Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1909-06-11
1T SEEMED A
SHAME
The Book Agent W.. Sure
He Was an Easy Mark

with me that school teachers were
comparatively easy marks for a man
who desired to enter negotiations for
The sale Of a book the size OF child's
Bible. bound In either plain cloth or
CALF morocco, with title In gilt letters.
Il was selling book that was prac-
tically the same thing as 25-cent
World almanac, containing all sorts of
useful information. and If you didn't
care for the best binding you could
get 1t for rs little as $2.75. 1t was q
work that appealed strongly to teach
ars, principals, mothers and all who
had the education of the youth of any
given community at heart
| Nov, one feature Of the book
agents game that's as old as the
statutes and city ordinances OF the
Modes and Persians is to get the lead
Ing educator of the town you're in to
buy the book, or at least make him
think he's bought it--give 1t to him
for nothing II need be-and, then,
having bought 1t, to write you out .
brief Recommendation for the work.
| With that recommendation every wo-
man in town, and everybody else who
goes in for .cultchuh and aht' and all
that--you know the type-becomes
your prey. Most of them will fall for
your great educational work, just like
q lot Of school children crowding in
line for special matinee of Ten
Nights in Barroom.,
The first move q knowing book
agent makes, therefore, is to get the
Endorsement Of the superintendent Of
public schools, or the president Of the
college II there is one Of these fresh
water colleges around, and the lead
Ing highbrow minister. But 1t is sort
Of unwritten law that the superintend-
ent Of schools must be made to como
over, first OF all.
THE publishing house I was work
Ing for sent me to one Of those little
county seat towns where nothing Of
Importance ever happens except the
next number on the Star lecture
course. Somebody pointed out the
head Of the public school system to
me. and chuckled to myself, for he
looked SO easy that had notion just
to sell him the book by telephone
without even bothering to go to his Of
tice and have him send his indorse-
ment to me at my hotel by messen-
ger boy. knew that there was no
possible way that he could turn me
down. He looked SO gentle and anna.
BILE that you would have sworn he was
the local representative OF the Society
for the Prevention Of Cruelty to Some
thing.
= went over to see him the next
morning. At first thought OF telling
him right on that ! was book agent,
and what I wanted him to do. In the
light Of later developments that's
what ] should have done. But fol-
lowed the usual rule made and pro-
vided for book agents In such cases,
and talked to him as IL l were inter
ested in education some way or other,
and had just dropped into visit with
him for a spell and get his views.
He was such q benevolent old
party that had chatted along for half
an hour on general topics before !
thought OF mentioning my book. BY
that time we were as friendly as hired
help and knew that could sell him
anything from a book to q second
hand gas engine.
Il was just going to pull out my
prospectus when a young man came
into the reception room just outside
the Office and started to walk in where
we werea but stopped when he saw
me. told the old man that would
let my business wait II the man in the
next room wanted to see him for
minute, but he waved me back into
my chair.
Stay right where you are he
says, smiling amiably, and added in a
whisper: ! think know who that is.
It's q young man who's been coming
around to bother me about book. 1t
won't do him any good, for never
buy books from agents, but suppose
he'll succeed In taking up lot OF my
time before get rid Of him.
Wow! Put me In fine, didn't it?
about abandoned any idea right then
Of owning up that was a book agent
myself, but to make matters worse,
the young chap walked in right then
and my intended victim turned around
and recognized him as his own son.
Well, well!' he chuckled, to think
that would take my own son for a
book agent! That's pretty good,
guess! And he laughed heartily. We
all laughed. Mine must have sounded
like the cold. calculating laugh Of the
man who wears gray derby hat in
q show, for there was no mirth in it,
that's cinch.s
well, sir, do you know, ] was SO
put out over that deal that went on
to the next town without trying to
sell a single book in that burg, though
I'd expected to, spend three or four
weeks there. In the first place, had
enough superstition in me to take It
as q hodooo And then was afraid
that old man would meet me on the
street some day and learn what my
business was. So ducked
But" added the Reformed Book
Agent, "the thing that I've wondered
about some thousands Of times since
then was this-did the benevolent. hui.
name society Cooking old party get on
that book agent talk purpose? DO
you suppose he did 2" .. +
One Thing Hidden.
understand that the Browns have
moved into house Of their own.
Yes, they had a house-warming the