The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-02-25
FOR THE DRUMMERS.
Dr.. Talmage breaches to the Army
of Commercial Travellers.
Cautions Them TO start Right on
Their Journeys-Condemn Work
on the sabbnth-The Duty
of Employers.

VTaVelerS anu teIIs Oh tHelr sdIcBudIus
and their opportunities; text. Nahum
pa. The chariots shall rage in the
streets; they shall justle one against
another in the broad ways; they shall
seem like torches; they shall run like
1be lighdnings."
II has been found out that many of
the arts and discoveries which we sup
posed were peculiar 10 our own age are
merely the restoration Of the arts and
discoveries of thousands of years ago.
] suppose that the past centuries have
forgotten more than the present cen
fury knows. 1t seems TO me that they
must have known thousands of years
ago. in the days of Ninevch, of the uses
OF steam and its application 10 swift
travel. In my text ] hear the rush Of
the rail train. the clang Of the wheels
and the jamming Of the car couplings
1.-THE chariotS shall rage in the streets;
they shall iustle one against mother in
the broad ways; they shall seem like
torches; they shall run like the light
nings." y
Have you ever taken your position in
the night far away from depot along
the track waiting TO see the rail- train
come at full speed? a; FIRST you heard
In the distance rumbling liketh COM
ing OF storm; then you saw the fash
OF the headlight of the locomotive as il
turned the curve; then you saw the
wilder glare OF the fiery eye of the
train as it came plunging toward YOU:
then you heard the shrek OF the wills
lie that frcn2ied 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 ihuu-
derbo!t OF the express train. Well, it
seems that we can hear the passing of
a midnight express train in my text,
1.-The chariots shall rage in the streets;
they shall just!e one acains: another
in the broad ways; they shall seem like
torches; they shall run like the light
nirgs."
halt the train long croughtto get or.
board, and go through the ears, and
find ihrce-fourths Of the passengers are
commercial travellers. They are folk
peculiar TO themselves. easily recpE-
nizcd, at home on all the trains. not;
startled by the sudden dropping o! the
brakes. familiar with al the railroad
signals, can tell you what IS the next
station, how long the train vii! stop,
what place the passengers take lunch
con at, can give you Information on al
most any subject, are cosmopolitan, al
home everywhere from Halifax TO san
Francisco. They are or the eight
o'clock morning train, on the noon
train, on the midnight train. Iou take
a berth in a sleeping car, and either
above you or beneath you is one Of these
gentlemen. There are 100000 professed
commercial travellers in the United
States, but 100000 would not include all
those who are sometimes engaged in
this service. They sPerh millions Of
dollars every day in the hotels and in
the rail trains. They have their otiicia!
newspaper organ. They have their
mutual benefit association, about 1900
names on the rolls, and have already
distributed more than 100000 among
the families of deceased members.
They are ubiquitous. unique and ire
mendous for good or evil. All the ten
denotes Of merchandise are toward
their multiplication. The house that
stands back on its dignity and waits
for customers to come instead OF going
20 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. enterpris-
ing and successful houses will have
their agents on all the trains, and
"their chariots will rage in the streets,
they shall iustle one against another
in the broad ways; they shall seem like
torchcs; they shall run like the light
nings."
/ think commercial travellers can
stand n 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. l never knew
man yet who did not like to be prayed
for. l never knew man yet that did
not like 10 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 estab-
lishments are very busy months. In a
few days our national perplexities will
be settled, and then look out for the
brightest ten years of national prosper
iiy which this country has ever wit
messed. All our astute commercial men
feel that we are standing at the opening
gate Of wonderful prosperity. Let the
manufacturers put the bands on
their wheels, and the merchants open q
new set Of account books in place OF
those filed with long columns of bad
debts. Let us start on new CONNER
cal campaign. Let us drop the old tune
OF "Naomi," and take up Ariel" OF" IAN
tioch."
Now you, the commercial traveller
have received orders from the head men
OF the firm that you are to start on q
long excursions. You have your pat
terms all assorted and prepared. You
have them put up in bundles or cases
and marked. You have full instruc
tons as to prices. You know on whn,
prices you may retreat somewhat. Yo,