The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-08-05
HE DRUMS UP TRAVEL.
Novel Employment Yields Over
$4,000 q Year and Expenses.

E0,OOO u cur ahu G4pChbCSs
81 am willing to bet that you cans
guess what do for living in ten
guesses," remarked well-dressed
man on the Empire state express the
other day.
The proposition was rather strange
The man was one of a half hundred men
lust like him who sat about the car
reading. smoking or playing cards
There was no external feature to in
dicate the mans business, but the cas-
ual traveller would have said that he
was q travelling man for some dry goods
or shoe line. The newspaper man
had made his acquaintance at the sta
ton and boarding the train had taken
his seat beside him. The man seemed
to know that he was talking to a re-
porter, in fact it is probable that he
CLEANED that information from some
of the newspaper mans friends at the
depot. After II cigar or two. during
which time the conversation had been
about commonplace things, the man
suddenly braced up, knocked the ashes
+! from his cigar and shot the question Mt
his seatmate. The latter admitted the
probable truth of the statement, and
then asked the natural question:
"Well, ten years ago was reporter
in Chicago. | never had college edu-
cation, and while the city editor used
| to say had the nose for news, / could
not put my stuff into good English. So.
when the yourg blood began to come
into the newspaper Offices and the coll
| lege graduate was no longer ridiculed
by the old fashioned editors, went out
l had lot of good clothes, but was.
out of job. hardly knew where tor
turn, when bright idea struck me,
and have been following out that idea
ever since.
81 am professional traveller. No,
I do not presume that you understand
me, brt l will explain. The Americans
are travelling people, not tourists, but
hustling travellers. That's premise No.
/. 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 great
western railroad and unfolded my idea.
1t was this: There is always a sharp
competition for passenger traffic west
of Chicago. The various roads leading
across the plains advertise extensive
ly in eastern magazines, have bureaus
in New York and Boston, and send
agents to the landings of the Allan
tic 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 golden gate over the
lines of particular company. Occa-
sionally there is young and unsophis-
ticate married couple who need advice
MS to hotels and routes.
an word, am personal advertiser
] board the train ut New York at least
twice week. spot the travellers, get
acquainted with them, and then insinu-
atingly ask them where they are go
; ing. After learn l ask them II they
have ever ridden over such and such
road. OF course, they haven't, and l
remark casually that / am going west
as far as Chicago, by the b. g. b., which
is always the same road they intend to
patronize. Then they ask me II | know
anything about the lines west Of Chi
cago. | always do, you can bet, and
tell them that am an old traveller, and
that have always found the best sery-
ice on the B. NJ. g. w. ! crack the mer-
its of the road up TO the limit. get
salary Of $4,000 II year for doing it,
besides my expenses paid to me by the
road. Then continue acquaintance
until / get to Buffalo, and / tell thenf
that know the eastern agent Of the ~
NJ. e. w., located in that city, and that
think that could, through my friend
ship with him, fit them out with tickets
over the Il. g. NJ. to Denver or Frisco
or any other place they want to go. "A
at generally works, and see them
safely on board the train and then sud-
denly remember that | have left my
grip at the parcel stand. go back tn
get IT. and wait until the train has
pulled out, and then board the next
train for New York, where repeat the
operation. ] tell you | did big BUSH
ness worlds fair year. In the win
ter post up on the beauties of the
scenery along the NJ. b. g. w., the sol
cmn grandeur and all that stuff, and in
the summer ] tell OF the beauties Of
the plains. Did you ever see them2
| think they are the dreariest sight I'M
der creation" = Rochester Democrat
and Chronicle. a