Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-04-07

]
the house stating that man In Iuka
wanted to see my samples. To get
there had to 20 to Skegaw, stay all
night, and catch the early morning
train When I left the train at ske.
gaw Junction aud surveyed the town ]
found it was comprised Of the hotel a
blacksmith shop. the depot. and a hand.
ful of houses, but as il was located in
a fine wheat country thought / might
do some business there
So. after having supper at the little
hotel. where I was waited on by the
landlords pretty daughter. I asked her
about the general store. the owner. and
the kind Of a stock he carried. / found
60 my surprise that be had ten or
twelve thousand dollar stock. which
included everything from a shcepskiu
20 bag Of iripe, and from a pillow to
la needle.
picked up my grips and started out
20 see my man. I found him standing
10 the door,. chewing a guild As he
stood there he looked the typical west
crncr. with an air Of edo as you darn
please" " pants tucked into a pair Of
fine hip boots that were run over and
worn off at the toe In a peculiar wa,
that would indicate 60 a shoeologist
that he was a sharp. kecn trader. sus.
] picious Of strangers. and hard to strike
a trade with unless he saw 100 per cent
Ia u himself
Customer Old Horue Trader.
In the early days he had been n
horse trader and dealer In buffalo
hides. and he could icll time better by
thc sun than by the watchi a hari
man 60 approach on the shoe subject,
as Biz idsas aid not hover around shoes
although thought he was needing some
from che looks of bic stock.
There must have been a depression
10 his skull where tho lump Of order
is supposed 70 BE-. as bic store looked
as u a general auction had been held
there that day, began by telling my
businoss-who ! was. where was from
and asked II could Interest him Ia
shoes, as ! had In my grip a few rights
aud lefis would like 90 show hin.
FemaTking Incidentally "You n have
some business now sure. never op.
ened up nay samples In a mans store
In my life that customers ala not come
tFoopihg IN"
Gwen, foF God sake open up iheu.
need the business. " he said.
AZ II 20 sineh what said. up rode
sin country boys on horseback. who
came iTamping IN, They were the klh1
that work on the farm an day an .
ride 90 town in ihe evening 10 buy n
pound of sugar foF the family aud tcn
pounds ~ chewing tobacco for them.
selves Taking SEATS on the counter
they began talking, chewing. and spit
ting, ore declaring be had a new kiu1
~ tobacco that would spit three feet
farther than any other kind.
sells Bmi Asked 70 DO Stunts
IL took a loi OF peFsuadiug 70 get
the proprietor 20 look az my samples.
and, when he got his leather feelers
on the German MayhoweT calf / Was
selling a. that time. noticed a shrewd
CLEAN 10 his eys that showed me he
had touched good leather before. and
Was a better judge OF my line than
expected 70 fhd. After sxhoFtiug With
him from p. m, 70 p p. m. / dnally
landed him, selling him a little over
$500 worth OF shoes.
A. ] was getting a straight per cent
commission the sale made me over go
for the TWO hours work, and I was
feeling good. Even my cold blooiel
customer had warmed up a biz. When
/ was placing my samples be remarked
Say, cant you sing us a song Or DO
something 70 entertain us AZ alli You
tFavelin fellers always know some
thing new"
81 can't sing" replied, "but II
you can farnish the music can dance
clog or jig"
Neither be nor the country boys could
furnish the music.
"By the way" I said. "dii you
ever SEQ any legeTdemaini"
Does slsight Of Hand Tricks
None Of them ever had. They didn' Z
know what Is was As had been prse
tieing coin tricks and other sleight Of
hand tricks for ten years decided 10
try some coin tricks So showed them
silver dollar, passing Il from one 10
the other jusi 70 show them an oTdin.
aTy, every day dusk" Then, taking
Il IN my hand, proceeded to manipu.