The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-09-11
CAUSE OF DEARTH
OF TRAVELLING men
SCARCITY or sTRoNo iNDlvIpu-
ALlTY THE cAUsE-Pt4lLoso-
PHIcAL TREATISE BY WRITER
ON THE NASHVILLE TENNEs-
SEAN.

During these torrtd days a cold
weather proposition like this. which
requires the exercise Of the thinker, is
given only a lick and promise for a
more extended essay next winter. says
the editor OF The Firing Line, the
travelling mans feature in the Nash
vile Tennessean.
There are very few individuals in the
world. considered in a concrete sense.
as independent beings, capable Of fll-
ing the important Office of a man This
does not refer to the ideal man, for
this creature has never yet been found.
But. the lines OF individuality must be
made very broad before any consider
able number can be found within its
borders.
1t is common mistake 70 suppose
that the prerequisites of the individual
is a hard head. IL this is4the mark of
the individual. 1t is OF the long-eared
variety. who does take a stubborn
stand. rend the air with a loud bray
in maintaining a brainless position,
which is adhered to with the tena-
city of the leech. The real indi-
vidual is always open to conviction;
he has obtained his deductions from
the soil, or first causes, while his ear
is ever onan fo the conclIRiona nf
others, but which are carefully weighed
before either adoption or rejection. A
man who feels that he was created an
independent being, with reasonable
faculties given him to investigate and
decide upon all matters about which
he may be concerned, with the cour-
age o. conviction to take and main
tain a position
Or the individual may be described
as the man who believes in himself
ego If you will daub him by that term
who believes he is a master of the
situation with which he is confronted,
and WAL with characteristic resource
fulness, overcome any and every OBJ
stacle coming in his pathway Ei
Perhaps the scarcity of individuals
is blessing 10 mankind after all. The
dependent atoms OF umanity form q
most important part in the world Al
brick is OF little value in itself, but
for ming part Of an immense wall,
with other bricks, 1t nlls an important
place in a great pi % Of architectural
work, and thus this atom becomes
truely great.
A multiplicity Of individuals would
cause the world to move at such. a
pace thai the problems would all soon
be solved, and men would become
idiots for want If food for the rea-
soning faculties Hence kind nature
has bound the great bulk of humanity
with the heavy chains Of prejudice and
tradition. But 1t would seem that the
very world is lamentably short of in
dependent, resourceful beings.
The scarcity of individuals is the
real cause of the dearth OF men to
supply the great demand in the pros
fession of salesmanship. There Is no
position where the need is greater for
the individual ar here described than
in the sample room with prospec-
tive customer. At this critical time
the big factory or jobbing house can
afford Its representative no assistance
The salesman stands alone, and upon
his command of knowledge, tact and
resourcefulness depends the issue of
the occasion.
There is a point here for the sales
manager. 1t is to the manifest adj
vantage or any commercial enterprise
to cultivate, rather than destroy, this
Individuality in the salesman The
large corporation, with an army of
statesmen on the road cannot allow
this liberty of action, since ii requires
more fiexibility than is possible with
80 many men to look after The small
Ter concerns sometimes adopt similar
methods from the larger corporationa
and overlook the necessity which exists
with them, but does not hold with
smaller firms. The Office of salesman
ager Is one which requires great tact
and Judgment, besides a large share
OF the sixth sense-intuition in his
difficult task Of keeping in close touch
with his men, inspiring them with the
spirit of the enterprise and at the
same time preserving their Individual
ity and giving them the greatest possi-
bic freedom which is compatible with
the interests of the firm