The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-02-26
A BOOK AGENTS STORY.
A Young Woman RclateS Her Dis
agreeable Experiences.
The Door Often shut in AN Agent. Fac
Experience Nectin=~ or tie Women
A Premium on lmpnIcace
and n smooth Toa-uc-


Why don't take mp boo!l-canvas>-
ing? tried that once. and let me tell
YOU | would bc scrubwomau rather
than a book agent"
She Wa Il bright. capable girl. an>-
ious to get honest employment. some
one vcnturcd the canvassinT Sugc ,stion
and this was her + ply.
Let me tell you something 81 Ey
experiences. she continued. --ard pr
hapS you will not wonder ri my aSseI'-
ton. Seriously. | would 90 into =
kitchen before ! would again Uud -
take canvassing. ! was 4 book assy:.t fer
three months. At the end of that time
was. To bo sure. richer in c,.pcricac',
hut in very little else. | bad covered
my expenses and had about iifty dol
lars beside. But the hum iliatiOn. the
fatigue had undergone, the rcbuffS.
good-naturcd contempt and insults
had received were something lryond
calculation.
Il signed a contract to canvas, for \
book which sold for two dollar. anI a.
half and which absolutely was not
worth five cents. II wa thc history
of n mans life from the cradl' II the
grave. How hc W., cha-.l by ball
when boy; how he fought. bic and
died in the r. cbclliou-unmiti@at
rubbish that nobody wanted to buy.
and nv business was to talk pcoplr
tired until they would buy TO be- rid
of me.
Il was only TO visit offices. banks.
manufactures, etc.-nevcr private
houses-for there / would encounter
women, and you know that IL there j.
any creature on earth that a woman
has no mercy on it's a woman book
agent. III tell you something about
that presently
1T was the author OF this great lite
rary effort who engaged me - canvass.
He and his wife were the Shrcwdcst of
Shrcwd people. They had system all
their own. They mapped out their ter
ritory and diviced il up into sections
and sent knot of agent, here and
there, and then kept an espionage over
them that wa. worse than the police
system
Il WAS required to start ont every
morning 1T eight O'Clock, rain or shine.
wind or snow. | WAS ;givca five Offices
and must spend tho,r foar hour, ia
five offices. No matter II VA, tolI
again and again that M book Va, not
wanted ] must keep on talking, talking.
unless / was shown TIE door, a hap
pcncd once or twice
After diaucr I started out again,
and If did not get ten or.lcr5 a d"y ]
was met with considerable GOODNESS and
sarcasm when ] reported once a week
To my cTlpluyCr.
1T was his custom To hold wcclil-
experience meetings. at which CGcil
agent vas required To rise and state
her experience, her ways and mean of
getting orders. her worst ,trurrlc for
Il name and other Odds a..d cuds of in
formation. The girl:, who had received
the greatest number Of order, got
prizes. god watches. diamond earring,
and money. The uthcr~ wcr" .vnrovCd
ami cxhortcd into greater activity.
Each one had her own particular
story To tell. | was educating - Little
cousin whose parents had adopted nae
when was an orphan. Vow th"y had
lost their money and | was trying 10
return their kindness. onc OF the girls
was supporting her aged grandparents,
another wished To finish her musical
education. and SO on. II taxed or IL
genuity sometimes to get mp enough
stories to go round. Nice business.
isn't il. that teaches young girls To- get
money under false prctcn5e5?
"Ican't begin To tell you the cxpcr.-
cnce I had was pcr~evcrin~ and
glib tallxer and generally brought
down my game. One man shut his
door in my face and ! didn't blame
him In many places book agents are
not allowed To enter. used 10 hide
my book under my wrap oT mufT and
slip in. Once ] found myself in a long
row of offices separated 10y steel rail
ings and communicating 10y gates.
began to talk in office number one
when the man rose and without one
word opened the gate. passed into
the next, where the same performance
reached the last gate. give YOU my
word that left that building shaking
with laughter at the swift and silent
means of disposing OF an annoying
book agent
Almost every man would say to me:
Why in Heavens name don't you do
something besides this?' All had
contempt for the business. went into
one Office where there were eleven
young men. who at once began guyipg
me numerically. ] turned on them
and gave them a good-sized piece of my
mind, and before | left l got eight
orders.
Il had one very funny experience
with an old man. the proprietor of a
large tin shop, IIo tried tp ,.~..aI,.' rn".