Evening star., 1897-04-16
HE DRUMS yp TRAVEL.
A Novel Employment That Yields
$4,000 a Year and Expenses.

Novel Employment That Yields
$4,000 n Year and Expenses.
From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.
Il am willing to bet that you can't guess
what do for living in ten guesses." re-
marked well-dressed iqhn on the Empire
State Express the othf day.
The proposition was rather strange. The
man was one of half hundred men just
like him who sat about the car reading,
smoking. or playing cards. There were no
external features to insAcate the mans bus
mess, but the casual traveller would have
said that he was a traEefing man for some
large firm. possibly carrying a dry goods
OR shoe line. The newspaper man had made
his acquaintance at tile Station and board
ing the train had taken his seat beside
him The man seemedato know that he was
talking to a reporter, In fact it is probable
that he CLEANED that information from
some of the newspaper mans friends al the
depot. After cigar or two, during which
time the conversation had been ABOUT COM
monplace things, the man suddenly braced
up, knocked the ashes from his cigar, and
snot the question at his seatmate The
latter admitted the probable truth of the
statement and then asked the natural ques-
ton:
well, ten years ago l was newspaper
man in Chicago. l never had college edu-
cation, ard while the city editor used 10
say l had the nose for news, l could not
the young blood began to come into the
newspaper offices and the college gradu-
ate was no longer ridiculed by the old
fashioned editors l went out l had a lot
OF good clothes, but l was out of job.
hardly knew where to turn when a bright
idea struck me, and p have been following
out that Idea ever since.
Il am professional traveller. No, l 10
not presume that you understand me, but
Will explain: The Americans are travelling
people, not tourists, but hustling travellers.
lhats S premise No. l. Secondly, foreigners
are in the habit of visiting America to see
the sights. l thought of this and went to
the general passenger agent Of a great
western railroad and unfolded my idea 1t
IS lhlS: There is always sharp competition
Ter passenger traffic west of Chicago The
various roads leading across the plains ad-
Vertfse extensively in eastern MAGAZINES.
have bureaus in New York and Boston, and
send agents TO the landings of the Atlantic
steamships. The purpose of these various
Kinds Of advertisements is to persuade
tourists, English, French, German, or any
other foreigners who have come to see
America'to cross the continent to the Gold
en- Gate over the lines of particular COM
pany Occasionally, there is a young and
unsophlstlcated married couple who need
advice as to hotels and routes
In word. | am a personal adviser /
board the train at New York a least twice
week. l spot the travellers. get acquaint-
ed with them and then insinuatingly ssl.
them where they are going. After l learn.
such and such road. OF course they
haven't, and / remark casually that | am
going west as far as Chicago by the b. and
B-, which is always the same road that
they intend to patronize. Then they ask
me II i Know anything about the lines west
or Chicago. l always do, you can bet and
tell them that l am an old traveller and
ttat l have always found the best service
OF the road up to the limit / get salary
OF $1,000 a year for doing it, besides my
expenses paid 10 me by the road Then 1
continue acquaintance until l get to Buff
lalc and tell them that know the eastern
agent of the B.. NJ. 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., NJ. and w. to Denver
or Frisco or any place they want to go
1T generally works, and see them safe
ly on board the train and then suddenly
remember that l have left my grip at the
parcel stand. go back to get il wait mn
the next train for New York. where l re-
peat the operation. I tell you / did a big
business worlds fairbearl In the winter
along the b., NJ. and W.y the solemn gran
deur and all that stuff and in the summer
1lme tell of the beauties of the plains
Did you ever see them? I think they the
the dreariest sight under erea ton
incidentally get a. Hcornmission from, too
hoteiS IN chicago forI recommending travel
eis 10 patronlze them. That helps out con-
S,neraply. J nave had a good trip this time.
nach IN the next coach are three young
married couples on their way to Califor
ma. lhey came up from New York with
ii' me y Yesterday afterno9nl and stopped off
IN hochcster .. over Night. got acquainted
WIT WIN .he men, was introduced TO the three
brides, Jollied themo along and made nv
ser generally useful, to those young hus-
pnhds. the result is thatsI punched them
an INTO Rochester ticket Office this morn
ing 7 ~ anu made them buy transportation to
Los Angeles by way of the II N and W
too S''i aSe-it'