The Washington herald., 1910-06-12
TRIPS TO STATES
WOULD HELP some
Wholesale Merchants Might
Visit Their Patrons.
ST. PAUL PURsUEs THE METHOD
Arrangements OF Summer Excursion
Completed TO Occupy Six Days and
ty-nine Counties In Minnesota.
Details of Proposed Trip.

It has long been a hobby with several
members of the wholesale trade commit
tee Of the Chamber OF Commerce. that
Washington ought to send out one or
more special trains each year for the pur-
pose Of visiting the merchants In the
territory served by the local wholesale
houses.
The argument in favor Of such plan is
that g short stop of such q train in
places like Charlottesville. Va. and Mar
tinsburg, ". Va. would do more good
through the personal contact OF men
| from Washington with those of the
smaller cities. than any amount of cir
cularizing or writing letters or any other
plan that could be devised.
The cost OF such an excursion once or
twice A year would be considerable, but
1t is argued that the returns in the way
Of increased business would more than
pay the cost and that the growth OF
trade by this means would be contlnu-
Gus and cumulative.
How 1t Works In st. Paul.
Business men in St. Paul. Mimi. pursue
this plan, and they have recently COM
pleted the itinerary for the summer trip
This year the excursion win last six days.
the train VIII carry seventy-five jobbers
and manufacturers of st. Paul 1t Will
make stops ranging from half an hour
to two hours at ffty-hve cities in the
Northwest
The trip this year will go over the lines
Of the Great Northern in the State Of
Minnesota and the train will traverse
twenty-nine counties. The excursion will
start from ST Paul on June I3, returning
June IS. The train Will be a special, COM
posed OF three standard sleepeTs. one
tourist sleeper, diner, two baggage cars,
one car for the train help and an OBJ
servation car.
The itinerary for the first day out is
scheduled as follows:
The first stop OF thirty minutes win be
at Cokato. Stops will be made at Itch
field. Willmar. Kerkhoven. Benson. Nor
ris Herman and Campbell From Camp
bell the train will run without stop to
WarrOad on the Canadian boundary.
VIII Travel 1900 Miles.
During the six days Of travel ap-
proximately 1900 miles viii be covered.
The trip viii take the jobbers into parts
OF Minnesota where many of them have
never been-a rapidly developing and
prosperous country from which they are
drawing an extensive trade.
Accompanying the party will be the
Minnesota State band. This band has
Travelled with the jobbers annually for
the past six years and has become an
essential part of the travelling organiza-
ton Last year they accompanied the
JObbers' special through Montana cover
ing six thousand miles.
The object of the trip is to give the
Jobbers and manufacturers OF ST. Paul
an opportunity TO get in touch with
the great Northern country In which
so large a proportion of their goods
find a market In each town and VII
lage they VIII call on the local dealers,
leave badges, discuss matters Of trade
interest, make inquiries into local bust
ness conditions. note the points OF the
place which impress them most and get
personally acquainted with men they are
dealing with daily at a distance
VIII Distribute Badges.
The jobbers will take about 1900
badges for general distribution through-
out the territory traversed. They are the
same in design as those or last year. exc
perience having proved them to be of the
real get there" quality. In addition to
the large badges there viii be thousands
OF smaller ones.
One Of the great features of a tour
of this kind is In bringing the st. Paul
jobbers. and manufacturers into a closer
union among themselves. said secretary
Beck yesterday 1T takes them away
from their own lines of business and
gives them a broader view Of what others
in ST Pau are doing"
Good Roads Movement Spreads.