The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-25
EMISSARIES OF TRADE
THE COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS PO-
LITICAL ACTIVITY THIS YEAR.
Few of Them at Home to Vote When
the Time Comes-Changes in Stand
ing and Business Methods.
New York Tribune.


present presidential campaign by their work
for the sound-money candidates, and who
have sacrificed much time and money to
the cause, the commercial travellers oc-
cupy front rank. This is particularly
true of those who have their headquarters
in New York But Notwithstanding their
enthusiasm and their practical devotion to
the cause, 1t is probable that no class OF
citizens will be so largely represented in the
nonvoting population as these same COM
mercial travellers.
Their business is of such nature that
hundreds of their number have grown old
without ever having been able to cast
vote or take part personally in the political
contests.
when election time comes" said one Of
the men who may be seen any day at the
commercial travellers sound-money meet
ings 'I shall be in Kansas City or Omaha,
and the only thing that can do to offset
my failure to vote is to try to make con-
verts to our side while / am on the road"
There never was a time when the COM
mercial traveller was so active in politics
as at present, and many people think that
he will do more good by travelling and
arguing with merchants who are undecided
how they will cast their vote in the COM
ing contest than by staying at home TO
vote.
1t is estimated that there are more than
200,0 600 commercial travellers in the United
States. although the calling has been an
important one only since the outbreak of
the civil war Before that time merchants
from the South and West used to come
to New York about twice every year and
buy a six months stock. They knew the
name of the salesman of whom they were
about to buy, and it was We'll understood
that no other man could sell to them. If
they were new men in the market and
without acquaintanceS in the large COM
mercia1 houses. they probably had the
neighpors, and they went to those statesmen
as though consigned to them.
Speaking of the methods which prevailed
at that time, a Broadway merchant said:
THE Southern merchant would make his
purchases, give his notes, or sometimes pay
cash., for what he had purchased then he
would see the town with some of his New
York friends, have good time, and when
that was over he would leave the city for
home and that was the last the rnercha Mt
would see of him for six months. But the
facilities for transportation and travel be-
came greater. and men were sent the
road to win the trade which until then be-
longed to some houses because of personal
influence. Members of firms and general
statesmen made visits to -'emote places to
forestall their competitors who remained at
home and waited for the country merchant
to come to them''
THE GROWTH OF a CALLING.
The value of the travelling salesman has
grown steadily; he has become a most i'm
portant factor in all branches of business.
from pills to suspension bridges, and he
has not only aided materially in the de-
velopnent of American commerce. but he
has given cause for much enterprise which
would otherwise have remained dormant
The railroad and steamboat companies
count the commercial travellers among their
best patrons, and the business which the
fhnJt fNnicr
partments busy. The hotels have no better
customers, and 1t is safe to say that a
hotel which is avoided by them is inferior.
They are exacting as to hotel accommo-
datlons, and the present superior condition
and n management Of american hotels are
prletors to win the patronage of the
''drummers.'
1t has been estimated that of the $50. OOo-
annually more than one-half is due to the
work OF the commercial traveller and an
estimate OF the aggregate daily expendi-
lures OF the 100000 men is not less than
Strong, but l know that a great change
has taken place in the commercial travel
ing community. once upon time a man
would leave New York about the middle
OF June and go West or South, wherever his
trade might be. and look it UP. He would
take no Samples nor stock, but would sim
ply go about, see what was being done,
tell his customers what the. next season
call on him when they came to the mar
ket: This trip, continued the Mayor,
would return to New York and wait for
his customers to come in. A similar trip
would be made in November, lasting until
February.
THAT is all changed now The men who
go, on the road show the goods. take the
orders-when they can-and when they re-
turn their easy time begins. Between the
very early period of commercial travel in
this country and the present time there
was an era when the commercial travele r
as class did not occupy so high a posi-
ton as he does to-day. The business was
not SO well understood as it is now, and
the requirements were not SO eXacting. AT
present there is so much competition that
n man must be of superior kind to hold his
own as a commercial traveller and houses
are careful to whom they send out.
MORE THAN A SALESMAN.
THE commercial traveller for a large con-
Germ is more than a salesman; he must be
perfectly familiar with the policy of the
concern which he represents; he must be
able to talk business, and he must show
by his ways and manners that he is wor-
thy of confidence. Small and unimportant
concerns may have equally small and in
competent men on the road but men who
travel for large and reputable houses now
adays are. as a class, superior men,
Another large employer of travelling
statesmen said that the drummer of the
present time must be a gentleman if he
would be a success. THE best men are
those" he said, who are the most tenn
perate, and the idea that a man needs to
be anything else to be d successful sales
man is false. Concerns pay their travellers
good salaries, but they demand conscien-
tious attention to business, and they. all
know that man who VIII not attend to
business is dear at any price. a man to
be a successful traveller must be of good
presence and must inspire his customers
with confidence, and / have found that the
best men are those who are total alb
StainerS.
1.-THE drummer has not always enjoyed
an enviable reputation in the community
said a manufacturer who has several men
early men in the business were taken from
the force of house statesmen and sent away
to do business on the road. AT home, under
the eye of the employer they were all
right, but when they got away many were
not strong enough to resist the temptation
to be gay Those were the days when the
country merchant waited for the city
the latest trick. 1t was thought in those
days that to play a stiff game of poker,
TO drink whisky and lots of it and TO tell
stories were positively essential qualities
for the successful drummer.
.FRut the times have changed. There are
still gay boys on the road and one may
find a poker game on at the Palmer House
in Chicago, at the IroquoiS in Buffalo the
Palace in San Francisco or in any of the
players are commercial travellers but the
good man does not regard it as an ac-
complishment and the good house will not
keep the man if his cardplaying is known
to them The drummer has become the
commercial traveler-the plenipotentiary Of