The Cairo bulletin., 1906-10-28
CHARLES NJ CRtWDS0N Author of Taes of the Road"


: him a lAtle on the price so one day
he went into this concern--he was
good-looking fellOw-and struck the
head Of the house for a Job to go on
the road He offered to &c out on
commission basis and you know Q
man who is fool enough to do a thing
OF this kind does not have much trou
bic in getting a line. He made a sort
Of an arrangement with The old man
did it just in a few minutes--but
first asked to look through the house
aud see il the line would suit him in
that he was going to put up his own
| money for travelling expenses When
they got down where the hannels
were that he wished he said to the
old man, Wei now, what's the price
on these goods, for example, TWEEN
! ty-fon dollars a dozen said the Old
man, the price that this man he had
just hired had always paid for them
! Still, of course we do frequently eat
| them to $3.50, and at tight p1lru
we can still sell them and maze u
pretty fair profit for $2l00 rhat II
absolutely bottom.
And so you've been robbing me
right along, said the merchant 4
rather had an idea that you had.
Wen, hows that? asked The old man
he had hired ont to Why my name
Is Sandusky, from , and I've
been buying these goods and paying
you S24.o0 a dozen for them. don't
wish TO sell any goods on the ROAD
for you, but what | do wish is to buy
them right
1t Is all right to Duy goods at the
right price said the hat man. but
The merchant who goes houuderiug
around shopping from one place 10
another and putting his limited knowl-
edge OF business against the special
lied experience of the travelling sales.
man who waits on him, doesn't get
he best of it. In the first place. ii
he tries little Of this aud little OF
that he mixes his line--' And Il
is better put in Hoover, to pay a
little more for goods than to do this
Broken lines are a bad thing for the
retail merchant
And another thing, continued tho I
hat man, his business will be so +
small that no man on the road and I
no wholesale house or factory viii I
care anything about his business. In. +
stead Of buying goods cheaper this I
way, he viii not only get his line I
mixed, but have 20 pay more for
them. The wholesale house appre
ciates the loyal faithful customer who
his business
Customers of Little Value.
Yes, these shoppers are not worth
anything to us, began Watkins. The
shopper and the professional kicker
are two classes Of merchants that
do not care anything for Any reput.
able wholesale concern or manufac,
.urer tries it's level best to please the
customer but the man out in the
country is often unreasonable. II the
merchant in the country who has
will make If in a reason.
lbly fair kind Of a way he Will gel
great deal more attention paid to I
lis order than if he sets up a howl
very few days"
Wen, You don't have much trou.
DE with me- Watkins, do you?" asked
lis customer Hoover.
'No-and you get good treatment.
lon you?'
Yes, you bet your life I do. That's t
Why am up here again There is I
mother reason for a retail merchant
o concentrate his business. 1t Is -
his; The question of credit know {
or when i hadn't been in business A q
cry great while. / went through the I,
lill, and came very near having the ?
fe ground out OK me / tried this y
Ian Of getting a little here and a lii B
e somewhere else. This was in SO. 4
An who doesn't remember that," -
reclaimed French. g
And. Hoover continued. Il wasn't !.
Ding very much business myself o
~ business fell of from % to 30 per
ant But still | had these bills TO a
ny. These strange houses began TO i
20 scared and write me that they o
ould give me additional discounts ii Fl
would pay my bills. | would go to n,
lie tank but / couldn't borrow any It
oney Next thing, they would draw b
] re. Then some OF them placed ! I'll
eir claims in the hands of attor- 81
'ts. ! managed 10 swim through. r.
right, but when | set foot on shore e.
.ain ! began to NOV them out |
't into a tight scrape again in 80.
II at that time ] was doing most OF
= business with six houses. and ] ~
u YOU. ! picked six that I knew to be
we plenty of capital When | got "
TO the squeeze the second time / u
.ots them and told them so. and !
oy said TO me. Don't worry, Hoov- Or
we know you're all right. If you pa
o a little slow don't fret about be 81
g pushed m,
Wei, as mine is one Of those e
Ky houses" spoke mp Watkins. ris- ~
3 from his chair. i guess IN have Al
buy the cigars for the crowd And 4,
IN this the little party sauntered -
or to the stand -
'orrri-a;. 1870. by Joseph BowlesD