Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-01-20


Wstsse Ahpns HAeU
xaers ars knsfasrs and sgsia theFs
ere huSElsrs snosg The 'peFasrinasnx
sposklss ef commerce commonly
called travelling nA<a- Tie inaax q
trsselsrs hreashs b. The epsnins Of me
furnisnre trade has ben followed ~
the usa2i swarm Of agents Of various
ilaes eaxrying spring or summer saan'
pisa and thous eolning haek from holt
day rests 10 their usual beats OF tsfn-
tories. Among the @boysa in the clsy
today uss familiar face, and Il De-
longs 70 man known - one Of NE
most successful IN his hns. He y . 70
bacco fiend and just before the hoii-
dzys made the enormous record OF seii-
ing 1900 pounds Of plug tobacco 70 the
retail trade in seven weeks. aided only
by one asslstant. lie hes generally un-
der MS control from ave 70 twelve
agents scattered Through any particular
territory he may be working, he plan
being TO sell : large amount Of his
goods TO some jobbing house, and then
he and his men pitch in and sell to the
retail trade and flood the market he
draws tho comfortable salary Of 5000 .
year and expenses, owns stock IN the
factory he represents. and - IS Big
hearted IS he is successful.
Standing near him stoicaliy pulling
away at . suspicious looking and
smelling cigar was . big. good-natured
looking fellow who has great rcputa-
ton in his line. He represents . large
safe and lock company, but Is more
busily engaged IN opening than selling
safes. Ho Is legitimate safe-opening
expert, and is one OF the two men IN
this country who can open any safe,
locked under any combination without
q previous knowledge of the c0mbina-
ton, or tools Of any kind. He is often
called to make flying trips TO distant
parts Of the country to open safes
where the combinations have been lost,
forgotten, broken, or damaged
by fire. His faculty is natural. not
acquired, and lies in the delicate touch
Of his fingers. Some days he cannot
work at all. but when his nerves are In
trim he can open a safe in from five TO
fifteen minutes from the time he be-
gins. He claims that by turning the
knob of the combination he can tell
when the tumblers fall. and find the
combination. He is in great demand
travels on commission and earns a
large salary which he knows how to
take care Of.
The old man had on q back number
hat and highwater pants, and was at
once shining mark for the gay furn-
ture men in the billiard room. One Of
them challenged him to a game OF
three-ball billiards. and the crowd
gathered around to see the sport.
1t was sport.
The furniture man won the first
game, and beat the old man bad, by his
string only showing % out of so. Then
the +. m. offered to discount the old
man, and ne pulled off his old coat and
said he "reckoned he'd try him one
MORE"
Then the fun began. The f. m. won
the bank, made two and missed an
easy carom. The old man pulled his
hat over his eyes and started out by
making rather difficult cushion shot,
then he made an all round-the-table
shot that brought down the house; then
more cushion caroms, punched them
in the corner and ran out the game
without chalking his cue.
1t cost the furniture man several dol
lars to keep the crowd quiet, and the
old man bit off q chunk of plug and
walked out the monarch of all he sur
veyed. JESSE LANCE.