The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-22
flames B. Morrow in the pbiladalnhio
RecOrd.1

\ Drown tract was on every coo, :.
the parlor car. The train was a fast
eApIesS Boston and New
YORK. A tall dark-skinned and h,acl'
haired man, leisurely and robust
peer1ng man, with a half-smile on bis
face-came down the aisle, stoned
slaced at the title Of the tract IooL'
ed pleased and sat down.
courtesy" he read-frst
~parasraph, first page-'is the bust
ness OF every man who meets the pub
BILE" ~ mum
Courtesy SO began the second
paragraph, becomes part of his trade
10 be applied in the face of resistance
the Same as 1t Is a part OF the car
penters trade to apply a j~ack-plane
on crossgralned wood, knots and even
an occasional nail head"
An experienced the
tall man was still reading, does not
get mad and throw his tools out of
the wlndo when he strikes cross
grained wood-hes simply reverses the
action Of his tool
The idea in the last clause of that
sentence was cleverly stated and the
tall mar chuckeled. Often, if he is
greatly amused, he cackles.
can never make the public
better by initiating it, the tract said
on page two, and the tall man nodded
his head in affirmation.
Any man." the tract continued.
who comes in contact with the pub
lie will meet q lot of mean people.
Nearly all people are mean at
some time.
But
Sew people are mean at all times"
And so on for six beautifully print
Ell leaves. The tall man laid the tract
on the sill of the window and said to
his companions: Il couldn't improve
h text any, were l to try, though this
is the first time | have read it since ]
wrote it two years ago"
Taught Railroads Salesmanship
The tall maj was David Gibson,
scientific salesman, poet, philosopher.
humorist, architect, story-teller and
editor of 80 magazines. Originally
the tract was an editorial dealing with
the human problems which are met
by railroad station agents, baggage
masters, ticket sellers, brakemen and
conductors.
You may have observed that the
attitude of railway employee toward
the public is very different from what
it used to be. David Gibson, in
large part, is responsible. His edi-
torial has been reprinted by every
large railroad corporation in the
United States but one. 1t has done
so mucn SOOO among RAIN IIc
themselves that it is now given TO
travellers, the theory being that cour-
tesy is r~eciprocally profitable and
obligatory.
The doctrine Of non-resistance' is
what David Gibson calls his scheme
of getting along happily with the hu-
man family. Getting along happily
in David Gibson's scheme OF life, Is
the selling of things, easily and pro1lt-
ably. to the human family-such
things as transportation, groceries, Dry
goods and so forth. Monopoly, ne
says. has been combative, arrogant
and unintelligent. Meanwhile it has
been blind to its w permanent IN
t%ereStS.
Mrs. Palmer he told me, in his
drawline, winning way. boards the
train al the railway station in her VII
Iage. Along comes the D!
and by. He is n sour, little man, VIII
o. mustache like a lion tanners ano
eyeglasses on the end of his nose. ne
insults Mrs. Palmer, snaps at het ano
snarlS. and Mrs. Palmer goes hoHie
and iniects hate for railroads INTO tht
hearts Of all her boys. The boys gro"
ND and become jurors, assessors ant
legislators. They hear damage cases
fix valuations and pass laws. sou
conductors and fresh lchet dse e
have cost the stockholders VINO EN-.
NOV them hundreds Of thousands o.
dollars. go,
MIR. So and So wants t" go IRON
Here to There" and DAVID Hlosui
marked the stations on the top OF IN
desk with his middle finger. I'M
railroad saws. chopping it's jaws to-
gether: Take our line or hoo1 IT,
That's the attitude. Such salesman
shin is a crime against civilization.
Work for the FOol-kiilcr.
''The railroads were a long I'm
finding out-sOme of them maven
found il out yet-that it is good ousl
ness to treat every farmer for 10 dnlle
back on either side of the right OF wa,
as a neighbor. know a puoile SCI
vice corporation that has ac!uaii:
made a conservative and large city II
The n;ddle West socialistiC. If we nat
a foolkiller in this country ne "oui'
have more than he could q" ailohs
what are called our best classes.
merchants. large ones. at an'
Edt II