Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-04

4
| er. Those few who do, in a more or less
vague manner have a slight conception of
| the arduous duties connected with the cam
wasting and arrangement Of a directory do
| not FORM even the least idea Of the magnf-
tooe OF the study a canvasser pursues; 1t
Is study Of human nature in all its
| phases.
| A school of Instruction.
Inc preparations for beginning the actual
work are as about as careful and precise
as the work ITSELF and after the applicant
Tor position as canvasser has received a
postal telling him to call on a stated day
ana ne has called and been accepted he
must attend school Of instruction for
three days one and one-haif hours each
day.. In this school he is taught how to
write the name slips-that is. the different
forms used in writing individuals, firms
ana corporations names. This, to a casual
observer of the directory, is not much, but
shall give few examples of the different
manners used. Every slip is dated and has
on 1t the number by which the canvasser
Is known at the office, and an individual
slip Is made thus. with the name trans
posed:
Smith John clerk LIZ
9th
No punctuation is used except in rare
ana specified cases. When the canyasSer
taxes the name of man at his place of
business he makes a slip like this with his
NUMBER and the date as before:
smith John grocer 122 5th ne
1919 32d ne
Inc letter n" means house." and IL the
grocer lives at his store the slip is the
same, only reading IN do" meaning "house
ditto. Then a business clip must be made
| to place the merchant under the title Gro
GERS" in the business directory. thus:
Grocers
Smith John j l22 5th e
If the grocery store Is owned by a firm
there would be one slip for the alphabetical
| body Of the directory; one under the title
grocers. and one individual slip for each Of
the proprietors. showing their residence
number, thus:
~ Smith & Jones Gohn Smith and
William jones' grocers l2e 5th n .
Smith & Jones 122 5th
60 Smith John Smith & Jones) h lois
| 32d e
@ Jones William X Smith & jones' h
As to Corporations.
There are many other complicated cases
where the canvasser must know his bust
ness in order to make accurate work. For
instance, a canvasser at the Evening Star"
| ONCE would have to make nine or ten
| separate slips. For the alphabetical body
| OF the directory he would make slips for
| The Evening Star Newspaper Company,
| llo1 Pa. ave. n. W." and THE Evening
| Star. llOl Pa. ave. n. w." and in the
business business directory, under Printers" under
| publishers" and under Newspapers" he
| would make slips for The Evening Star
| Newspaper Company, and for the Appendix
a slip headed interpretations" and the
| name. Evening Star Newspaper Company
11Ol Pa. ave. n. w." and each of its officers
| President, vice president, secretary and
treasurer. Then, lastly. an individual slip
| for each of these officers, stating the fact
! of his being an officer of The Evening Star
| Newspaper Company, 110l Pa. ave- n. w.
and giving his residence number.
| Such cases as these are explained fully
make intelligent work when he goes out
on the street, and many other cases are
considered, but the canvasser must rely on
| his judgment in many instances
| Besides stating the names of individuals
| firms and corporations, the directory rep
| resentative must solicit subscriptions and
| advertisements for the book, and orders
| for the insertion Of individuals, firms or
| corporations names in capital letters.
| Starting Out a Canvasser.
| After three days instruction of one and
! one-half hours each. the canvassers report
| at quarter before eight in the morning at
the office. Here they are provided with a
sample directory. Of small size, usually,
with blank contracts for subscriptions, ad-
| vertisements &C. and with the books of
| slips upon which the names are to be writ
| ten.
In the canvasser's book is little map Of
| the district he is to work in, and these
| tracts vary in size from two three blocks
| on one street to a neighborhood inclosed be-
tween several streets say, for example, be-
tween Sd and Sth and d and G northeast.
| If the district Is remote from the office the
canvasser is given car fare, and he starts
out for work.
The first day is the longest in all prob
| ability, he has ever spent and the types of
humanity so varied that when he has re-
ported at o'clock at the office and arrived
home he feels as though he had been travel
ing in a strange land conversing almost in
| an unknown tongue and has just returned
to civilization, and he probably appreciates
his home and old friends more than hither-
to.
The canvassers are instructed to get the
names Of all the adults sleeping in the
house, except the wife-unless she is a
widow, in which case he- name is taken
| and the daughters of the gentlemen or lady
| of the house unless they are employed.
His First Difficulty.
| On my first day / rang door bell after door
bell.got the desired information readily I'M
| til i reached one little red brick house.
| Here must have lost the combination, for
| 1 Immediately got into serious trouble.
| Answering my ring, tall strong appearing
| woman thrust herself with Interrogation
| points visible in every feature. out through
the door, and rather hastily inquired what
| ~ wanted. 1 bowed. took off my hat,
stood on one foot and then on the other, re-
gained part of my composu-e, Informed her
| of my errand and said land here is where l
| made my blunder) that wished 1.-The names
l of all those that slept in the house" This
| was more than the masculine looking lady
| could brook, and she fOrcibly reminded me
| that 1t was none of my business who slept
| in her house. 1 argued with her that 1t was
/ only matter of courtesy to them to give
| their names, it was their home If they
slept there. 1T didn't make any difference
| just the same; she would give me the names
| in her own family, but she wanted 1t dis
| tinctly understood it was no ones affair
| who slept in the house" So / took her hus-
bands name. her g-own-up employed chill
| dren's names, complimented her front yard,
| talked about the beautiful sunshine and the
glorious weather, and before left had found
| out there wasn't another soul in the house
/ but her own immediate family, not even a
| servant.
| The FrOuzy-Headed French Woman
| At another place / rang the bell and
waited a few moments and heard a step ap-
preaching. The door opened and 1 caught
| just a glimpse of the large frouzy head of
a woman, and said, Il have come to get
| Information for" But that was as far
| as / got, for she simply said BAH
| slammed the door and went upstairs.
once more took possession of the door bell