Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-11-05
Selections
THE PACK PEDDL Err.
His Varied Store and a Sale That Was
8 "A sssFS 4 $sss Missed. D stlss

His Varied Store and a Sale That Was
i5$ Missed. stls.
Ihad been thinking that the old style
pack peddler was no more or that he
existed only In out Of the way locali-
ties like the Ozark mountains or Phila-
Gelphia. | was mistaken. The man
with the pack is as common In the
farming districts of Illinois as grass
hoppers or prickly heat.
II The oldest inhabitant In my neigh
Aborhood. who lives across the field /
from me, says that one pack peddler
has nested in our part Of the country
time out Of mind. Where he comes
from with his assorted Generation
Of dry goods, and hardware nobody
knows; also where he goes after he
has exhibited his wares and turned an
honest nickel is q mystery. This gen
eral merchandise pedestrian has made
9 number Of descents upon our house
in the last year, but If he has no better
luck with his other patrons than he has
with me he isn't much interested In
the banking system Of the country.
He evidently has made an exhaus-
tive study OF my habits Of living, for
he always times his visit SO that when
he arrives all out Of breath or any
other useful thing he finds me well sup
piled with the necessaries 4of life and
with not cent In the house. All his
visits begin, are carried on and end in
the same way. :si
There comes q knock at the back
door just at mealtime. open the
portal and see an overheated indiyid-
ual In the act OF era wiling from under
what at first take to be our new tar
paper henhouse The apparition quick
" shapes itself into our peripatetic re-
tail store, unlim bering for action.
I try to head him of by saying,
.'There will be nothing today. Alphon-
so.'' ~ N; 538.s,
Treating this remark with silent con-
tempt, the tradesman begins loosening
six buckles and a bed cord.
SS I watch him a moment and then re-
mark, You need not take down your
shutters and open FOR business, Felix,
my friend, for there is absolutely moth
Ing DOING II 81
Handkerchief" he suggests re-
proachfully
/ shake my head Then he begins to
unpack and lay out his entire stock,
naming each article with a rising In
Election.
"Suspendersi Felt soles? Clothes
lines? Horseshoes? Stove pokers9
Chimney pots r. d. 55ss .siSs
Have you any watermelon on ice r.
ask. n 8
no" he replies quite seriously.
E "sbnt here is fine remnant Of water
ed SILK No? Clothespins7 specta-
cles Laundry soapi othbrushes7
Garden hose2 Split shingles? Az ham
dies? Doormatsi Ok yokess Insect
powder r. IN q I1s
NO no. say. ''I'm sorry, Angus
tus. but We send to Paris for all our
goods ID 4. Al.
'Could sell You q good snow shov-=
81 r. asks the anxious salesman.
aNo We have our snow delivered
already shoveled = ll55
Horse blankets r. be instnuates.
s4sNof Collar buttons? Needles7 Farm
ing tools? Railroad spikes? Bed Stats ?
Pressed bricks Barbed wire? Coal
bins r. 81.
4 leave the door open and 90 back
to the table. After awhile hear the
buckles and straps being adjusted, and
when the weary merchant has donned
his burden and made mile or SO to-
ward the setting sun ] think the Incl
dent closed. Then my wife comes
downstairs ID breathless state,
clutehing four pennies 10 fevered
grasp, and says: .HeS hasn't really
gomez Oh, dearl And / wanted so
much to buy white thread to finish my
sewing r. Chicago News