The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1898-10-28
ART Of THE SP|HER"
HIS METHODS ARE CLENERLG
DESIGNED. Al IVY
Patterns Them After Those of a Wag-
merriam Composition-The MUSES. As
sist in Patent Medicine Sales.

The "Spieler" has about concluded.
He had eNtolled the merits of his va
rous remedies. They were natures
remedies, discovered by natures chill
dren, the noble red man, who lives
close to nature. lie had given instan
ces of their curative properties. He
was earnest without vehemence. His
manner was not that of an advocate
seeking to convince, but of a friend
giving information to friends.
There was an engaging candor in
his address which disarmed antago
nism as it shut the door on derision.
He was about to make a practical
test of the effect of his talk; he was
about to offer the goods for sale.
The test was applied with the same
consummate knowledge and expert
ence of human nature that had been
evident i'm his preliminary and prepar-
atory talk There was no hesitation.
There was not the suggestion of
doubt but that people would buy.
There was no depressing wait. From
either side of the platform his aids
came briskly forward. each receiving
a bottle of the highest priced medi-
cine natures children had discovered.
and with the. precision of an orches
ira and the vigor of an overture they
each began to call out the wares they
were selling. At the same instant a
man at the cabinet organ began an
accompaniment of legato chords.
Every stop was out. The full bellows
power of the instrument was called in
to requisition. Every key on the key
board that could be reached by the
81, Oh al.
tave of the chord. was used. Mean
while the "spieler" has never ceased
talking but his speech was in dimin-
uendo cadence, not commanding at
tention but filling out the harmony.
The assistants, one in tenor, another
in baritone and third in bass, cried
their wares in sort of recitation.
There was no attempt at smart" or
attractive phrasing in the words they
used. 1t was largely repetition of two
| or three sentences, but there was care
full intonation harmonizing in a rough
way with the obligato of the organist.
! There movements were quick and bus
Ting. People with a disposition to
buy were not given the chance to take
| the second thought of representation.
| They were to be carried onward to
purchase by the persuasive powers of
the rush OF sounds. AS fast as a sale
was made the salesman FASTENED back
to the "spieler" with the money, re-
ceiving another package of natures
remedy to sell to the next purchaser,
a strictly commercial plan to prevent
knocking down."
Down through the entire list of the
remedies, from the dollar bottle, six
bottles for five dollars, to the fifty
| cent, twenty-five cent, ten cent, three
for quarter packages, the, onslaught
of sound was kept up. There were no
waits nor rests. AS soon as the sale
of the higher priced remedies began to
| lag, a lower priced one was substitute
ed. Always there was movement,
impetuous, like one of Wagner's crea-
tons. The organ with its full volume
and slow movement represented the
viols and heavy brasses of the com
poser's orchestration. The recitative of
the statesmen modulating their voices
and raising and lowering their tones
represented the violins and lighter
brasses carrying the theme of the
composition, now and again making
a sudden onslaught in high pitch OF
luil NOluulG llht lHC crash Oh UnG
horns or the special instruments of
the orchestra, while the "spieler" in
milder cadence and Intermittent talk
represented the flutes and clarionets
and saXaphones.
The end of the sale came with as
much art and finesse as the beginning
1t was not allowed to drag out, and
dwindle and wear itself away. The
finale was as vivid and characteristic
as the attack had been. There was 6
sudden cessation of all the parts oil
this commercial composition and the
"spieler," back in the didactic regis
ter of his voice was announcing the
vaudeville program of the evening.
But really, in consummate art OF
design and excellence of execution, the
best number on the program had JUS
concluded.
Fine Job printing. Star Office.