The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1895-05-17
TALE OF A TRAVELLER.
RECoLLECrioNs or DRUM
MING IN EARLY DAYS.
fL- Tirst Drum m-r 10 Go to the VIA
West Took ~. Iir.t "trip forty
Wears Ago "Reminiscences. aud tom.
carlson, Canal aud stage.

D
land ! am very sure that / was one Of
the first ! male my first long West
crn trip forty-four years ago. and Two
just returned from trip that took
me 10 the Pacific coast
~ sometimes wonder. when | meet
the busy, pushing drummcrs of TO-DAY.
tho men who are used Ia rapid travel.
ing, the BEST " hotels. and good living
generally = sometimes wonder what
they would do II they wcrc suddenly
put back and made 10 do ~ We had TO
nifty years ago. or little less some
Of the poorest Of them would give up
their Jobs. but ! think that the rest
would stick 10 H.. and make a success
Of the business, just as they did in
those days.
NEARLY fifty years ago. when the
business of selling goods 10y samples
was In it, infancy. and when the
drummer had but just b,cn discov-
cred. we were compelled 10 make
slow trips, and. Of course. not many
Of Thorn In year. Then II took about
three week, 10 90 from Portland TO
Chicago, and the dealers ord rcd
goods enough 10 last six months
Then the drummer had to endure
many privatiOns. but We were a hardy
set. aud we're content with "a little,
that ISL we could got plenty Of orders.
81 have passed hundreds of nights
camping out whom on long trips. with
only a blanket for covering and the
ground for n bod. We who drummrd
trade In tho West thcn In behalf Of
Eastern houses. didn't mind that. but
We did object to the rattlcsnakcs
sometimes. II didn't pay 10 have
thcm got too familiar. We wore
happy whom we could travel by canal
boats or by steamboat. bit tn drcad.
iul Western stage, tried our patience.
"limc and timc again but for the
fact that my samples AMI baggage had
TO boz carried. should have preferred
10 walk. and could have beaten the
stages under ordinary circumstances.
Many times did walk, but Il was bc.
side the stage with rail on my
shoulder, roady to help pry the stage
itself out ~ the mud.
lin those days canals were the bost.
The canal boats would make from two
to three miles an hour, but II the
timc was long the stories told by the
captain and passengers were common.
~ good; the beds were hunks. but
they fed us wcll-ihat Is. rs things
went then
The drummcrs " to-day won't SEQ
the startling changes we have seon,
who began back nearly fifty years
ago. OF course. the old-timc drum.
mors who travelled In New England
saw less Of the rough and tumble OF
life than we who wont West and who
struck out boldly for trading posts.
that We were destined In many eases
10 see grow 10 loo great cities. STILL
never went through any Of the thrill.
Ing experiences p,oplc toll Of rs u part
OF the life thon, and ! am Inclined TO
think that adventures como To those
who seek for them,
eve made long trips In those days.
longer than most drWmmcrs would
think Of taking now. for then one man
had 10 do all he could and cover as
much ground as possible. Forty-thrco
years ago | went from Portland 90
New York, then by canal to Phlladel-
phla, from thorc 10 pittsburg by canal,
from there Ia 81. Louis by boat, down
the Ohio and up the Mississippi. aud
from ST. Louis to 81. Paul by boat.
"ln thos' days 81. Paul was but
trading post. There were few bust
ness houses, hut | saw sight then
that no man will ever SOC there again.
II seemed 10 mo that there were at
least 1000 Indians at the post trading
tholr furs They brought them In
curiously constructed OK carts. made
without the use Of a scrap Of iron. tho
wheels u section Of tree. an1 drawn
10y one OK dashed to the poles. They
were u drunken crowd, all but few,
who seemed 10 bo committee ap-
pointed 10 kcop sober. aud to 500 TO
IL that the others were not cheated
Sometimes the crowl would give
yell that fairly seemed 10 ta'So the
roof on.
81 went then 10 III, falls Of st.
Anthony and looked at the surround
ings. Where Minneapolis now stands
there was not u single building.
When was there last went to the
falls, and. as | looked at the great
cities, wondered II II was possible
that | could have boon there before
they were built II scoms strange,
and almost beyond comprehension,
that my business career could have
ante lated those cities, and oven tho
commercial Importance Of Chicago
itself; but so II Is, and am still
vigorous man.
"You spoke Of having visited Chi
cago torty-four years ago, Mr.. Curtis.
What sort Of place was II thcn2"
Then there was but one railroad,
u small local affair, rather contempt
uously called the milk route, went
there from Buffalo by boat. and was
five days on tho way. tried 20 do a
little business every timc VIZ stopped
20 wood up on tho way, and, In fact,
we drummors had that system ON the
route from ST Louis to st. Paul and
along the canals, replied Mr.. Curtis
81 reached Chicago Saturday night,
and put up at wooden hotel ON Lake
street near where the fremont house