Morning journal and courier., 1890-03-13
CONFESSIONS OF A CANvASSER. Reforms, and, Like All RefOrmers
 Criticlses Ills Past Career.

CFlt1c10e8 d11 Fast O0foeEs
 [Ex-Canvasser in Newark Sunday Calll
 If you can imagine the possibility of such g thing being accomplished please write me down as a reformed canvasser. To be sure was never an old and hardened one, but nevertheless have been . house to house canvasser, one of the fends whom house. keepers arc crying out against, and ono who sees the error of his ways. Iguess 1t is the first case on record, and because I have re- alized the nature of my calling my late em- ployer calls me failure and says bitter things about me, even to disparaging my character for probity. Yet I sold as many goods for him as any man he ever employed, notwithstanding my repugnance for the bus- iness.
 Two years ago was working jeweler, with little chance of making fair wages ct my trade. In an evil hour fell. I was persuaded to enter upon life of sin by the honeyed words of oanvasser, who extolled my gift of gab and said that I could easily gall and embarking in his line of business. He jingled his money at me and completely won me over to his view of the wicked busi- ness.
 He persuaded me that it was perfectly le- gitimate to bluff defenseless women into purchasing rugs, clocks and other things on installments at twice their value. He con-
 
 trude upon the privacy of any family and force my goods upon anybody, no matter how unwilling they might be to listen. He taught me the trick of stepping into the doorway as soon as the door was opened, the stony stare and parrot like discourse with which to meet the flashing eyes of harassed housewives.
 A MISTAKEN TUTOR.
 Under his tutelage went into the business with the air of veteran, believing his as- surancss that my natural regugnance to its debasing details would wear away in time and give place to feeling of exultation over my unparalleled cheek. He was wrong in this, for I can say with the utmost oandor work, and the reproaches of women whom have abused by importuning them to buy have always cut me deeply, even though I disguised my feelings at the time.
 I cannot understand how any strong man can exult in having held c front door with his big feet while pouring into the unwilling ears of defenssless woman . lot of sense- less twaddle about the merits of his sewing machines and the demerits of hers. It makes me sick to think of 1t. never felt better treated in my life than did when e little woman in Summer avenue collarad me and bounced mo out of tho vestibule of her house. would rather dig ditohss or break stone at Caldwell than go back to the busi- ness.
 Look at the average sewing machine agentl He rings bell and when the front door is opened quickly takes position SC that 1t cannot be closed until he is through his harangue. If he has the luck to sncoun ter the lady of the house he smirks an6 smiles, and in his softsst tones asks if sh. has e sewing machine. She answers "Yes, l and he asks what kind 1t is. ss WHAT HE ADMIREs.
 | No matter what kind she say1 she has, h, Is in duty bound to insinuate that 1t is n, good. Even though it is the same as hs fl selling he may suggest that the recent i'm provements, made since she bought hers, art invaluable and offer to take her machine fol ten dollars and sell her new one for fifty dollars or more. If it is . rival machine h. asks, tDon't it run harda Don't you find i noisy and constantly out of erdera"
 admire woman who firmly refuses t
 have anything to do with agents and can
 vassers. and tells them promptly to get out like the spirit of the woman who answer
 "None of your business' to the first que.
 ten the sewing machine agent asks. If al
 women would treat the impudent canvasser
 and agents as they deserve to be treated tn
 business would soon be broken up. sa
 impudent advisedly, for realize that house to house canvasser can be nothing els , but impudent, no matter how polite he ma
 be in making his advances. His presence
 an impudent intrusion on the privacy of tf family. He has no right in common lay ] He is trespaaser whsn he puts hts foot