The San Francisco call., 1904-07-03
FAIR DANES
AS DRUMMERS
Society Women in Mayfair
Swell Incomes as Auxil-
iaries to the Tradesmen
USE CLEVER TACTICS
FashiOnables Sell Every
thing From Pedigreed
Sheep to Motor Cars

LONDON, July 2-Although some
| thing has been said in American news
papers about the way IN which aristo-
cratic London society women act as
"drummers" for tradesmen, on commits
| sion. it probably is not even suspected
at home how far this sort Of thing is
| being carried on in Mayfair at present.
To go about from house to house
with puppy dogs under the arm to
make morning calls with little packet
/ OF samples, to take afternoon tea where
J one is likely to meet the most probable
purchasers Of pianolas. motor cars,
| lamp shades, pedigreed sheep, etc, IS
how many fashionable women in Lon
don spend half their time.
Beautiful. highly, often nobly born
and well dressed they are, supposed TO
be living in the lap OF wealth and
| luxury. supposed to scorn any one who
has ever strayed toward the outer, very
outside edge, Of trade or commerce, but
Notwithstanding they are about the
most insistent of commercial travellers.
| Naturally, this drummer" business
| Is not done too boldly. though nearly
every one in society knows about 1t.
Fashionable folk understand when they
are urged to buy this or that IT is not
| because Of desire that they may reap
some benefit, but that the aristocratic
agent may increase the sale Of her
| goods. There is not one thing from a
paper Of pins to a motor car or a pre-
ssntation at court for which women are
not taking up an agency, for society
women have been so swept up into the
vortex OF money-making that if not
occupied with the fluctuations Of stocks
and shares, they care not whether they
dabble in belt BUCKLES or automobiles.
laundry recommendation or prima
donnas. so long as they draw a good
commission upon the results Of their
efforts. And as a matter Of fact, the
more unlikely as commercial traveller,
| from the point OF view OF position and
popularity a woman may seem. the
more assiduous is she in playing her
| trade.
Il absolutely must sell some OF Mr..
IS black sheep for him, for If 1
don't paF her something Madame won't
make me gown for the races"
Would you believe the duchess OF
x has even been able to get that
awful man So-and-so into the Carlton
! Club?"
Lady NJ lost twenty pounds at
bridge last night again, and she used
to be as poor as anything till she wore
| So-and-so's hats for him."
That is what you hear in boudOir
chats.
One Of the most famous Of society
women-everybody in London could
through selling City and Suburban mo-
tors. Another makes a good thing out
or recommending electric baths and also
by selling horses. And many a one
creeping up into society will do all
she can to get within touch OF some
one who may be within reach Of GER
tain Duchess who is supposed to have
wonderful powers to get men into clubs
of high standing, women into circles
hitherto barred against them and all
into a position in society that would
be utterly impossible were the aspIr-
l'ants not burdened with untold wealth.
1t is all done for hard cash No jewel.
no dainty trinket, no beautifully bound
books or even works Of art are used to
make a delicate acknowledgment Of
courtesies offered and accepted. A hard
cash payment is demanded and given.
| A present might be awkward to ac-
count for, 1t might not be to the re-
cipient's taste. 1t Is money that al
ways is wanted, and that 1t shall be
promptly paid is the first stipulation
made by the titled aristocrat who con-
stitutes herself the go-between, before
she pledges herself to use her infiu
| ence.
1t Is said that the ge-eral rush to
be commercial travellers commenced
two or three seasons ago when the
wearing OF barbaric looking bead neck
laces became the greatest of fads. Then
there was not a luncheon party where
men and women alike were not badger
ed by one or another Of the guests to
| buy these trifes. Don't you think
they are just too delightful, Lord So
and-So? You must have one for one
of your friends. 1 know such a nice
girl who makes them herself She Is so
clever at it, and makes such pretty
ones She is quite a little friend Of
mine" And probably the woman
made them herself, charging several
hundred per cent on the value Of the
thing.
But when one of the seasons favor
tie brides began to receive six to a
dozen of these trifies as wedding pres
ents, mostly of men who had bought
them for the sake Of peace. the death
blow came to this industry. But this
one line of business gave quite flip
to society's trading Instincts.
One very beautiful woman in society
with a lovely complexion OF cream and
roses, now openly confesses that for
years she was paid $500 a year by
notable soap firm just to talk about
their soap to her friends. Use in their
generation. the soap firm knew that
few words from her were to them of far
more value than whole hoardings OF