The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-04-01
TAKES EXCEPTION
TO Being GOAT
TRAVELLING MAN CALLS ATTEN-
TON TO THE EDITORS OF TWO
WELL KNOWN MAGAZINES THAT
THE ROAD MEN ARE TIRED OF
ALWAYS BEING MALIGNED.

Taking exception to the growing
custom among short story writer's in
magazines to select the commercial
traveller when he needs g. goat, Harry
l. Eskew last week wrote Hampton's
Magazine as follows:
"Hampton's Magazine, New York
City.--Gentlemen: In view of the fact
that / am an enthusiastic reader and
subscriber OF your magazine, take
the liberty of addressing you upon a
subject under the following caption:
The Commercial Traveller, as Viewed
by a Writer of Modern Fiction.
TT is a regrettabe fact, bat never
tfeless a true one, that when the au-
thor Of the average short story or
novel is in need or a character that
will portray a man who Is Ito use his
own expression) overdressed, fiirta-
tlous, overconfident, etc, he will in
variably use the travelling man as his
ideal character. / might quote as an
example The Common Law, by Robert
w. Chambers, now running in The
Cosmopolitan.
Mr.. Chambers is no exception In
this respect; neither Is The Cosmo-
politan. / am quite certain that these
gentlemen are not acquainted with the
travelling man to the extent that they
should be- Should they become better
acquainted feel sure that they would
find the man on the road about as
good as the ordinary individual AS
a matter OF fact, considering the ma
ture OF his vocation in life, / believe
honestly he can truthfully be classed
amongst our highest class of citizens
Much has been written about their
faults, but little has been written
about their virtues.
TT is true that in the large body of
men that represent this class you will
find few that would be a fitting ex-
ample to represent the character men
toned above. This might be said Of
authors, for instance. Surely they are
not all perfect.
THE keen competition that exists
! today in business affairs demands a
man who is representing firm on the
road to be capable one in all re-
| spects. Me must, to be valuable to his
| employer, be able to decide weighty
| questions that come up almost in
stantly to the best advantage of all
| concerned. In order to do this he
must be thoroughly acquainted with
| his work. He must have his mind
| centered on his work constantly, which
certainly does not permit him to be
of a frivolous nature to the extent
/ that he becomes an obnoxious charac-
ter to those he comes in contact with
| in his travels. He must cultivate a
ila sNy14 of To- &
away from those he loves
"The travelling man does not resist
| temptations, and am glad to say
that the average man on the road
| leads a clean life, regardless OF the
/ fact that he, not like other men, lacks
the sustaining, protecting home en-
vironments. See him at all times in
/ his travels, and you will find him al
ways the first to aid his fellow travel
ers in distress. He knows better than
any one else the diEcomforts that con-
front the traveller, and experience has
| taught him the easiest way to avoid
them.
ITO the publishers of magazines
and novels / might say that in the
| commercial traveller you have the
| greatest patronage from this class OF
men. He not only reads them, but
IL he Is favorably impressed with them,
he Is constantly talking Of them, which
is no small advertisement. This ad-
vertising goes all over the world.
ALLOW me to say to the publisher
that il you would give this matter your
attention ! do not believe you would
permit the author to use the character
OF a commercial traveller In the man
ner as quoted above. DO not think
the author would care to do so IL this
matter were brought to his attention
The commercial traveller is the pub
fishers and authors friend-he only
| wishes to be treated as one by YOU