Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-03-08
SERMONS OF THE DAY.
mers"-Many Are the Temptations
That Beset Travelling Men.Christian


mers''-Many Are the Temptations
That Beset Travelling Men-Christian
Associations Necessary.
TEXT: ''The chariots shall rage in the
streets; they shall justle one against an
other In the brCa ways; .hey shall seem
ike torches; they shall run like the light
nings.'-Nahum H., 4.
It has been found out that many of the
arts and discoveries which we supposed
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. 1t seems
to me that they must have known thou
sands Of years ago In the days Of Nineveh
of the uses OF steam and its application to
swift travel. In my text hear the rush of
the rail train, the claDg OF the wheels and
the iammfng OF the car couplings. ''Tne
chariots shall rage in the streets; they
shall justle one against another in the
broad ways; they shall seem Ike torches;
they shall run like the Iightnings.''
Have you ever taken your position in the
night far away from a depot along the
track waiting to SEQ the rail train come at
full speed? At first you heard in the dis
tance a rumbling, like the coming OF a
storm, then you saw the flash Of the head
light OF the locomotive as 1t turned the
curve; then you saw the wilder glare OF the
fiery eye Of the train as 1t came plunging
toward you; then You heard the sbriek of
the whistle that frenzjed all the echoes;
then you saw the hurricane dash Of Gin
ders; then you felt the jar OF the passing
earthquake and you saw the shot thunder
bolt Of the express train. Well, 1t 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 1 go through the cars, and I
find three-fourths of the passengers are
commercial travellers. They are folk
peculiar to themselves, easily recognized,
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 cosmopo itan, at
home everywhere from Halifax to San
Francisco. They are on the 8 O'Clock
morning train, on the noon trair, on the
midnight train. You take a berth in
sleeping car. and either above you or be-
meath you is one Of these gentlemen. There
are 100, 900 professed commercial travellers
In the United States, but 500 900 would
not include all those who are some
times engaged in this service. They
spend millions OF dollars every day in
Tue uOtoiS anu Ill tuc IdIl tIdluS. Iu6y
have their official newspaper organ. They
have their mutual benefit association,
about 1000 names on the rolls, and have al
really distributed more than e200, 900
among families of deceased members.
They are ubiquitous, unique, and tre-
denotes OF merchandise are toward 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 m ore and more unstable
goods on the shelf and will gradually lose
| its control OF the markets. While the
great, enterprising and successful houses
| will have their agents Un ali tue trains,
! and "their chariots will rage In the streets,
they shall Justle one against another In
torches. they shall run like the light.
nings."
think commercial travellers can stand
sermon of warm hearted sympathy. II you
have any words Of good cheer for them,
you had better utter them. II you have
they will be greatly Obliged to you. Inever
knew q man yet who did not like to be
prayed for; never knew man yet that did
not like to be helped. 1t seems to me this
sermon Is timely. At this season Of tho
year there are tens of thousands of men
going out to gather the spring trade.
The bitter curse of Almighty God will
rest upon that commercial establishment
which expects its employees to break the
Sabbath. What right has Christian
merchant to sit down in church on the
Sabbath when his clerks are travelling
abroad through the land on that day? Get
up, professed Christian merchant, so act
ing. You have no business here. Go out
and call that boy back. There was a mer
chant in 1887 who wrote: Il should have
been a dead man had it not been for the
Sabbath. Obliged to work from morning
nntfl niDhf fhrOnUh the whole week L felt
on Saturday, especially on Saturday after
noon, that l must have rest. 1t was like
going into dense fog. Everything looked
dark and gloomy as If nothing could be
saved. / dismissed all and kept the Sab.
bath in the old way. On Monday 1t was all
sunshine, but had it not been for the Sab
bath, have no doubt should have been
in my grave"
Be ashamed to sell foreign fabrics or fruits
unless you know something about the
looms that wove them or the vineyards
that grew them. Understand all about the
laws that control commercial life, about
banking, about tariffs, about markets,
about navigation, about foreign people
their characteristics and their political
revolutions as they Affect ours; about the
harvests Of Russia, the vineyards Of Italy,
the teaf1elds Of China. Learn about the
great commercial centres Of Carthage and
Issyria and Ph9nicis. Read all about the
Medici of Florence, mighty in trade,
mightier in philanthropies. You belong
to the royal family of merchants. Be
worthy of that royal family. Oh. take my
advice and turn the years OF WEAKNESS into
years Of luxury.
But you have come now near the end OF
your railroad travel. You begin business.
Now, let me say, there are two or three
things you ought to remember. First,
tice of treating will not stick. II you
cannot get custom except by tipping q
winegass with somebody, you had better
not get his custom. An old commercial
traveller gives as his experience that trade
got by treating" always damages the
house that gets it in one way or the
other.
o commercial traveller, though your firm
may give you the largest salary OF any
man in your line, though they might give
you ten per cent. OF all you sell, or twenty
per cent. or fifty per cent. or ninety nine
per cent, they cannot pay enough to make
it worth your while to ruin your SOUL
Besides that, a commercial house never
compensates a man who has been morally
ruined In their employ. Ayoung man In
Philadelphia was turned out from his en-
ploy because OF inebriation got in the
service of the merchant who employed
him, and here is the letter he wrote to his
employer:
rupt in principles and in morals, but the
rules Of your house required me 10 spenc
my evenings at places Of public entertain
ment and amusement in search Of custom
f, ers. To accomplish my work in your ser.
vice was obliged to drink with them and
Join them in their pursuits OF pleasure. II
was not my choice, but the rule OF the
house went with them to he theatre
and the billiard table, but 1t was not my
choice. / did not wish to go; went IL
your service. 1t Was not my pleasure so tc
do, but was the conductor and compan-
ion Of the simple ones void alike OF under.
standing and Of principles, In their sinful
! pleasures and deeds of deeper darkness,
that might retain them as your custom.
ers. Your interest required it. l have
added thousands OF dollars to the profits o
| your trade. but at what expense sou now
see, and know too well. You have be
come wealthy, but 1 am poor indeed. and
now this cruel dismissal from your employ
! is The recompense I receive for character
/ ruined and prospects blasted In helping tt