The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-05-19
DRUMS UP TRAVEL.
Novel Occupation That Yields
$4,000 a Year and Expenses.
Getting Travellers to Take Ger
tain Lines Of Railroad.

A Rochester On. Y.) Democrat and
Chronicle representative met we'll
dressed man on the Empire State Ex-
press train who snid TO him, after the
two had struck up mn acquaintance:
81 am n professional traveller. No, /
do not presume that You understand
me, but 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. ! thought of this, and went
to the general passenger agent of
grent Western railroad and uniurled
my idea. 1t is this: There is always
sharp competition for passenger
traffic west of Chicago. The various
roads leading across the plains adver-
tise extensively in Eastern magazines,
have bureaus in New York and Bos-
ton, and send agents to the landings
of the Atlantic steamships. The pur-
pose of these various kinds of adver-
tisements is to persuade tourists, Eng
lish, French, German, or any other
foreigners who have come to see Amer
lea. to cross the continent to the
the Golden Gate over the lines of
particular company. Occasionally,
there is young and unsophisticated
married couple who need advice as to
hotels aud routes.
"In word, nm n personal adver-
tiscr. / board the train at New York
at least twice week. / spot the trav-
elers, get acquainted with them, and
insinuntingly ask them if they have
ever ridden over such road. OF
course, they haven't, and l remark
casually that am going West Us far
as Chicago by the B and b., which is
always the same rond they intend to
patronize. Then they ask me if ]
know anything about the lines west of
Chicago. l always do, you can bet.
aud l tell them that l am an old trav-
eler, aud that | have always found the
best service on the b., NJ and w. |
crack the merits of the road up to the
limit. L get salary of $1,000 n year
for doing it, besides my expenses paid
to me by the rond. Then ! continue
acquaintance until Iget to Buffalo, and
tell them that ! know the E,stcrn
agent of the b.. NJ and W. located in
that city, and that l think that l
could, through my friendship with
him, fit them out with tickets over the
b., VI. and W. to Denver or Frisco,
or any place. they want to go.
at generally works, and see them
safely on board the train, and then
suddenly remembering that L have
left my grip ut the parcel stand, go
back 10 get it, and wait until the train
has pulled out, and then board the
next train for Now York, where l re.
peat the operation. / tell you / did
"A big business Worlds Fair year. in
tho winter / post up on the beauties
of the scenery along the b., NJ. "nd
W., the solemn grandeur and nil that
stuff, and in the summer time I tell of
the beauties of tho plains. Did you
ever SEQ them? l think they are the
dreariest sight under creation.
Incidentally l got commission
from two hotels in Chicago recon-
mending travellers to patronize them.
That helps out considerably. / have
had a good trip this time. Back in
the next coach nre three young mar
ried couples on their way to Califor-
MIA. They came up from New York
with me the other night and stopped
off in Rochester. l got acquainted with
the men, was introduced to the three
brides, jollied them along, and made
myself generally useful to those
young husbands. The result is that
punched them NIL into a Rochester
ticket.oilce the next morning, aud
made them buy transportation to Los
Angeles by why of the b., NJ. and w.
got commission from the local
agent, too.