Evening star., 1914-02-08
CONFESSION OF A BEGINNER
By Herbert L. Baker of New York City
Winner of SIS Prize

NNE morning years and years ago, sat at my
" desk in a wholesale printers supply house IN
Minneapolis. had not been there week, and
realized that what did not know about saesmanship
would fill book.
The head of the house, called 4The Major sent a
letter to my desk from Samuel Gunderson, Molla,
Dakota in which Samuel expressed his desire to start
weekly paper asking for estimate and prices the
necessary type, machinery, etc. good many
papers were starting in Dakota about that time and
this looked like good chance for fine order. Sur
missing that the inquiry had probably gone to other
supply houses we'll said to myself Here's the time
for little Willy Quick to jump the first train for Moa
and get that order before anyone else wakes up!a
went into the private Office and said much to the
Major
$50 you think you'd better go after that order the
first trai do you? said he he looked up quizzcay.
@Well don't; but if you think best, go ahead-you
must get your experience sometime
1t long trip southwest, and about the middle of
the next forenoon jumped off at Molla with heavy
gpful of catalogues order blanks and other parapher
MALTA
The station was the only building in sight. Neither
there anything else-not tree, not shrub, not
hill,-nothng but the far rim of a boundess prairie
shut in by the horizon bowl This sole building was
station, postofce general store and the PoohBah of
the city" lived upstairs 1t simply Of those
numerous places where two railroads crossed their
way to somewhere else.
| finally asked the sole human being in sight if he
knew Samuel Gunderson. He opened door at the foot
OF the stars ana called out:
4Oh Mary, do you know any Samuel Gunderson that
gets mail here?" and female voice replied
Samuel Gunderson? Oh yes, that must be old John
Gunderson's little boy Sammy
The agent pointed out window, and told me John
Gunderson farmer living twelve miles away in
that direction.
had come several hundred miles to sell printing
plant to little boy living in desert twelve miles
beyond nowhere And the Major was snckering in
Minneapolis!
| sauntered out with fine imitation of noncha-
lance could MUSTER and sat down the edge of the
platform to think What should l do next? What an
asine specimen Of the "know it all brotherhood had
shown myself to bel How could face the Majors sar-
castle remarkso For wild moment l thought of
throwing up my job by telegraph getting work
where at my trade printer, and never going back.
jumped up and asked the agent which direction the
next train went, and when.
"East-four-ten, his reply.
"Where will that train be at seven O clock tomorrow
morning.
"Silvania, Illinois,
Sivania proved to be a sleepy little rosebowered
brick village, with two prntshops. l found that a
dngy ckety pair of stairs led up to the print
ing Office, and another pair still rckety had to be
climbed to reach the editors sanctum.
arrived out of breath, and of everything else Never
had gone into strangers office to sell him anything,
and did not know how. The editor had apparently
been there all night, and gave such "cssing OUT
as had heard. He finished by rushing like
wild bull and threatening to throw downstairs.
| saved him the trouble by sudden scared scutte