The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-12-25
The Ancient aud Modern Drummer

BarnatO In Night and Day.
The Ancient aud Modern Drummer
Had you looked In the dictionaries only
few years ago, you would not nave
found definition of the word drummer
as applying to commercial travellers. As
wo understand him, the drummer Is
late and modern creation. And yet IKE
many other things. the idea Is simply
history repeated. for as in various instan-
ces. ideas and things we think are new
and modern, are really old and forgotten
things OF the past, rediscoveredi TO
which have been given new names tEat
actually disguises their original mean
ing and significance. The drummer real
ly existed since commerce began, since
the prinipes of agency existed.
He has done much 20 make all the
world neighbors, and perhaps the earliest
historical reference TO him is found in
the story Of the good Samaritan: for the
good Samaritan was simply a drummer.
lie was only commercial traveller De-
tween Jerusalem and Jerico. and was
used in the story as type OF his class,
illustrating the divine goodness I'm all
classes of men. For II will BE- romem-
bered the types referred to i'm tho beau
tiful little story, one was a priest. repre-
senting the Jewish church; another was
the Levite. representing tho condemned
by the church: and the Samaritan, who
then belonged 90 what the church called
unOrthodOx We are left 20 guess the
faith of the within, who fell among tho
thieves and was stripped and robbed.
This however. was no question for the
drummer. for he was in distress and
need. and while the priest and the Le-
wife saw him. and went on the other side.
q III
cial traveller not only gave him wine and
oil, but helped him on his own beast, took
him to the inn and fed him. and then said
to tho landlord You administer TO his
wants and Il will repay thee
This story Is just as true to-day as II
was in the long ago. IL represents types
Of men that live now. as well as then.
II is but another form OF expressing the
universal brotherhood Of men, and the
universal FatherhoOd Of Cod at the same
time. showing that the good and ortho-
dox often go on the wrong side and
don't see; wnle the sinner and the
wicked often so on the right side. and
live and act a religion they do not even
profess. The drummer then existed. or
his type could not have been guessed
He was neighbOr to the distressed and
unfortunate, no matter where his home,
or what ans church or natiOnality;-as
agency Of God, and missionary of re-
ligion, rs well Of trade and commerce.
The modern drummer. while called by
another name. is OF the same class He
hasn't just come. but has been here all
the time. He brought his knitting long
ago. ana came to stay, The styles may
change, but IL is the same old drummer
He may not carry tho same kind Of
grips. nor in them find room for wines
IN al or e. .fr.f.
rye-but he is still with u.s. or. If not
still. he is with us still lie may not now
have any beast" as did the Samaritan.
but he Gets there. just the samew His
beasts, nowadays, are everything from
bicycle or an OX-cart % a Pullman
sleeper; his field. from one end of the
earth 10 ire other. instead OF from Je-
rusalem to Jericol
Yes. The drummer is a great character
in the worlds make up. There have be-
come all kinds and classes. They havo
grown as thick AS English SPARROW
and about as hard TO trap. Their breed
has actually been improved Of late. since
1t was discovered the earlier ones ran
too much 10 tongue and mouth Tl.ere
was then too much catfish and alligator
in their compound. which was sadly DEM
ons,rated by the insurance mortuarv
lists and posted signs" Talked to
death!' In fact many merchants resort
ed 10 strategy, and provided themselves
with poll-parrots which We're learned 10
entertain, or 10 exclaim, as soon as a
man came in the store with grim
Talk too d-n much." Since then. this
class OF drummers has been turned over
TO the book agents and insurance sollc-
itors, with instructlons:-"T bury your
own dead!" And, strange TO say. some
OF tho Insurance companies have since
gone out Of buslness
But the drummer hasn't gone out of |
business; not bit Of il, lie is still Bob |
ping up serenely,' and without any pad |
lock on his lips. is doing business al the |
same old stands. Many Of them now an !
pear TO be almost as dumb as oysters: |
aud while you miss the signs, and ire |
parrots. you would imagine that they nj |
least mad been born Of dumb parantsi /
Instead OF giving free lectures on poll !
tics, the weather, and the Bible thav /
now leave their samples in some sam |
pie room, and simply say VIXEN they /
come in-"What hour2"-Sugar. three |
Fights, &C. and leave before n pou- |
parrot, even, could discover thata they |
were drummers.-Oh, there is nothing |
IKE improved breeds in drummers, as |
well as In everything elsel
For their OWE protection, as well as to |
over the death rate among cash paying |
,ustoihers' they nave what they call |
Homes and HEADQUARTERS Tbo |
former are doubtless where they take |
Wayiarlng men," and the latter where |
ne oyer-loquacious may tap themselves. |
WISH the book agents and insurance men |
lad Holmes and Headquarters for
I they don't learn TO tap themselves
III be darned If somebody else DON'T
But since thes drummers have got
Homes and Headquarters, and become
great great ORGANIZATIONS, and have dis
,arded their ''bests" for BICYCLES ana
pullman coaches. they have changed the
whole thing and call themselves KNIGHTS
n the grip. Travelling men" ~. L.
As.," and all that;-iust as IL the Masons
md Odd Fellows weren't knights of the
rip; and tramps and conductors weren't
raveling men, and the Tennessee editors
weren't T. z. As. They are drummers.
hats what they are. This good SAM
ritan didn't put on any high-falutin'
lyle. He didn't ride in any Palace cars.
lor on any bicycle. either He didn't |
all himself any r. T. A. No. he lust got
n his beast with his grip In his hand
nd rode off from Jerusalem to Jerico
ust like anybody else. And when he
anne up with this man that had been
opDed ana peat, he Just put him on |
he train, and took his grip In his hand
nd walked. That's the way he done.
'hough his beast was only an ass. not
palace car; instead an accommodation
raini
But this drummer was the first con-
uctor wasn't he? OF course a drummer |
ias the conductor OF the first accommo-
alton train, II an ass was the engineer |
ma what did he do? He didn't skin out |
, his boarding house rs soon as he
ulled In town, leaving the passengers %
'ok out for themselves while the colorei |
NIL N.allD.l tho 49,. -.