The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-09-28
0ait and 9umOr.
The lightning Rod Man Still Lives.
How "A Man with Ready Made Statistics
swindIes the Farmers.
From the New York sun.


elbow is it that you still manage to sell
SO many lightning rods y was asked the
other day Of an agent who makes Pennsyl-
vania his stamping ground.
Because people want them, ne replied.
at is rare that you can sell one in town
or city nowadays, but nine farmers out of
ten want them"
ADO they believe in them? p
,sThey do-after l have got through
talking. 1t is the man who is not posted
who brings reproach on the lightning rod
business. To be a successful agent you
must be loaded.
"How?"
@Well, call upon farmer who has just
built fine barn. He has been told that
rods are n. G. He receives me very eoldly
and promptly announces his belief that L
am humbug. | laugh and pretend to
feel very jolly, and presently bring out
weapon number one.
ssWhat is that p
aThe losses sustained on barns by fire
insurance companies doing business IN the
state. | show him that in one year ?, 40
barns we're struck by lightning and con-
sumed. Of this number onl5 four had
rods. They were, of course, the rods made
by a rival company. Our rods would have
saved them. Then comes weapon number
two. show him a list Of :, 900 barns en-
which we have rods, aud not one of them
has ever been damaged.
@And he is convinced p
ssOh. no. have whole battery in re-
serve. l get the position of his barn by
compass. and then find at least three reasons
why it is unusually exposed to lightning.
| advise him to cut down certain trees IN
case he won't have a rod, and offer to bet
him 500 to $50 that his barn will be
struck inside of year. | explain how
thunder storms originate, what attracts
lightning, which corner Of the barn Is the
most liable TO be struck, and why our rod
beats all
aWhere do you get all your statistics !?
make them for myself, sir may be
little over or a little under, but it makes
no difference TO the farmer. | have the
number Of barns burned in the United
States last year. I made my own figures.
He can accept them or not. don't press
him to buy a rod, but | am bound to give
statistics. He invites me to stay to dinner
and after dinner I demonstrate the virtues
Of our rod
allow ?"
aBy an electric battery have only Il
show him the sparks and flashes on tbs
point to make him believe. Then / tall
about circuits, ground wires, induction,
attraction, and 50 on, and he gets in such
a hurry for rod that we have to work fai
into the evening.
aDoes your conscience ever troubll
you ~
@Never. Everybody should have !
lightning rod--One Of our own make. The,
are Ornamental They give a jaunty air e
roofs and chimneys. There Is no delicat
machinery To get out Of order Il is nj
expense to run one after it is up. Will
you are off huekleberTying in the daytiml
or asleep at night the lightning rod is at
tending right to business and not charging
a cent. No, sir. my conscience is as elea
as bell, an1 my sales this year viii b
one-third larger than last. I've got stats
tics to show that every barn in the stat
equipped with our rods escaped hurricane
and cyclones, as well as thunderbolts, las
veal"