The sun., 1896-10-18
an EN1ERpRIsINa MERCHANT.

An EN7ERPRISISG MERCHANT.
a southern Trader with More Enterprise
than IA Yankee nnd ms Likely to Get Rich.
IL was a drummer who was talking, and
when drummer talks, it is the province and
privilege Of every body else to keep quiet and
10 listen. First, because nobody else has
chance to get a word in edgeways: and sec
ond, because the drummer oftenest has better
thing to tell than anybody else has. Owing to
these facts. THE Sun reporter was more than
willing to maintain his usual modest and un-
assuming manner.
You may talk all you please about Yankee
ingenuity and enterprise" this drummer was
SAYING. but when | down in Tennessee
In May last, ran across an example of South
crn business enterprise that laid it over any
thing ! ever saw in New England, and I've
travelled through nearly every county Of
that section from the Connecticut River to
Mount Katahdin. One day, as I was driving
from one town to another because could make
the distance better that way than 10 wait six
hours for train. noticed on the fence along
the turnpike a showy bill Of some kind. and
when ! got close enough / could read across
its top in bright red and green letters the
words Tho Circus Is Coming or course.
everybody knows what that means to the rural
popua'loh' ana l"hs not sur9F!seu as Fooe
"'ohg iurther 10 sec men anu ooys stopping 10
read what was on the bills. They were smaller
than the circus bills had been accustomed
to- and they didn't show great variety, hut big
tent was shown'"nd there was srea' io' OF peo-
pic ana pal'""n WAS 'o"''hS "u"S" l"r canvas
Aoont t"o't'lrds OF the way between the towns
came I" ola'ksmi'h shop, ana stopped 10
nave "olt tlShtehea, ana as "a'ea s.epoeu
,.yr fly S.i i,. pf 10 Sh n W a q
circus plils was posted 10 rcau H. Inc hrS'
line read plain enough, but the next one or two
snrprised me, and in minute Idiscovered
that lnsteau o circus " WAS II STORE Oh
wheels, containing everything like ono OF
,,,,ss h,, denar,mcnt stores In the CITY. and.at
'@ -, - ~, -.
prices 10 SUIT every purse. Inc reading mat
tor ~ the Hills was of the most lur!a descr!p-
,'"n' ".u r'osp I've, u.s. ,,',,,' ,,,o,,aua ,'
help but stop ana read ano t'ei' prepare 10
walt til the circus came. Nobody cou!a tell
,,o ,ry,liry- ohout n for this was the first
''> s,, 80 10, ,,.,.or hoo,,
appearance ana s"ch store nao never oee''
seen in that country. twas that much more
49,, - ., .no h,,, ,r,s any
man an" woman VINO F'Al the WIS WV Va .,n
uGS to what was coming. Well. Tor two
vool,s altar tro, chased those bills along
"v.N "tI ,',, ,,'' o,a a% ,,on, tns lines
of railrond TOOK. ana AT last one DAY was
crariGcl 10 see n tent rising over a big piece
Of common in one OF the towns s'FucN' ana
had reached TIE Circus OF course it wasn't
As fine and fancy us the bills. for no circus ever
. w., :, ,ho I,,,aast ,i;r,, +, ,hnt line
is that hut 1t was the OiGseS. 'hihE III 'l'n' 'lho
ever saw. and It was making the merchants
of the town hsht'nG mad, FOR the peripa-
tc;ic was selling goods at startnnGIy low
prizes and the reople were buying ,nen FiSns ~
,n.a ,,,, ro,,,,rar r,orcrnrts sold
Ike Inc reEuIar ihercnh''s s"a'
Il was so interested In this new departure
thnt I went around to tho tent. and found
IT," pronrictor sharp enough 10 have been a
Yankee. though lie wasn't
"'Weli.' lie said. in response to NV inquiry
ma To how nc ever cot such start i had been
merrhandsing in East Tennessee and had'maie
SIX or nrNer ,ns nnu stpuck me ne tbst trsve
ling denartment stor ought TO be u good thing
il It could Ie moved at a fairly small expense:
thought could do ii. too, and do it in guam
lily. The first idea was TO sell my stun in a
! w hat had been tried. and had not been
euccessful One day was beating around
trying to think up something, new, and hap
was.iust.nLout hlr enough for my business That
WAS last fall, and they wanted to sell out, and
wagons to haul II on, and rot m" n couple OF
rairs OF good horses. | got nother wagon foe
extra stun, aud light wagon for myself'aud
clerks 10 ride in and which I could use as "A
delivery wagon when | set up my tent.
Hired horses to haul these from place to place.
taking care OF only four 80 as to k, ep tie ex-
ncnses down, and used these four in my de-
ii,cIyvfunn. ana also to haul my goods from
tic depot to the tent. All my goods | ship
f.om pl icr to place by rail. and / stock
up wherever want a new supply. Myself
nnd nv helm sleep in tho tent and do our cook F..
Inc, one OF the men being n hrst-ratc darky
cook. I'm a great believer in advortisi4E,
md tho first thing | did when ] got ready To
star, out on the rond with my caravan WAS to
nut UP bins everywhere They ARE not the the
vonr il / have lu,k.
$50 After / had got these uointers,' proceeded
the drummer, I continued my Investigation.
ma the mr re saw OF the tented store the
more II struck me nS being n gooi ti4iug. The
trLt was lnTrer TIM al.y storcrOOm IN town,
NM (, Vas tijIcd wIIh tcinpnrary ,ouutrra On
which Mi manner oi chrar aud pretty things
were dispIavtd Dry goods, hnndkerchiets
shonL motions of ali Kinds hats cheap pottery.
clothing, table linen, household hardware. -nd
IN ,ni -. In tnrt ryerythInp thnt the rural uOpu