St. Paul daily globe., 1893-12-30
The TRAVELLERS DIHEO
COMMERCIAL CLUB ERTERTAlRS TREM,
R0YALLK
THE DRUMMER ExToLLED.


Dinner Given in Their Honor
--Toasts and Fun Make the
Order OF the Occasion-Third
Dinner in the Course.
The Commercial club last night gave
| another evidence of its spirit and facili-
| ties for entertainment. 1t is revela-
tion to learn how popular the club is
| growing byreason ofits social functions.
1t has demonstrated that such an organ
iZation may either combine or separate
| business and social matters with sue
cess that apparently was unthought of
until this club took the initiative. The
| business accomplishments of the Com
mercial club are well known to the city.
| Its social achievements are dawning
upon the community.
| The dinner last night was the third of
series of monthly affairs of 4 similar
| kind given to the trades and profess
| sionS. At this event the commercial
travelling men of st. Paul were the
| guests of the club. Over 200 of the
men whose profession it is to hold the
pulse of commerce and prescribe for the
i
or middlemen, enjoyed last nights hos
pitaiity. They were men of varied
lines of business. The gathering
showed that these 'knightS of the grip
are keen, bright hustlers, and that the
avenues of trade leading to St. Paul are
| patroled by men whose energy and
acumen will keep alive and push to
| greater success the jobbing and manu-
featuring interests of the Northwestern
metropolis.
The gathering was essentially one of
younger men, but looking at their faces
it was evident that they are thoughtful,
business-like, and the thought was sug-
gested that when they relinquish the
road to take the places Of the linen who
now employ them, eitherin the capacity
OF partners or owners of jobbing houses,
they will wear the honorS with manner
as becoming as do the merchant princes
of today. 1t is reasonable to suppose
that as the city and country grows more
! JobberS and manufacturers viii be nee
esSary. And who, If not the men at the
club last night, will take the places of
the older men and run the new business
houses of st. Paul as we'll as many
others in the rapidly growing North
| west.
The early evening was taken UP in
extending courtesies and conversation.
| At $50 the party sat down to the dinner
| table and took an hour to dispose Of the
| excellent repast provided by the club
| chef. During this time the converse
tion seemed to nave lighter vein, ard
the dining hall buZzed like a machine
shop from the hum OF voices and laugh
ter.
During the evening the mandolin and
guitar club played a number Of selec-
| tions.
The company was so large that it was
| necessary to convert the parlors and
reception rooms into a banquet hall, the
cafe being inadequate for the purpose.
| WELCOMED BY FOOTNER.
A few moments after 10 o'clock W. J.
| Footner. president of the Commercial
club, raped for order and made short
address. He welcomed the commercial
! travellers to the club. and said that
| while the two previous dinners Of the
club to the trades and professions had
! been progressive success, this one
was ''Out of sight," SO much so that it
| indicated that more room will be needed
| for future events in case the popularity
| OF the dinners continues to increase.
! An invitation was extended to the COM
| mercial men to join the club on the
basis OF nonresident members. Mr..
| Footner said he believed the men would
! find it convenient to meet customers at
| the club rooms, besides being able to
find pleasure in meeting at the club.
! President Footner then introduced j. 4.
! Gregg as toast master.
Mr.. Gregg is an excellent toast mas
| ter, and he made the most Of the situa-
! tion last night, and extracted a great
| amount of good cheer and entertain
ment from the programme. He inti-
| mated that he regretted that he was
placed in a position by the committee
of arrangements which prevented his
| making set speech. 1t was evident,
! however, that he was placed in a posi-
tion in which he could make several
happy hits.
Maj. W. w. Cooley was introduced,
and recited poem from Ella Wheeler
Wilcox on the commercial traveller.
The toaStmaster alluded to one Of his
fellow workers i'll store twenty-one
| years ago, when they both were porterS
| in wholesale houses, who roomed in
| small house on Fourth street, near
Minnesota. His companion has since
become the head of a prosperous job
bing house in this city, and is now the
chief executive of this city. Such was
his introduction of Mayor f. P. Wright.
| who responded to the toast and senti-
ment. "The Travelling Man as Factor
in the Business World.''
Mayor Wright made happy re-
| sponse, beginning with the declaration
that with fifteen or twenty years more
experience he might make a public
speaker. but he had found in the past
two years practice he had made poor
success. He then told story that il
lustrated what man might do by hav-
ing two jumps to cross a stream. The
successful traveller was declared
to be the life of trade, while
some men talk customers into an
insane asylum and drive away business
The successful traveller not only sells
goods, but he often saves his house from
losses by knowing the business standing
of the customer. He is to the jobber
what the bow is to the chord. He is to
his house what the reporter is to the
paper The mayor named a number of
old travellers, and spoke of some of the
difficulties and incidents met with in
the times when st. Paul was not known
to the country. The friendships of the
travelling men were alluded to in a com
plimentary way. In the view of the
| maNor there is no organization more no