The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-12-03

prising collector of graphophone re-
cords should induce one Of the Last of
the Mohicans" to breathe into the ma
chine those once dreaded words, and
thus preserve the same to future gene
ratiOns as an anthropologcal curiosity.
OF course, in considering the book
| agent we have always regarded him as
without feelings of his own, sort of
human machine, so to speak, which was
wound UP and which it was desirable to
stop by any means. Those new men,
bers Of the profession who are really
gifted with an inconvenient amount of
| sensltiveness usually abandon the field
in a short time leaving it to others
whose nerve and philosophical natures
justify, to large extent, the popular
opinion of them.
The book agent who succeeds, or
rather, who has succeeded (and there
have been some such), was a remark
able person, not wholly undeserving
he attention of the poet and historian.
Yet, alas! so little is human genius APP
preciated in certain walks of life that
the possessor of vending genius for an
| amount far exceeding it's real value
seems rather inclined to ire than to adj
miration when he thinks of the insinu-
alton address and irresistible eloquence
of the agent.
There is a well-known book agent in
this city whose success in the past has
enabled him to amass quite comfort
able little fortune. But that, as he
says, "was before the doors of the gov
eminent departments We're closed to
US" To describe the career and ana
lyze the genius of this individual would
require the ability of Plutarch or a
Tactus.
With the indomitable perseverance of
a Grant or wellington, and an ele-
quence that would persuade an atheist
to buy a Bible, or an evangelist to in
vest in Paine's age of Reason" he
was undoubtedly the Caesar of Wash
ington book agents. AS the qualities of
this gifted man were least appreciated
| by those who had the best opportuni-
ties of rendering them homage, so his
memory will not descend to posterity
garlanded with the laurele of fame or
encircled by the tide Of public appro-
baton. The best monuments Of his
ability, however. are found to-day in
numerous households in those costly
and ponderous tones which are rever-
entity left to slumber beneath the accu-
mulating dust Of time.
This gentleman is an instance of the
successful book agent of former peri
cd. But there are others. The tribe
has fallen upon hard times" in these
latter days, and the flourishing book
canvasser is to-day something of q rara
avis. He meets with little encourage
ment upon his weary way and his APP
pearance seems to be d signal for the
closing of the human heart and purse.
tigurativey speaking, with bang-to
say nothing Of the door.
The attitude of society generally to-
ward the average book agent produces
different effects upon various individu-
ais Some, whose supply of the milk
of human kindness" was always per-
haps somewhat Indifferent in quantity
and quality, after the first days expe-
rience in canvassing, become complete
ly curdled as to that commodity and
manifest ever thereafter an eXaspera-
ting insolence of manner which Is not
calculated to procure for them large
measure of success In any walk of life.
Others of somewhat sensitive natures,
being soon rebuffed, end their book
canvassing career in utter failure.
Those persons, however, who are gifted
with what Pope Gregory the Great
called the terrible gift of familiarity"
and which is described in more modern,
3 ~ fgr;r 80
CAB" contrive to make book canvass
ing pay, even under the present adj
verse conditions But even these few
are beginning to recognize the fact that
they may employ their abilities more
advantageously in other fields, and so
they are gradually drifting into more
ambitious pursuits
AS regards the unsuccessful book
agents, the wonder in MANY instances
as to what induced them to follow the
vocation is only exceeded by the mar
vel as to what will be their fate when
this apparently last hope fails them,
as fall it is reasonably sure to do. |
The wistful look that meets a refusal
in some cases carries with it a certain |
pathos which is less easily denied. |
This, of course, is a more one-sided |
view Of the soft book agent There |
are many persons whose worldly tact |
and ability in small matters enable
them to borrow from the credulous
book canvasSers in order to "examine'
the work and who either politely return |
the same after an extended interval or
show deep appreciation of its merits |
ing through the formality of Altering
any remuneration. These are doubtless |
the same individuals who accumulate |
libraries by the simple process of bor-
rowing and never returning.
The passing of the book agent in this |
city is principally attributable to the
closing of the public departments and
many private office buildings to cam
wasting of every description. Besides |
this. there is to be taken into conside- |
ration the fact that the advertising of !
the latest volumes through the medium |
of the press has very materially in
creased. |
AS the general public has guarded it /
self, individually and collectively, more
and more against the wiles of the most
persuasive book agent, so also the most
sprightly and Cheeky of that genus
homo" have become gradually disheart- !
g..