The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-15
THE DAYS GONE ny.

"Reminiscences Of Travellers IN thr
Early Seventies.
While In Austin the early part OF last
week Mr.. Howard w. Peak. president Of
the Texas division OF the Travellers, Pro-
tective Association; Judge ]. d. Carwile,
an old time travelling man and now a
prominent citizen of Atlanta. Cass county.
Texas, and the editor of the Travelling
Mems Page were talking OF "reminiscences
OF the road and dwelling upon the DAYS
gone by.
Judge Carwile related the circumstances
of the organization OF travelling men
association at Fort Worth, which was the
first ever organized In the United STATES.
IT was on Christmas day of 1872, and there
were congregated at that time in Fort
Worth about sixty travelling men, and
these knights of the grip organized a trav-
cling mems association and elected fer
their president j. ID. Carwile and for SEA-
rotary Hicks Plummer. Among the mem
bers of this association We're Charles
Schluber, NJ. Hockstadter, Oscar Scligman,
Jake Meyer, Monroe Brannon and Howard
w. Peak. The names of none OF the other
members could be recalled then, The as
ISOLATION went to work with vim and
fitted up rooms elegantly over what was
then the City National bank. During that
same halliday week theatrical troupe
composed entirely OF women, known as
THE Adamless Eden" was playing In Fort
Worth.
One night the travelling men rented the
entire house. They all wore high hats
and marched to the theater in a body,
where they occupied the boxes and the
first three rows of seats In the parquet
known as bald head row. After the
nav enr u,os t1x,, \,
all present, q banquet was given. and
here. too everybody had great time. All
of those who enjoyed the festivities OF the
occasion will long remember the eventful
evening. The fact Of this association being
started was noised abroad and 1t was not
long after that until Travellers Protect-
i've Association was organized In North
ern city.
Mr.. Peak also has store Of reminds
cences, which were called to his mind by
the remarks Of Judge Carwile. I'm those
days." said the worthy president Of the
State division of the greatest body OF trav-.
cling men In existence, travelling men
were comparatively scarce. There were no
railroads west Of Fort Worth and travel
ing was done either by horseback, in the
stage coach or In an ambulance. Generally
four or more men representing different
lines would make the rounds from Fort
Worth and take In the country seats In \
circuit embracing about 100 miles. 1t
took about thirty days to make trip. The
extreme frontier was at San Angelo on
the south and Fort Griffin and Fort Belk-
nap on the north.
The boys would announce their arrival
in town in advance by postal cards, and
when 1t became known that they had ar
rived, it is said that their customers would
call on them and take their turn at buy
ing goods. At almost every town visited
after the days work was done dance was
generally given in their honor. The no
tells in those days we're very rough, and II
frequently occurred that tenor more tray
cling men were compelled to sleep in the
same room remember very we'll OF one
hotel in a western city which consisted OF
a single room, In which was arranged
fifteen or twenty cots. When you asked
for a room you were assigned TO No. .,
which presented the appearance OF nos
pital. A person can imagine the iudi-
crousness of the situation. when at the
sound of the bell announcing the morning
meal, in seeing ten or twelve traveilng
men emerge from their cots all at the
same time. We had no chairman OF no.
tell committee In those days to render our
complaints to. and, Of course, had TO ac-
cept the situation. -,
''There was plenty Of game In the West
and we had great sport IN hunting anu
0B0lnE. lIcquCuths iNAA ~ -
camp out. These experiences were rough
to say the least, but were highly. ENJOYED.
and we look back upon them with grea.
deal of Measure We had various ways Oh
entertaining ourselves IN Il, the Western stern
towns. and on one occasion we orgahi1ea
what was known as tie Peak family OF
bell ringers, which was composed entirely
of travelling men, and an entertainment
would be given in each town visited.
I'm the fall Of 1878 ] made my first trip
to Fort Grinen.. and it was just a. the Tine I'M
T 1Sa. was a great demand for buffalo
hides and the huntsman was prevailed
upon to kill the buffalo on the prairie ior
the pitiful sum Of 81 for the hide, the car
cass being left for the wolves TO devonr
II was the custom among the male A.. 'nn ssr
itants OF these Western towns that wnen
q travelling man came through who wore
a hard boiled hat. which Is q derby; ne
was tiled before a kangaroo court, wnicn
always resulted in the hat being thrown UP
In the air and shot fuil.of holes, the owner
hereof being treated to a new sombrero
after he had set UP the drinks TO Inc
crNu-d