Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-29
Answers will be given next week.
CONFESSIONS OF A CANYASSER.
Reforms, and Like All Reformers, CritIcises
Ris Past Career

Ex-Canvasser in Newark Sunday Call
If you can imagine the possibility of such a
thing being accomplished please write me down
as a reformed canvasser. To be sure was never
an old and hardened one, bat nevertheless
have been house to house canvasser, one of
the fiends whom housekeepers are crying out
against, and one who sees the error of his ways.
guess it is the first case on record. and because
have realized the nature of my calling my late
employer calls me failure and says bitter things
about me, even to disparaging my character for
probity. Yet sold as many goods for him as
any man he ever employed, notwithstanding
my repugnance for the business.
Two years ago was a working jeweler, with
little chances of making fair wages at my trade.
In an evil hour fell; was persuaded TO enter
upon life of sin by the honeyed words of can
vasser, who extolled my gift OF CAB, and said
that could easily make $40 day by developing
an iron gall and embarkinS In his line Of bust
ness He jingled his money at me and COM
pletsly won me over to his view of the wicked
business.
mate to bluff defenseless women into purchasing
rugs, clocks and other things on installments at
twice their value. He convinced me that had
a perfect right to lntrude upon the privacy OF
any family and force my goods upon anybody,
no matter how unwilling they might be to listen.
He taught the trick OF stepping into the
stony stare and parrot-liloe discourse with which
to meet the flashing eyes of harrased house
wives.
A MISTAKEN TUTOR.
Under his tutelage went into the business
with the air OF a veteran, believing his assur
ances that my natural repugnance to its debas-
ing details would wear away in time and give
place to feeling of exultation over my un-
paraIleled cheek. He was wrong in this, for
can say with the utmost candor that never felt
ANYTHING like pride in my WORK and the re-
breaches of women whom have abused by i'm
portuning them to buy have always cut me
deeply, even though 1 disguised my feeling ct
the time.
/ cannot understand how any strong man can
exult in having held the front door with his
big feet while pouring into the unwilling ears
of defenseless woman lot of senseless tWaddIe
about the merits OF his sewing machines and
the dement's OF hers. 1t makes me sick to think
OF it. 1 never felt better treated in my life than
/ did when q little woman in Summer avenue
collared me and bounced me out OF the yeStibule
of her house. I would rather dig bitches or
break stone at Caldwell than go back 70 the bust
ness
Look at the average sewing machine AGENT
He rings 9 bell. and when the front door IS
opened takes a position so that it cannot be
closed until he is throu Oh his harrangue- II he
has the luck to encounter the lady OF the house
he snlirks and smiles, and in his softest tones
asks II she has sewing machine. She answers
YES and he asks what kind it is
WHAT BE ADMIREs.
No matter what kiud she says she has, he is in
duty bound to insinuxte that it is no good.
Even though it is the same as he is selling, he
may suggest that the recent improvements,
made since she bought hers, ara invaluable, and