The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1906-09-29

Joseph 3 Bowles1
But old-tIme travelling men and the
Indians are fast fading away" began
the clothing man.
Yes, there are only few or us
left" remarked the old-timer*
Yes, you bet continued the cloth
ing man. why, I remember when
was tge only man who went out OF
New York city for my firm. And then
carried only one trunk and made 3
dozen towns. It used to be all market
business, but here I am now hitting
the trail with 16 trunks and a packer.
They are getting to cutting down the
baggage in my line a great deal by
selling the stuff from swatches. That
reduces the trunks, but we have to go
after our men nowadays just the same.
used to hang out around the old Conn
mercial hotel in Chicago. Why. when
a merchant came into the lobby ne
would get batted around from one OF
US to another like tennis ball. Just
to show you how it went let me tell
you OF an old fellow who came in rom
Carthage, Mo.
He didn't have his regular house To
buy from in all lines In clothing he
was a shopper. I landed on him once,
though, good and hard. / held him
pretty well in line after that for sew
eraI years / knew his order was
great big one, and I rather studied his
habits. Early in the game all the boys
h, 1,i1
cards and asked nim to come around.
He came regularly to dinner every day
at quarter to II and at half-past all
most to q dot eveag day he walked out
of the dining room. got tip from
one of my friends about the time he
was going to buy his clothing, which
was next in the list. / saw him walk
cut of the dining room; after he put
on his hat he took stack of business
cards out of his pocket and began to
run over them. walked up pretty
| close behind him, kind of easy, and
when he turned to mine, / simply re-
marked to him, Major, that isn't a bad
place to get your clothing. What's the
! use of turning any further? I'm hera
on the spot, and if you are up to that
line, come and 80 down with me and
see what have Well, I guess might
as well go along with you as anybody
else he said. saw he did go. That
afternoon T sold him s4,800.''
Landing Customer.
All, we had great piek-ups in those
days!" commenced Chicago man. II
remember was sort of a stock man. I
hadn't gone on the road then, but the
houses would let most anyone bring
them business IN those days One
morning T was down in this same old
Commercial hotel-it was about seven
o'clock. I saw man walk up to regis
ter. In those days, you know. when
you saw merchant come in, you
wa1tzed right up and asked him to
come around and see you-and they
took 10 ofense at It. That is what ]
have Gene in for, they would say IL a
man started to apologize to them. So
I walked up to my man and, just as he
dropped a pen, I said: Friend, judge
that you are In to buy some goods.
Yes, sir. that's what I've come In for, :
said he. I kind of got tired Of farm
ing, SO I sold my lard and am going
into business Well, T suppose you
intend to carry hats, don't you? Yes.
I must have some hats Well, am
selling hats and would like you to
zee what [ have. All right, need
some hats said he. Where are yours? t
I. I told him. All right, wait until I get
some breakfast, said he, and guess
I'll go down and buy some
g Now, look here said he, as wa
started out from the hotel to my store,
I don't know anything in the world
about business. I'll just have to come
down here and place myself entirely III
the hards of you boys. I've got a good
deal OF confidence in people, anyway,
and don't think that anybody that
wants to act right is going to be treat
ed wrong land how much better of
many merchants would be if they only
felt like my friend did,, am just
going to leave this whole thing to you.
You pick me out what you think !
ought to have. II / make money on
them. why you'll be the first man I'll
come to to get more. It go broke
and have to hire out 10 the man / sold
my land to, why you aren't going to
get any more business.
well, sir, that fellow was SO
straightforward and sensible and good
natured-he was the best fellow I ever
knew N my life-and he struck me SO
that / gave him as fair bill of hats
as man ever bought from me in my
life. He was q successful merchant as
long as he lived, and he stuck to me
for nearly 20 years. From the time
he went into business until he died, hs
never bought a single hat from any
body else.
The Rock of Ween.
During the last week or two para
, graphs have appeared in the newspa
pers stating that Sir Neil Menzies OF
4 ~. 4