other
southern city. You can frequently meet
Suem In Kew West and Pensacola, Birming-
CStn and Montgomery, Wilmington and
SuarIotte Columbia and Greenville, and
tsNyeh IN Chattanooga, Tenn, and the first
Jung they inquire for on reaching a town
the MORNING NEWS. The Savannah
hummer generally knows all the hes rooms
~ tus different hotels in his territory, Ell her
ny number or location, and when he regis
NE nc seldom fails to notify tue hotel clerk
"nlch particular room he wishes his bag
sabe sent to, and he generally gets the
tooln ne asks for. Savannah drummers are
recognized as the most artistic "kickersn on
aae ROAD when they consider themselves inn
dooeu upon Or unjustly treated. Tue average
sumner 'kicks" with only one foot the
%SSvahhah man uses both feet, and his best
orts would cause a Texas bronco to go
+ \
me morale of commercial travellers has
approved considerably during the past few