The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-22
LARGE PRIZE TO
AUTO statesmen

In order to stimulate his salesmen
to little extra activity during the
months Of October, November, Decem-
Der and January, which are usually
regarded a. about the poorest months
Of the year for the sale of motor cars.
Mr.. Kaehler. OF the Kaehler Motor
company, offered a prize of a FL
1eweled gold watch. suitably engraved
and valued at $1,000. to the salesman
who sold the greatest number of new
Ford cars during the period between
October i, 1913, and January 81,
1914.
on a card under each salesman's
name, the card being hung in the
sales room, so that each salesman
could see how he stood In the con-
test.
Judging from the number of sales
which were being turned in during
that period, 1t certainly appeared as
though each salesman was bent upon
winning the watch, but the contest
finally narrowed down to two of them
IL r. De GRAF and II. o. Wright
On Friday. January 30th, MIR. De
GRAFT was credited with seventeen
sales and Mr.. Wright was but one be-
hind, he having sold sixteen cars, but
there were rumors around the build
ing to the effect that each OF the
statesmen were holding a few sales In
reserve, to be turned in before the
close OF the contest on the following
day, 1t being mutually agreed upon
that the contest would close at 8
o'clock Saturday evening. January
E31st
on Saturday evening number of
the other employees. who had become
interested In the contest. assembled in
the showroom to see the last sales
turned in, which would decide the
winner in the contest.
Mr.. Kaehler had also heard each Of
the statesmen were probably holding
back few orders which had been
secured on the last day, and rather
expected that each Of the statesmen
would produce one or two extra sales
at the last minute.
When the hour of arrived, Mr.. De
Graaf dug down in his pocket and
pulled out a large roll of retail order
forms, laid them down on the desk
before Mr. Kaehler. and said, We'll.
there's ten of them-ten orders. with
check for $4,000 deposit attached
TO each order. making total of 81 900
in deposits"
Mr. Wright then looked through a
number of his pockets and laid down
a total OF six orders, each one accom-
panied by a 500 deposit check. and
inquired as to how many he would
need to win. Upon being told that
he would need four additional orders
to tie De GRAF and five to win. he
stated that he still had three additional
lorders in his pocket, which had been
given him by customers who were not
quite ready to purchase, but had given
their orders with the understanding
that he could use them II they would
helm him to win the watch,
However as he still needed two ad-
efitionai orders to win, he did not turn
in these three orders. but returned the
deposit checks to his customers.
He stated that every one Of his
orders had been secured and signed on
the last day ana the only thing that
prevented him from securing the two
additional orders that he needed to
win, was the fact that Saturday was
not long enough. Sure enough, on the
Following Monday, two IF his prospec-
tive customAra called UP over the tele-
EpDne. and NAatsd to know why he
had not been around to secure their
orders on Saturday. as he had agreed
to do.
Mr.. Kaehler was probably as much
surprised as anyone when these two
statesmen turned In q total of sixteen
orders In one day. with others held
in reserve. He expected that probably
three or four orders would be turned
in, but certainly not sixteen.
In view OF the manner in which
these two statesmen had worked for
the watch, and the excellent results
obtained from their work, he decided
to award two prizes instead or one,
presenting second watch to MIR.
Wright. exactly similar and equal in
value to the one awarded Mr.. De
GRAF.
During the contest Mr.. De Graaf
and Mr.. Wright sold a total Of forty
nine new Ford cars the list of pur-
chasers being as follows:
Stokes & Co. Henrico School
board. Richmond Board of Fire com
missioners, n. W. Bowe, DR.. l.. c.
Bosher. Dir. r. NJ. Hodges, l., II. Jen-
kins. HI Ferguson. A. F. Purcell,
DR.. NJ. l. Anderson. DIR. Thomas Fish
err. DR. w. r. Williamson, DIR. r. S.
ney, Mrs. M. f. Harnish. DIR. r. FL.
Martin. DR.. A S. Franklin. Motor
Hire Service company fsix town carsl
H. NJ. Delaney, Carle-Roehling COM
pany. Mrs q, HudginA Lemon-kola
Rottling works, Lemon-Kola Bottling
works. Dr. j. Fraser Jones. r. T. Wat
kins. j.. r. Bowles. j. 6. Bryan. A. e.
Fowler. Richmond Board of Health
1.-TWO runaboutsl. w. w. Iayne. Rich
mond Street Cleaning depart 1.-TWO
runabouts). Haines, Jones d Cad
bury, f.. r. Sutton. Jr.. II. O. Lead
better, DIR. M. =. Rucker. w. j. Allen,
Vaughan Robertson Drug company,
IJ. b. Barker, Richard Gwathmey
company, Montague Manufacturing
company, j. A. c. Chandler.