The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1899-05-19
DRUMMED IN A HEARSE.
How Smart Chicago Salesman
Turned the Tables on a Tricky
Boston Rival.


Chicago Shoe Manufacturers and job
bers' association to their statesmen at
the Auditorium, the speechmaking was
enlivened by many illustrations of the
enterprise and resourcefulness of the
men who have made this city only Sec
ond to Boston in their particular line
of trade, and are pushing the eastern
city hard for first place. Some of the
experiences related were also of hui
morous nature, and one yarn in partic-
ular, spun by Sam Pike, the dean of
the trade in Chicago, being well worth
publication.
ut happened a good many years
ago." said Mr.. Pike-"how many I'm
not going to say, or else you fellows
would put me down as an old man
but I was travelling in Illinois and Iowa
for a Chicago house, when the firm
started me out one day to see man in
a town about a hundred miles or so
from Chicago, who was about to add a
shoe stock to his business, and whom
we wanted to secure as customer. T
got my sample trunks to the train, and,
after it had pulled out, I found the
agent of a Boston frm-a wide-awake,
rattling-good salesman, and one whom
I knew well-was aboard. We smoked
and chatted, and in the course of con-
versatioE found we were bound for the
same town. - ... =
''Now, the man I was going to
see lived in town about two miles
from the railway. The railway station
was at good-sized village, and there
1 was to get a team and drive over with
my samples. We reached the end of
the railway journey, and walked up
to the only hotel in the place, the Bos-
ton man excusing himself, saying he
had to look after his samples and would
join me later. After I had registered
and washed some of the dirt off my
face, it was 1880 a. M, and, as dinner
was to be at $3.50 o'clock, I thought I
would go out and engage team to
take me over to my man after dinner.
There was only one livery stable in
town, and that had only three horses,
and when 1 got there the owner told
me they were all engaged. That Bos-
ton man had made bee line for the
livery stable after I left him and hired
the whole stable, to forestall me. There
wasn't a rig in the town, as far as
knew, that I could beg, borrow or steal,
and felt pretty blue.
Going back to the hotel I noticed
an undertaker's sign, AMI went into the
shop. He had two horses, he said, but
no wagon or carriages only a hearse. I
struck bargain at once for the hearse,
and, giving him the checks for my
trunks, told him to drive down to the
depot and get them and wait for me.
Then I went back to the hotel to see
if the Boston man was there. He was,
and he grinned as he said he wasn't go
ing to look for any business until he
had had good dinner. I grinned also,
as told him I would have to hustle
around for a rig, and left him. I went
down to the depot, helped put my
trunks in that hearse, and away we
drove on the quickest trip that hearse
ever made before or since.
II caught my man and sold him a
laundering good bill. 1 was just put
ting up my samples when the Boston
man came in the store, but he didn't
see me. He looked a little puzzled as
he accosted the proprietor, and hoped
there was no. death in his family, as
he saw hearse standing outside.
sob, no. said the unconscious mer-
chant; that's only the rig that Chicago
shoe man there pointing at me, drove
here in. He couldn't get thing else
at the depot
'The Boston man turned like a shot
and looked at me. grinned and hoped
he had enjoyed his dinner. He laughed
himself after he had got over his dis
appointment, and we went back to Chi
cago together, the best of friends."-
Chicago Inter Ocean.