New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-10-26
Winner Of SIS Prize
A TON OF LARD

~ table with his lead pencil. "Sell lard
this weck-next week all the time! We
need the business, and we must have 1t. Put
your shoulder to the wheel, young mani Get
a move on YOU! Use your head. Talk quail
itv all the time; but if the quality wont
move the goods, think up some scheme that
will make your customers buy, and II one
scheme won't work, try another. It's to
your intereSt-gct busy!
The short, sharp sentences, uttered IN a
clear, cold voice, sounded almost like rep
rimand to me- and | almost wished had not
contracted TO make the Southern territory
| for the Hammer Smith Packing Co.
| The Southern territory, my territory, was
considered the hardest in the State. Many
good sllcsmen had tried 10 make 1t pay, AMI
hadfailed. twas composed silly Of small,
mining camp towns, with poor hotel accom-
modations. Making good was hard propo-
sition: for the Eastern packers had the bust
ness pretty well corraled. | worked ike
mailer: but somehow or other the business
did not seem to increase very rapidly.
one morning, after | had made several
trips over the territory, a message came from
the boss:
Your tonnage last week was two thousand
hounds short OF what expect at this time III
your territory. Get buSy
That telegram was a command; for |
knew by the tone that if didn't come across
there would be something doing at head
quarters when | returned. Talk about stiff
thinking and schcmingl Why, | tied my
brain in bowknots trying TO formulate
selling plan. Even now my head hurts when
think Of it. At last, after sitting up nearly
all night, had the glimmcr Of an inspiration.
If | followed Instructions | must sell at
least two thousand pounds Of lard at BaX-
ter, and on former visits this town had failed
TO give me a single pound. There was one
store there, run by grouchy old customer
named Bolt. For some reason Bolt seemed
10 have little use for me in general, and the
house | represented in particular. He was
absolutely tied TO the Eastern packers. The
Job Of selling him two thousand pounds OF
lard seemed to be impossible.
Baxter was the center Of Mexican popu-
lation. These AlcXicans were mostly sheep
men, and lived with their families in adobe
houses dong the creek bottom. MeXicanS
are very fond Of lard.
lust before leaving for Baxter telegraphed
the house 70 send me a case Of "SnoWblOom
lard. The case arrived in Baxter the morn
ing did. Driving around to the little box
car depot, loaded the case into the buggy
and took il to my room in the boarding
house % unpack. There were twelve pals,
Of five pounds each, and each pail had
bright rel label on it. At q saloon bought
q cigar, rendering ten-dollar bill in pay
mcut "Giyc me the change in tItty-ccnt
pieces. | told the barkccpcr. Going back
10 my room, removed the tops Of the lard
pals, and laid shining hali-dolllr in the
smooth, white contents of each pail, then re-
placing the covers rcpackcl them in the
case. and nailed on the iii.
After dinner placed the case Of lard into
the buggy. and drove slowly toward the
Mexican settlement. The day was warm
and the whole settlement was out, idly
squltting about on the shady side # the
adobe dwellings. There were old men and
Young men, old women, and maiicns. and G
d vast array Of scantiIy dressed children and
NANCY dogs. The last did not take kindly d
b. me, and parked Slugcly as turned into S
.hccrookcl road through thc>cttlcment, and {
some of them lartcd out after me, growing
tt the horses heels. Vhi, frightened the
animal. ass hoped it would. and he plunged
Onward with jerk. sending the ease Of lard q
rom the back of the buggy into the road, i
where il broke open, scattering iyc-pound T.
pais with bright rel labels N them in Ill {:
directions.
cpulE have checked the horse i'm half a