Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-09-05
A BOOK CANvASsER's TALE.
How He worked the Boston school
Board for an Order.

How He "Worked' the Boston school
Board for Order.
The typical book canvasser is generally
4 seedy looking individual with a $5a-
week ek-and-luckyi air about
him. He appeals to your sympathy rather
that your judgment; he looks so hungry,
so weary, so forlorn. 1t is mistake,
however, to think that all men in his line
of business are like him. The princes
among book canvassers, who make large
sales and realize handsome commissions,
it may not be generally known, deal prin-
cipally in school books, encyclopedias,
and high class art publications. A can
vasser connected with one of the largest
school book publishing houses in this
country related to reporter the follow
ing story, illustrating his methods of
transacting business:
Our house had just published an inn
portant work of reference in several vol
umes, especially adapted for school libra
ries. We had done well with it in New
York, but in order to have it sell in New
England it was necessary to have tplaced
in the school libraries of Boston. | was
delegated to accomplish this. When /
arrived | put up at one of the best hotels
and spent several days in apparent idle
ness. All this time, however, | was look
ing about for some means of introduction
to the most influential members of the
board of education. | knew that any
rash proposition on my part would
greatly imperil my chances of success.
and was prepared to employ stratagem,
l finally succeeded in getting acquainted
with member of the board. and made
myself so agreeable to him that had no
difficulty in gaining his support.
You will easily place your work in
our school libraries, he s,id, if you can
get Mr. b to recommend it. He has
supreme influence in such matters, but
unfortunately he is just now very much
opposed to spending any more of the
public funds for books of reference
MY acquaintance gave me a card of
introduction, and the next day called
on Mr.. b at his Office. He was not
in very good humor, and addressed me
brusquely.
"'WeIl, young man. he said, please
state your business briefly. am man
of affairs, and my time is worth dollar
Il minute
If that is the case,' I answered
suavely, Il shall certainly pay you at
that rate for whatever time l take At
this he appeared to be somewhat sur
prsed and even pleased, l thought At
all events he gave me sufficient time to
expatiate on the merits of the work !
had to sell, and to persuade him to grant
me a longer interview at his home that
evening. | drove up to his door in
carriage and entered his library in full
evening dress. l concealed my anxiety
to gain his good will, talking on general
topics unit lhe himself introduced the sub
,iect of our interview. Then | affected in
difference telling him that it made very
little difference to our house whether the
work was taken by the schools of Boston
then or later as it certainly would be
when its great merit was more widely
known. This was a master stroke on
my part, for Mr.. b was intensely
jealous of his reputation as a man of
Judgment, and could not tolerate the
thought that a work rejected by him
might afterward be adopted by his sue
cessors. He asked me to send him the
volumes for his inspection, and so our
interview ended. At the next meeting
of the board of education, which oc-
CURED soon afterward, Mr.. b recon-
mended the purchase of the work for tho
Boston schools, and it was unanimously
adopted. The sum involved was consd-
cradle over 81 ,000 but this amounted to
little when compared to the prestige
gained for the work throughout New
England New York News.