The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-17

The first woman to become COM
merciaI drummer in England while IN
New York recently was seen at her
apartments by a reporter.
Mrs. +. D. Sawkins, the drummer
looked a good deal more like an elegant
society woman" than what you might
expect in one who is strictly business
She is tall and slender. with beautifully
arranged blonde hair, clear blue eyes
and a delicate complexion. \ hand
some black silk gown trailed after her
as she walked, and her manners were
pleasant, refined and quite English
you know"
When woman has been a glittering
success at anything It is always inter
esting to other women 70 know how
she did it.
'How did I happen TO become a COM
mercial drummer said the lady. 1T
was this way: I never could bear the
round Of visits and tea drinking that
make up the life Of so many women.
1 wanted TO be in business-to be doing
something Of some account.
1 took a position as boolGeeper with
a wholesale firm of manufacturing
chemists in London, and one day when
one Of the commercial travellers, who
was unreliable, was away, and they
needed some one 10 send out, 1 said 10
the head Of the firm:
" You let me take up his business,
and see how 1 get on He looked at me
in amazement. but L think he saw 1
was very much in earnest; at any rate
he concluded TO let me try.
'I began by soliciting orders in the
small towns about London Finally
Travelled all over Europe as a representa-
tive of this house I came to the United
States and visited nearly all OF The large
cities here as we'll. You see L am an
American. 1 was born In Halifax,
though I have lived a large portion OF
my time in England and Australia
Il Travelled for this one firm for nine
years Finally they wanted me TO 60 to
Australia 70 establish branches Of the
business in several Of the large cities
there. The head Of the firm went with
me, and the large stores now doing bus
mess in several Of the principal cities
there are evidences Of our success.
After I had been in Australia about
six months 1 was married TO Mr.. George
Sawkins, the astronomer and newspaper
man, a native Of Sydney and grand
| son Of Thomas Sawl1ins, who went out
| second in command of the cOlOniZing
| expedition under Sir Edward Parry.
My husband wished me TO leave the
| business at once, but I was under con-
| tract to the firm and obliged 10 remain
with them six months after I was mar
ried.
Mr. Sawkins is a student and thinker.
\ and when he decided to lecture on Sci
entific Religion I determined 10 take
the mana cement. There isn't a particle
| of business about him; his mind is al
ways on his studies, and as like bust
| ness I turned manager.
| Il always went in advance Of him, at
! tended to the distribution OF circulars,
the placing Of his picture in the win
! dows and the advertising and notices
| in the papers. believed in advertising
| literally in papers and was invariably
well treated by the press. After 1 had
! completed my circuit Of towns ahead,
/ 1 would go back and join Mr.. Saw
/ kins."
do you think commercial travelling a
! good field for Women2' was asked.
| Il think it is a splendid thing for
] woman. If she is buSineSSlike, she Is
! sure to be successful. Besides. she can
] do about four times as much for an en-
! ployer as car a man. y lady going into
| a store and asking TO see the proprietor
! will stand five chances to a mans one
| of seeing him. / often was admitted 10
/ the head Of the firm Immediately, while
| a dozen men We're waiting 10 see him.
| Then, too, q man is often told 10 call
| again, so YOU see the waste Of time he
| has, compared To a woman. II certainly
| is a much pleasanter and more health
I full occupation than that which most
! women in business have.
| 81 always made il a point to travel
| first class and stop at the best hotels. 1
took a sample room and arranged my
/ wares as attractively as possible. As
| the firm were manufacturing chemists I
/ had all sorts of cosmetics, perfumes and
! toilet articles for ladies. These L would
| arrange as inVitinEly as I could. taking
! care 10 have pretty spreads on the Ia
| bles.
! Before trying TO see the proprietor Of
! any business house ] would find out his
name, so that / would know positively
/ for whom 10 inquire. / was careful 10 be
always well dressed-you know appear
/ ances are great deal after all-and
] when 1 once gained admission 10 the
| gentleman L said at once that 1 repre-
] scented such and such a house and en-
! deavpred To make an appointment with
| him 10 come and look at my samples.
! l never carried any samples with me.
| because that looked too much like a
! canvasser.
| ct was careful 10 make my appoint
/ ments So that no two probable custom
! ers would come at the same time. When
/ I got the StALAtIldlA LutIt ana tDull
| give my entire time To him, / always
! succeeded in getting an order often sell
/ ing lot of goods he didn't want or had
/ not intention at first of buying. Ere
/ quently my orders would amount to
Il Il 600 worth. sometimes 5000 You see.
! dealt only with wholesale men and
never sold less than half a gross Of any
/ thing.
Hair dyes were some Of the things I
sold the most. There was an enormous
demand for them in England and AUS
| tralia.'
80 the women want 10 look pretty
and young over there just as much as
! here2''
"Oh, yet, indeed. I also sold a good
! deal I'm New York at one time.
when Mr.. SawBins concluded to
/ come to New York TO lecture we broke
/ up our pretty home in Australia and
] took a sailing vessel. my husband, his
! valet. our little son. my maid and my
! self, for this country. The captain had
/ a saloon fitted up for us, and we were
! fourteen weeks on the way. Such de-
/ lightful voyage as it was! / brought 200
! chickens from my poultry yard on the
! ship.
I am now manager for my husband.
/ and / have already received a good offer
| from a well known theatrical manager
/ here to attend to his outside business,
but Of course L could not accept."-N. Y.
Recorder.
| C,rd 90 urr.,l-s