Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-02-24
THE TRAVELLING MAN.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE ADDRESSES THE
COMMERCIAL DRUMMERS.

ciatiOn.I
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-In this dis
course DR.. Talmage gives words OF good
cheer to commercial travellers and tells
Of their safeguards and then opportuni-
ties; text, Nahum ii, 4, 1.-The chariots
shall rage in the streets; they shall JUS
tie one against another in the broad
ways; they shall seem like torches;
they shall run like the lightnings.
Ii has beel found out that many OF
the arts and discoveries which we sup
posed were peculiar to our own age are
merely the restoration of the arts and
discoveries of thousands of years ago. l
suppose that the past centuries have
forgotten more than the present century
knows. It seems to me that they must
have known thousands of years ago in
the days Of Nineveh of the uses of steam
and its application to swift travel In
my text l hear the rush Of the rail
train. the clang Of the wheels and the
tanning Of the car couplings. 1.-The
chariots shall rage in the streets; they
shall justle one against another in tha
broad ways; they shall seem like
torches; they shall run like the light
nings."
Have you ever taken your position In
the night far away from a depot along
the track waiting to see the rail train
come at full speedl At first you heard
in the distance a rumbling, like the
coming Of a storm, then you saw the
flash Of the headlight Of the locomotive
rs il turned the curve; then you saw
the wilder clare Of the fiery eye OF the
train as it came plunging toward you
thee YOU heard the shrek Of the whistle
that frenzied all the echoes; then you
saw the hurricane dash Of cinders
then you felt the jar Of the passing
earthquake and you saw the shot thun-
derbolt Of the express train. Well, II
seems that we can hear the passing OF
a midnight express train in my text,
"The chariots shall rage In the streets;
they justle one against another in the
broad ways they shall seem like torches
they shall run like the lightnings.
| halt the train long enough to get on
board. and l 90 through the cars, and |
find three-fourths Of the passengers are
commercial travellers. They are a folk
peculiar to themselves, easily recogniz-
ed. at home on all the trains, not startled
by the sudden dropping Of the brakes,
familiar with all the railroad signals,
can tell you what is the next station,
how long the train will stop, what place
the passengers take luncheon at, can
give You information on almost any
subject. are cosmopolitan. at home ey-
erywhere from Halifax to San Francis
co. They are on the 8 o'clock morning
train. on the noon train, on the mid
night train. You take berth in a
sleeping car, and either above you OF
beneath you is one Of these gentlemen.
There are 100. 900 professed commercial
travellers in the United States, but 500,
coo would not include all those who are
sometimes engaged in this service. They
spond millions Of dollars every day IN
the hotels and in the rail trains. They
have their official newspaper organ.
| They have their mutual benefit associa-
tion. about 1000 names on the rolls,
and have already distributed more than
| 5000. 900 among families OF deceased
members. They are ubiquitous, unique,
and tremendous for good or evil. All
the tendencies Of merchandise are to-
ward their multiplication. The house
that stands back on its dignity and
waits for customers TO come, instead of
going to seek bargain makers, will have
more and more unstable goods on the
shelf and will gradually lose its control
Of the markets. While the great, enter
prising and successful houses will have
their agents on all the trains, and their
chariots will rage in the streets, they
shall justle one against another in the
broad ways. They shall seem like
torches, they shall run like the light
nings."
Entitled to Warm sympathy.
| think commercial travellers can
stand a sermon of warm hearted sym
pathy. If you have any words Of good
cheer for them, you had better utter
them. If you have any good, honest
PRAYERS in their behalf, they will be
greatly obliged to you. never knew
man vet who did not like TO be prayed
for: | never knew man yet that die
not like to be helped. 1t seems to me
this sermon is timely. AT this season
Of the year there are tens Of thousands
Of men going out to gather the spring
trade. The months of February and
March in all our commercial establish
ments are very busy months. In few
days our national perplexities will al
be settled, and then look out for the
brightest ten years of national prosperi'
ty which this country has ever witness
cd. All our astute commercial men fee
that we are standing at the opening
, gate Of wonderful prosperity. Let the
manufacturers put the bands on theil
wheels and the merchants open a new
kt Of account books in place OF those
filed with long columns of bad debts
Let us start on q new commercial cam
paign. Let us drop the old tune oi
, Naomi" and take up "Ariel' or IAN
tioch.
Now you, the commercial traveller
have received orders from the hea(
men Of the firm that you are to star
on long excursion. You have youl
patterns all assorted and prepared. Yor
have them put up in bundles or case
! and marked. You have full instruction
as to prices. You know on what price
you are to stand firm and from wha
prices you may retreat somewhat. fo'
have your valise or trunk or both pack
ed. If were a stranger, would hav'
no right to look into that valise. but a
l am your brother l will take the liber
: ty. | look into the valise. and con
; ; gratulate yoa on all these comfortsbl
/ articles Of apparel The seasons are . !,
/ rhangeable you have not taken a singl
I precaution too many. Some night yo'
will get ont in the snow bank and nav
3 TO walk three OF four miles until yo'
= get to the railroad station, ana yo
will want all these comforts and con
! yepiences. But will you excuse me II
. ! Il n erooaation or two about thl