The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-02
THE INDIVIDUAL WITH "A BOOK
AND SOME SLIPS OF
PAPER
SEEN ALL OVER TOWN NOW.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE SYSTEM
WITH WHICH THE WORK is
DONE.
WORK Is NEVER AT AN END.
When one Years Book Is Out There
Is Something to Do ON the
Next.


That's the remark which has greeted
the head Of several families during the
last two days. During that time the
figure Of man with a book Of sl:ps
In one hand, a pencil in the other and
last years edition of an annual publ
cation under his arm mignt have been
seen about the streets. He goes ev-
eryWhere, from the gildad door Of the
bankers Office to the plain pine of the
laborer's dwelling, with the ,loncha
lance Of tax collector. Scores of times
daily ne asks the same questions:
what is your name, pleasa?"
are there any others in your fam.
ily?"
what Is your business?'' etc.
he Is the directory man on his annual
tour. He bobs up serenely each suc-
ceedlng spring to go through the work
OF the previous year. Few know bis
Trials and his experiences: the s;ranee
sights and interesting characters which
come under his eye. But if is MT "a
that the story treats, rather II is tho
almost perfect system contributing to
pioouce the handy book which is so
V@ioaoie IN mercantile and social Cir
cles.
what the encyclopedia is to the stu
oent the directory is to the business
man; ever available to satisfy all kinds
oI questions. It is not generaly known
though. that the book represents con,
stant work the twelve months ne tho
year, and quite three months of GOOD
iiaro TABOR, with small army of men
scurrvlng hither and thither about tho
city. A' us
0oon after the directory of 1896 was
us .llouted, the preliminaries for tha
oooh OF the following year were start
Gu. Inc manager Instructed his am
pioyes TO note all changes in the citv's
population, material street alterations
ana matters Of a like nature As coon
DIS an adult dies, as shown by the death
.s.. Tue name Is recorded and proper
l. as made in the next volume. An
eiloft was also made to keep posted On
removals and arrivals, and the name
OF Inc migratory citizen ascertained
anu chronfcled. Firm changes. new
.irihs' those dissolved = and Significant
failures We're. kept track off, also q re-
Vlseo topography Of the city. l'1
Early in April of eachlyea ca,
1 gassers are sought by the companv
Ills. alIs year The offices of the COMPANY
were overrun with applicants snma
time before assistance was ws 1 r1lns
Eacn Is examined in turn. as The re-.
,iulreinents are eXacting. Those wbo
nave mad experience are susl.aIlp.en ON
sasea at snort notice, and the remain
ing material is subjected to the severe
.est. Singular though it may seen,
there is the veteran canvassery -
DGon 11n h,,e~
seasons Like the. professional i,,ro,.
ne comes forth with a smile with TIA
duVeht OF spring. and at the aoncI,,
SION On OF the work disappears as before
Ihose eIvhie applicants selected are
paced on probation. They are obJieeS
~ 80 pnrough another Course Of train
ing to prepare for their iabors Tba
manager takes each in turn and o.
amlnes him In the principal branches
necessary for the work. then in strurts
MN as to his Duties 1t takes three
or TOUR days for each man to Dost IN
according to aptitude and Intelligence.
Inc most. important qualification Is
pen.laal snip. should the applicant
prove deficient in this branch. he IS
dropped from the list A full. round
leg1ple hand is required Special at
tentlon Is given to spelling also. Then
comes the geography of the city and
the canvasser is required to be thor
oushly acquainted with the names and
location OF the streets of his districts.
AFTER graduating from the school he
is given a sample book to canvass. and
his work is gone over by an expert. to
insure his employers as to his capabii-
ity. 49,.
Being well initiated into the mys-
ter1es of the art of canvassing the men
are sent out on their runs. In the st.
Paul work there are thirty-iye men
m
divided into districts, and each man
is allotted his particular district on
starting out in the morning. Through
lengthy experience in the work tine.
management at the office can tell at
the end Of each day whether the men
are taking advantage of each minute,
even when the particular district and
it's difficult nature are considered. Each
OF the men is equipped with two small
slips of paper in book form, pencils. a
directory and book of instructions.
Each of the canvassers is numbered,
and daily record is kept Of the num-
Der of names he collects. and the time
consumed.
Each name is written on one OF the
slender white slips, and note is made
of every vacant house, Office or build
ing. When the work is over the names
are arranged alphabetically, and COM
parsons made with the directory of
the previous year. If some name is
not caught it is written on slip ard
given to the man who canvassed the
district to be located. A second tour
is made, and the missing name must
be accounted for. If death or removal
is the cause of the mistake the fact Is
carefully noted. The third case con-
sists of sending the men out again to
see if the vacant stores and houses have
been taken since the first round was
made.
The duplicate system of verification
is almost perfect in its results. Errors
made the first time are corrected, and
carelesSnesS shown Zip. A few mis-
takes may be found in the directory,
but that is almost always due. to er,
rorS on the part of the latter. The
book is fine one. of the two columns
to-a-page style. LIN vogue in all the
principal cities of the country. The ac-
tive work represented Is from: the be-
ginning of April to the beginning of
July each year. x
The experiences OF many of the cam
vassers are not without interest In II
city of this size and nature.ewith its
cosmopolitan classes, canvasser must
indeed be an accomplished, Hnguist to
be an all around man. In some local.
ties the directory man is looked on
with grave suspicion, and it is only
after the most convincing argumeE;
that he succeeds in his errand. He Is
not infrequently confused with the as
SCISSOR or tax collector and that idea
has to be dispelled before he gains
much information. These do not con-
spire to make q pathway OF roses for
the diligent canvasser.
Lola Banker Wanted.
Z CHICAGO. May 1.-n the police abb"