The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-22

H. -
wv made the demonstration" woman
a popular and valuable depart
Isxl<ssl ment of advertising 1t is the
49, rare woman who can pass by a
demonstration OF anything. rom a new
curling fluid TO the latest summer drink
without pausing to look. to question and
in many cases to buy. She may not pos
sess. up 10 the moment that she strikes the
demonstration. either a thirst or desire
TO be curly locks-but her curiosity gets
her into the circle of women around the
demonstration and the glib tongue Of the
demonstrators does the rest
There are a number OF professional dem
onstrators in Indianapolis. and most of
them are busy the greater part of the time
which is a proof OF the popularity of the
demonstration with both merchants and
shoppers. Most women Jhink-if they think
at all about the woman who demonstrates
that she is definitely attached TO the thing
demonstrated and travels from town TO
town to sing the virtues OF that particular
article in various stores. She seems so
completely engrossed IN the thinS ihat she
II recommending 10 her hearers that she
gives the impression that she and il are one
and inseparable now and forever. On the
contrary. however, the demonstrators is a
fixed star and her speciality. not her local
ity. is the variable element.
One might suppose that there were dam
ger of the demonstration becoming a
Bit absent-fninded and trying TO inn
press her hearers with the idea that the
patent scrubbng brush was the one thing
needful TO bring the damask bloom TO their
cheek or that the massage cream was the
easiest solution to a spotless kitchen floor;
but IL is part of the demonstrators business
not 10 become absent-minded. The work
requires alertness as one OF its chief quail
fications, and the woman who is alert will
scarcely be apt 10 get scrubbing brushes
and massage creams mixed up. no matter
how frequently her demonstrations are
varied.
little talk with a professional demon
strator Is interesting. for it gives one the
view OF the demonstration from the other
side. "Oh, it's easy enough TO demonstrate
things when they put you on the first
floor or down in the basement where there's
always crowd of women; but when you re
up on one of the other floors where you
don't get a chance TO catch anybody ex.
cept those who just come specially to the
demonstration OF to the particular depart
ment you're in, why you don't make such
big sales. There is one thing that Ii Is
hard to demonstrate no matter where you
are put-and that's a breakfast food. II
isn't hard work-it's easy enough TO serve
IT. of course-but it is hard to make the
women even look at il, let alone taste il
The minute they catch sight of the flakes
In the bowl their eyebrows go up and hall
of them say for goodness sake, another
breakfast foodi' You ask If you CAM
serve them with some of the food: most
of them are in too great hurry-they'vt
just come in to get certain something
and they act as though they We're afraic
II would all be gone before they can get
10 the counter; but they are in just as
big hurry when they come back notice
others never use any kind of a breakfas
food, and still others always use just one
kind--and it isn't the kind you happen Il
have Sometimes they pretend not to heal
you when you ask them to be served, bu
Just skim by as If they thought you NIGH
rush out and cram il down their throat.
II they opened their mouths. and some
times they act as though you had insulteC
them by inviting them TO taste II. But {
good demonstration can manage to serve
fair proportion of the women who com,
by the counters; still the proportion tina
you can interest in a breakfast food IL
smaller than In almost anything else"
Baking demonstrations are among tn,
most popular with those who come I,
watch. The demonstrators themselves
however. are not enthusiastic about tn
delights OF the demonstration of a bakinI
an occasional fall from grace, and her roll
or biscuits now and then come from tn
oven looking very sad and deJected; so !
would be only fair to the demonstrators Il
permit her the privilege of an occasiona
failure at least. But she is there Z
demonstrate the perfection OF something
every demonstration must be success o
In the eyes OF the bevy of women who wit
ness that particular demonstration.
A considerable amount of amusement cal
De extracted from round of the demon
STATIONS that are continually going in on
store or another. The demonstration han
dies her hearers adroitly. and she frequent
~ interests the most unlikely woman a
well as the likely ones One wide billow,
lady was drawn one day last week by tn
uemonstrator's remarks TO the contempla
ton or simple little device for keeping
the skirt down in the front and up in tn
back. Arrangements of similar purpose ar
among the ever-with-us variety of demon
stration. for women are eternaIly seekin,
after something that Will prevent th
wrinkling OF the skirt In the front and tn
hiatus between skirt and waist in the bacl
that Is all too frequently seen in our midst
The billowy lady, whose skirt linked" un
deniably In the front. was deeply intereste,
in the arrangement. which included ;
safety pin with stout upsde-doWn hool
for the front. and a bar-like arrangemen
with more hooks for the back and SIN
accompanied the remarks of the slim, tril
little demonstrators with a monologue D
comments addressed TO her accompanyin,
daughter, who was built somewhat afte
the plan OF a fence post.
Now, them's real nice. amt they, Mira
Seems like a body could fix theirself u
real stylish with them, don't it? Gives tn
straight front effect, she says The wild
lady took the limited view OF her own ia
from straight front that her proportion
permitted I've always been wOnderir
how my figger would look with a straigh
front effect. The doctors say them stralgh
front corsets is ruinous 10 a bodys insides
but there surely amt no harm in a safet
pin. But / don't know as I've really go
any use for the back arrangement. On
hook n eye my skirtband is about all
can manage TO accomplish, and when | sc
that done there amt much danger of m
skirt slippin' down" A chuckle shook he
ample hips at the idea. But now you
Mira. you do certainly have terrible tim
keepin' your skirt and waist together
Seems like you can't get pins enough int
your skirt band TO keep IL from hangin
all I'm loops. you're that thin. while as 70
keepin' ii down in front. there amt no nee
OF a special device TO do that with you
figger You amt no call TO try a straigh
front effect, for you couldn't possibly &c
no straighter up n down than you be now
Seems TO me like pair o these will jus
about ht you n me out nicely-yours 70
the back n mine for the front. Yes
I'll take set of them, an II they act a
well as you say I'll recommend them [
all my friends. | got several lady friend
that is real large and has considerable troubl
with their skirt fronts"
In second shop there was demonstra
ton OF hair curriers' and all kinds OF won
derful ringlets bl0ssomed out on the hea
~ bic AA1I sod dun In IA