The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-07-22
Chicago Tribune.l

Travellers for commercial houses,
when they sit down for storytelling
session in the smoking room of a
sleeping car or in the lobby of hotel,
relate wonderful yarns of their ex-
ploits in selling goods to persons who
did not want to buy. But occasionally
they turn from their triumphs to the
falidowns, and, departing from their
usual optimistic line, reveal a few of
the seams in the life of the salesman.
One of the hardest luck tales l ever
heard was told by a veteran in the
corset line who made the big central
western towns and cities for years. 1t
was superstition that got him into
trouble. Once, when he was a mere kid
in the business, he happened to call
the wrong number on a telephone. He
wanted some other number. but, for
getting it. called No. ia and started
to talk business. He thought he was
talking to the manager of a big house
with which he had done business,
whereas he was conversing with the
head of rival to whom he never had
been able to sell goods Something in
his talk impressed the big man and he
babe the young traveller to come up.
AS a result he sold two big bills of
goods in one day. Instead of being
satisfied he declared that No. ia was
his lucky number, and thereafter for
years, no matter what town he struck
nor how busy he was, the first thing
he did was to call up No. ia.
He dropped in at a big Iowa town
one afternoon. His only customer there
was the biggest merchant in town, and
there really was no one else in the
place worth selling to. But, in spite of
| this. he called up No. ia and got a re-
Spouse in a sweet voice. Convinced
that his luck still was good, he COM
menced to Jolly" the girl, having nc
| idea who she was. She replied good
naturally and finally he grew a bit in
| terested, and when she tired of it and
started to say goodbye he inquired If
he could sell her anything in the cor
set line. The girl, equal TO the emer-
gency, calmly asked him what he rep
resented. He told her.
Shortly afterward he called on the
house to sell corsets. He was met with
a brusque reception by the proprietor,
who, after looking at the card, re-
marked:
"Ah, yes. We don't want anything. /
believe my daughter told you that over
the telephone"
One of my friends had a sad and
heartrending piece of hard luck once
with an Ohio merchant. He had been
selling the man goods for years and al
ways made it a point to inquire con-
corning the health of every one con-
nected with the merchant, who, he
knew, was devOtedly attached to his
family.
One trip he greeted the merchant eff
fusively, and, after asking about his
health, inquired: And how is the
wife,
"She's dead" replied the merchant.
The salesman was deeply affected.
He condoled with the merchant. ex-
pressed himself as heartbroken, in
quired into all the narrowing details,
and sold a big bill of goods. On the
next trip he hustled in again.
How are you, Mr.. Blank" he said:
I'm glad to see you looking so well,
and how is the wife,"
she's still dead" said the merchant
land not a shOestring would he buy.
X X
One of the hardest luck stories 1 ever
heard was that of a hustling Chicago
shoe salesman. He was one of the best