Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-03-10
FAMILIAR SOUNDS.
Being at Fires a Second Nature to
This Man.
John Quill Relates Experiences Told
Him by Commercial Traveller.

tneTe are Heds on dog. He is one OF
those persuasive, smooth, bunco-steer-
ers who have face for any and all oc-
| casions, and when he drops his grip
on your store floor and flashes that
honest Washington Eso.-I-cannot-
tel! "a lie face on You it's of no earthly
use for you to struggle and say, no. you
don't want any goods for you will get
them Just the same, f. o. b., 80 days in
summer ana 90 in winter as the days
are longer, 2 off 10. When the travelling
missionary packs his grip for the last
time and sails over the ridge. it will be
just as well for the concern he works
for over in New York, which pays the
freight, to put up its shutters and stick
blue card on the door, Gone out of
business
There is only one thing in this busy
world that this glad-handed pilgrim
stands in fear of and that is fire. OF
course he doesn't expect to dodge it
after he leaves this vale of tears, but
he doesn't want to bump into it in this
and the next world, too, for enough is
as good as a feast After listening to
his tale of woe and his miraculous es-
capeS from the fiery furnace l don't
wonder he sleeps with one leg out of
bed and a rope fire escape in his hand.
He said: %
II was over in New York, the other
day, when the Park hotel burned.
got in little late and the gentleman
with the huge diamond and the i'm
maculate shirt front gave me the glad
hand and q room way up where the
angels are supposed to dwell. As
any old place 1 hang my hat is home
sweet home and not having heart
disease or bronchitis I very soon got
used to high altitude and the rarefied
air and crawled in between the sheets
where / snored like Turk. l was hay
ing a beautiful dream. / dreamed 1
had a full hand with a Jackpot in
sight and 1 was just getting ready to
hit it when the boy banged on my
door and yelled, Fire 1 knew what
was coming before he had said word.
/ have become so used to hearing that
old cry, House afire' that I don't feel
as if4 get my moneys worth unless
get routed out at least once in the
night and have to flea in my pajamas
from the wrath to come. Pretty soon
l joined the procession in the corridor,
donning my raiment en- route and soon
landing in the office where I rendered
what little assistancsI could to those
not so fortunate.
But that is only one chapter. I was
over at the Baldwin in Frisco, last
year when the whole thing went UP in
a halo of smoke. Same old story of his
tory repeating itself. 1 was pretty
we'll up in the air, sleeping the sleep OF
the innocent and blest when the old
familiar cry came echoing down the
corridor. l started to get out as soon
as possible, but 1 wasn't quite quick
enough. When 1 reached the corridor,
the stairs were all ablaZe SO 1 went
back to the window. hitched rope on
the bed post, crawled outside and start
ed toward the tulip bed. 1 had got
pretty well down and was making good
Roadway when something collapsed
and it was the rope. After that I had
no trouble in making the rest Of the
journey all right. l thought of the old
fellow who said it was not the falling
which hurt him but it was the bring
ing up that Jared him, but l was very
fortunate and struck in a good soft
place. I lit astride of a good fat
Dutchman who grumbled some but
concluded that as 1 had the right of
way it was all right. I told him I
whistled when I started but I guessed
he didn't hear me.
Outright down here in the old
Puritanical State of Maine was where
/ got the worst fire shock of my life
not SO much bodily injury but my pride
was damaged beyond repair. 1 had
been putting in some pretty good work
in this State. harvesting orders and
had good bunch of them when I
landed in Bangor. But in alghting
from the train / had the misfortune to
rip my trousers. They had parted
from the Wristbands pretty well down.
so l got into the Bangor House as soon
as possible and sent my apparel over
to the tailor's by a boy to be put in first
class order as soon as possible. AS I
had only one pair with me 1 wrapped
myself up in a blanket and proceeded
to take life easy. l had no sooner got
settled in a good comfortable position
than the fire alarm sounded and the
boarders commenced to caper up and
down the corridor but being shy of
trousers / was not in it. ! was in hopes
it was a false alarm but when the fire
apparatus commenced to arrive on the
scene and the crowd to gather I
bought that where there was so much
smoke there must be some little spark
Of fire. I fingered until the corridors
got warm and smoky then l thought it
was about time to make a break pants
or no pants so went out in the hail.
way and ran bump into man with his
earthly possessions under his arm.
saw he had trousers to burn so l
grabbed pair and hastily put them on.
They were white duck and about three
sizes too small. But it was duck or
nothing so l hastily took duck and
bolted for the street When I arrived
or he sidewalk l was given perfect
ovation. Prince Henry never at
/ tracted half the attention that | did
with my lawn tennis pants. I will add
nit that duck pants are not the proper
thing for Maine in mid-winter but II
was as cay, duck or nothing, SO
couldn't be blamed. After>the excite
! ment had subsidized I got my trousers
back from the tailor's and once more
settled down as a commercial tourist
/ with money to burn and when the
spring comes l am going to travel