The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-08

THE COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS.
This week we are to have the commercial
travellers in our midst Formerly they were
called "drummers," but that was neither
distinctive nor digniied. "Knights of the
grip is a fgurative and meaningless
phrase, but commercial travellers fits and
wears well. The commercial traveller is the
result of long process of development.
He is as much an evolution of modern bust
ness conditions as are department stores or
trusts. In former times merchants sat down
in their stores and waited for trade to come
to them; now they send men out to capture
it. He shows his samples. exploits their
virtues with the glibness of an auctioneer
and the eloquence of an orator, names his
prices, and the customer does the rest. In
former times the wholesale merchant made
it a point to know nearly all of his Gus
toners and TO cultivate personal relations
with them. Now he seldom sees them, and
many of them he does not know personally
at all. The commercial traveller attends to
that part of the business. He is the middle
man between the merchant or the manu-
to make and hold friends is an important
item in his employers assets. Many mer-
chant and many manufacturer owes his
success largely to the energy, tact and
business capacity of his travelling men. 1t
takes all kinds of people to make world,
and the ability to organize and manage a
big business is very different from that
which makes a good salesman. No doubt
there are heads of houses who, if they were
sent out on the road, could not hold their
jobs a month. On the other hand, some of
them served time as commercial travellers,
and recall the experience with pleasure. 1t
is an improving experience and valuable
part of a business training. From all ac-
counts there are little side pleasures con-
nected with the life which prevent it from
becoming altogether gloomy. The CONNER
cial traveller is not such a slave to business
but that he is able to snatch time for a bit
of pleasure and squeeze a little enjoyment
out of life as he goes along. And he de-
serves 1t, for he is more than a mere dis
tributer of goods, wares and merchandise.
He distributes news, information, politics,
patriotism, stories, anecdotes, market re-
ports, court reports, and a little of every
thing that enters into modern life.
Perhaps the commercial travellers visiting
the city this week would like to hear few
words from Benjamin Harrison. After he
was nominated for President in 1883 some of
them visited him here To a delegation of
five hundred from various parts of the coun-
try who paid him a visit on July T. 1888, he
said:
Now. 1 am not going to open before you
tonight any store of flattery. L do not
think there is any market for it here.
You know the value of that commodity
perfectly. do not mean to suggest at all
that you are dealers in it yourselves in your
intercourse with your customers, but L do
mean 1:. to say that your wide acquaintance
With men, that Judgment of character and
even the moods of men which is essential
to the successful prosecution of your bust
ness makes you very unpromising audi
ence upon which TO pass any stale compli-
ments.
| When General Harrison said-he was
| speaking at his residence-'I regret that
there is not room enough here for your
comfort" one man exclaimed: There will
be more room in the White House. and
another one, I'VE will take your order now
| and deliver the goods in November" A
month later, when General Harrison was
addressing delegation of commercial trav-
elers from Indiana and Illinois. he said he
had noticed in travelling that they gener-
ally got the best of everything and he sup
posed that was the reason most of them
were Republicans-they wanted the best
| politics that could be found He added:
| The provincialism that had existed in this
| country has largely disappeared, and the
| commercial travellers have been an impor-
| tant agency in bringing this about. This
| going to and fro has given you a fuller
| this country. but of the greatness and unity
of it's people. 1 have thought that the
| prophet Daniel must have had a vision OF
| the commercial travellers when he said that
fro and knowledge should be Increased.
During the campaign of 1883 five different
delegations of commercial travellers visited
| General Harrison, and to each one he made
a happy speech which was applauded in
the way that commercial travellers usually
recognize good points.
The association which meets here to-day
embraces among it's objects some which
benefit their class alone and others which
benefit not merely the entire travelling pub
lie, but the whole American people. 1t has
had a distinct influence in doing away with
narrow legislation in some States and in ac-
|
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