Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-01
EVENING STORY
CANvASSING FOR SHAW g. co.
BY Bryant c. Rogers.
Copyright, 1911, by Associated Liter

manufacturers Of tombstones in the
world-delivered anywhere by freight
ANY size or style-pay by the week
or month-your moneys worth or
you needn't pay at all-canvassers
can make $25 week the year
round"
That was the lingo of keen and
well-dressed man who called on the
Widow Lee in the village of Medina
because he had been told that she
had buried two husbands and had
not erected stone over the grave OF
either. He didn't say it, however,
until he had vainly tried to get a
couple of orders from her.
yes, have lost two husbands in
my time," she admitted as she sighed
two long signs. "They were 10th
good men, and some day / shall buy
gravestones. but there's no hurry
about it. That was what both OF
them said-not to be in hurry"
: you've lived around here good
while?" asked the agent.
Born, raised and married right
here
"Then you know about every fam
lily that has suffered a loss "
Every single one Of them for ten
miles around! I always go to every
funeral within five miles, whether it's
on washday or not"
''Then take an agency for Shaw &
Co., and canvass. You'll get thirty
per cent commission. We have can
vassers who make $50 a week right
along. You just pass around among
the folks who have lost dear one
and the thing is done. They will or
der from you where they won't from
a stranger. Your voice and your
looks are sympathetic, and you'll be
q great success. Make it your partic-
ular business to get after widowers
and shame them into putting up
tombstones over long-neglected graves.
Here is list of twelve have picked
up. 1t isn't like selling history by
subscription. A widower can say that
he doesn't want the book on any
terms, and you have to go, but when
you come to ask him what about the
tombstone he ought to have put up
seven years ago, that's different"
The Widow Lee listened to a great
deal of talk and was at last con-
WINGED. She owned an old horse and
buggy, and was therefore prepared to
make trips around the country. She
was left book Of cuts and prices,
given some business pointers, and
the man from Shaw & Co., passed on
to bring up in Grafton, eight miles
away.
/ There he found Deacon Carter, who
bought eggs and butter for shipment.
He gave him just the same talk as
he had the widow and the deacon
agreed to try. canvassing for month
and see how it went He was
supplied with list of twelve widows
who had buried one or two husbands
each, and the name of the Widow
Lee headed it.. $3.50. s4,e
The deacon had to go over to Me-
dina on business next day anyway,
and he planned to call on the widow.
When he arrived he found her getting
ready to set out with horse and buggy
to take her first order. He had been
told not to be too harsh in introduce
ing his subject, and he therefore
talked about the weather and other
things for awhile before saying:
Widow, may inquire, If you have
yet marked the graves wherein your
two husbands repose?"
There's shingle sticking up, but
nothing more. was told not to be in
q hurry about the stones. Seems to
me you look like widower?"
eyes, am one"
wife been. dead long?"
Seven or eight years"
ANY tombstone YETI"
Moo"
81 heard you hadn't, and I was just
going to drive over to see you about
It,. I'm taking orders for tomb
stones"
"But-so am I! i heard about your
two husbands, and am here to get
orders for both. Date of birth and
death, please
Date of nothing, sir. You've got
cheek to come here when the grave OF
your wife is neglected"
but you were coming to see mo
about the same thing"
! well, you can get along with you.
Your wife didn't tell you there was no
hurry, and my husbands did. In fact,
the last one said I'd better buy hogs
with the money"
A week passed and neither the
widow nor the widower had taken an
order Then the widow came driving
over to Grafton and to the deacon's
place of business. When she had got
seated she said:
"Mr. Carter, I've been thinking
over your case, and I think it's au
awful shame the way you have ne
elected your wife's grave. You couldn't
have loved her."
"And did you love. them two hus-
bands of yours?" he retorted.
"My case is different. If you'd only
give me an order to show around /,
could get J. start and make some
But why don't you give me an. or
Deacon, your wife is lying up
there, probably grieving at your ne
elect, and you are here buying butter
and eggs! What do you think the peo-
pie around you are saying?"
"How is 1t over in Medina in your
case?"s
The widow said she didn't want to
say right out that the deacon choked
his wife to death to get rid Of her,
but she was a woman who had sus-
piciens, and when those suspicious