The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
HE DRUAs UP TRAHEL.
A Novel Employment That Yields Moro Than
$4,000 q Year and Expenses.


FROM the Rochestsr Democrat AID Chroniois.
II am willing to bet that you can't guess
what l do for = living in ten guesses," re-
marked q well-dressed man on tho Empire
State Express the other day.
The propo. ition was rather strange Tho
man was one of a half hundred men Just like
him who sat about the car eadinE, smoking,
or playing cards. There were no external fea-
lures to indicate the mans business, but the
casual traveller would have said that he was q
travelling man for some large firm, possibly
carry. nG q dry goods or shoe line. The news
paper man had made his acquaintance at the
station and boarding the train had taken his
seat beside him. Tic nan seemed TO know
that he was talking to a reporter, In fact II Is
probable that he CLEANED that information
from s'me OF the ne wspaper mans friends At
the depot. After . cigar or two, during which
time the conversat ion had been about common
place things. the man Suddenly braced up,
question at his seatmate. The latter Omitted
the probable truth of the statement and then
asked the natural question::
Well, ten Years ago 1 was a n"wspaper man
in Cnichxo., l never had n college education,
nose for news, ! could not put INV stun into
good English. So, when the young blood be-
C llege graduate vas no longer ridiculed by the
old-fashioned editors / went out l had q lot
Of good clothes, but 1 was out of q Job. l hard
~ knew where TO turn when a bright idea
struck me. and l have been following out that
idea ever since.
Il am o professional traveller. No, I do not
presume that you understand me, but I will ex-
plain. The Americans are travelling people,
not tourists, but hustling travellers. That's
premise No. l.. Secondly. foreigners are IN the
habit of visiting America to see the siEhts. I
thought of this and went to the general pas-
unfolded my idea. IL is this: There is always
a sharp competition for passenger irat fc west
NJ Chicago. The various roads leading across
the plains advertise extensively in Eastern
maRhzines, have bureaus IN New York and
Boston; ana .end agents TO the landings OF
various kinds OF advertisements Is 10 persuade
tourists. English, French. German, or any other
foreigners who have come TO soc America, to
cross the continent to the Golden Gate over
the lines Of a particular company. Occasion
ally. there is a young and unsophisticatcd
married couple who need advice as TO hotels
In u word. / I'm Q personal ad vertiser.
board the train at New York at least twice u
week. | SPOT the travellers. yet acquainted
with them and then insinuatingly ask the
them II they have ever ridden over such and
such . road. OF course, ihsy haven't,.and /
a. Chicago by the B.. and b.. which is always
the same road that they intend to patronage.
Then. they ask me Il | know anything about
can bet, and | tell them that | am an old trav.
.iiei, aud .aas Sare s;MEys toGnd 2lo hs,t
OF the road up to the limit. get a salary Of
SO. 900 u year for doing IL. besides my expenses
auaintance until / get to sufIaIo and tel them
that / Eno~ Tie Eastern agent OF the b. N.
and W.. located In that city, and that | think
that l could, through my friendship with him.
fit them out with tickets over the b., II. and
w. TO Denver or Frisco or any place they want
TO GO.
1T generally works, and 1 see them safely
on board the train and then suddenly remem-
Der that | have left my grip at the parcel stand.
l go back to get 1t, wait until the train has
pulled out, and then board the next train for
New York. where l repeat The operation. 1
tell you / did a big business Worlds Fair year.
In the winter | post up on the beauties OF the
scenery along the b., II. and W., the solemn
grandeur aud all that stun and in the summer
time l tell of the beauties OF the plains. Did
you ever see tlIeIn1 / think they are tie
dreariest sisht under creation.
Incidentally / get q commission from two
hotels in Chicago for reco amending ira sellers
to pAtronizo them. That helps out :onsiGcr-
ably. / have had a good trip this time. Back
in the next coach are three young married
couples on their way to California. They came
up from New York with Inc yesterday afternoon
and sto. ped of In Rochester over night. ! got
acquainted with the men. was introduced 10
to the three brides, jollled them along, and
made myself generally useful to those young
husbands. The result IL that | bunched.them
oil Into a Rochester ticket Office this morning
and made them buy TRANSFORMATION to Los An
ksios by way OF the b., NJ. aud w. | got d COM
mission from the local a-"lt, too"