The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-01-17
THE WISE MAN

men you ever seen, remarked the
suburban storekeeper to the hosiery
drummer as a shabbily dressed citi-
zen passed the window. IF | knew
all he does about business I'd be
rich"
He doesn't look to me as If he
knew much" said the hosiery sales
man What's his ine?"
Hosiery replied the storekeeper
He's an expert on socks an stock
ms. He can look EN- over an tell
right away whether they'll rayel or
run What's more. he could tell me
whether | ought to order from you
or not an how big an order ought
/ 10 give you. He can tell just what
| the trades goin' to call for. too There
amt nothin' about a sock or stoclin'
-merino, Isle, wool, mixed or silk or
/ mercerized-that he couldn't give.
points with rememberin on; open
work, fancy or plain. heavy or re-
enforced--don't matter what"
Why didn't YOU call him in. them"
asked the drummer ia like 10 have
MN see these hose. If he knows any
thing about it he'll tell you that
they're the best ever put on the mar.
ket and he wouldn't advise you to
buy less than a couple o dozen boxes
to try. Shall | go outside and holler
at him?"
. Not on your life. =" replied the store
keeper. I'D sooner take your word
for it,"
Where did he learn about the hos
lery business?' asked the drummer.
Search me, answered the store
keeper. Where did he learn about
Fan River prints an Redditch nee
dies? Who gives him experience in
window dressin'? How did he find |
out the way to arrange stock an ad- |
Fertise it? Who taught him what he
Knows about the principle of bargain |
Fridays an the kind O notions it pays
to keep in stock? I'll never tell you"
Maybe he's been in the same line
O business you're in"
Not him. said the storekeeper.
NO more'n he's been in the drug bus
mess or the hardware or the furni-
IRE or the butcher business. never
heard tell of his practicin law or
IRWIN team or runnin newspaper
'r serYin' in congress. but he can tell
'ou about any o them"
Kind of an all-aromd man, isn't
leE commented the drummer.
He's all around all right" said the
torekeeper. That's the only thing
hat saves my life. Sometimes he's
round to the butcher shop tellin
'ufoy how to cut meat an then he'll
no6ey over to Roots drug store an
ell him how he might make his ever
ishn' fortune putin IN snakeroot
ltters after a recipe his grandmother
al wrote down from another recipe
NOVA squaw had given her when {
ne was a young gal an which she'd i
improved on by 60 years experiment {
/. i
Hes an all-around man sure. He's
round Williams real estate Office the 4
est part o the mornins readin' VIII y
ans papers an maxim plans for D
tin the Standard Oil company out d
business. Williams lets him stay u
'ound because he gets lonesome in "
e office waitin for the boom that's Il
min when they extend the electric
nc ont here. Yes, sir, I'm glad he's II
allaround man, because when he's u
ound them other places he amt o
ound here" o
What's his business" asked the .
ummer. OR has he got any?" y
Amt ! tellin' yuu?" said the store 7,
'eper His business is my business. =
+ anybody's business. It's giyin' NJ
luable points. Mind you. he don't
etend that he knows all about dry %
DDS or groceries or law or posthole v,
ggin' or knittin' tides. What he y,
aims is that there's fundamental ~
inciples at the bottom OF all of EN- =
d that them principles Is principles ?
common sense. He's got an idee "
at most of us around here is spread.
termatter catsup on roofn' ma
'ial. | guess, an that's what keeps u,
n busy correctin' us. ~
lhereS lots Ike him. said the
lmmer Wei, how many boxes
you going to take? Say three GO
zen. just to start with" -
Well, there It is said the store No
aper. q told you / was overstocked ho
hosiery now an it didn't seem good >,
5iness policy TO me to order any IN.
re, but You tell me / need to order /.
ee dozen boxes more What am I
n 10 do? / put it to You now. as r,.
reasonable man. I'm dom a pretty -,
E business. maxim money an think h.
of enlargin my store an hirin a n,
pie more clerks this fall. I've done prs
~ actin on my own judgment But til
e's this Teller I've been spcakin'
tellin' me that / don't Hse enough VA
anon sense. an you're insistin Mia
{ I'm away off when ! think ! don't Of
lt your darn0i hosiery an" On,
You don't Deed to darn these !
g, said the drummer. closing his mo
lple case. "Tll cali on you some inc
pr time Keen mo in mind thotte