The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-04-30
SEEING AMERICA FIRST.
From diary:
~ FRED c. KELLY
Copyright 1915. By Fred c. KsllyJ

From diary:
In olden times the train butcher passed down
or fruits-in a singsong voice. and that let him
out. He did not tarry long. and II one did not
care for what he had 10 say or had TO sch only
a scant amount OF harm was done
Almost anybody could be q train butcher IN
the good. oid-fashioned way. But nov-in the
west-or az any rate In those parts Of the west
where the scenery abounds-the train butcher
must be not only salesman but a lecturer. a
cross between . book agent and Lyman II.
Howe. He gives a travel talk on the scenery
and then undertakes TO sell q book Of views con-
frming all that he has said. He slides into
the seat beside the guileless passenger and
20 look AZ q souvenir paper weight He viii
talk confidentially for ten minutes about the
merits Of pair Of penny postcards-for which
Throughout the west practically everything
that one can think OF n now offered for sale on
trains-Nayajo blankets. Indian jewelry, staple
and fancy groceries. and ali manner Of articles
for which one cares little or nothing
In the course OF days journey through q
mountainous region, we came 70 Q patch of snow.
simultaneously with our coming upon the snow
pairs Of lov-grsde amber spectacies over his
arm He explained that from then we would
be in snow almost continuously, and that TO save
the passengers eyesight the railroad company
had thoughtfulIy provided colored glasses at the
absurdIy low price of 50 cents each.
When one offered to buy he started his
lecture all over again with qualifications and
variations. quoting various learned medical au-
thorities the deplorable number OF persons
/ whose eyesight had been wrecked and whose
lives had been made one continuous performance
headache simply because they persisted I'm star
ing out into the sunlight reflected By the great
By the time he had finished his discussion the
train had pulled out Of the little patch Of snow
And we saw little more snow that day.
L
rather expensive souvenir booklets, showing
wild, mountain scenes
These viii be great help when get home
ana start telling les he said, thumbing his pur-
chases tenderiy. III show these pictures 10 my
friends and tell them vent all over this coun-
try on a mule"
The charming feature Of the average train
salesman is his optimism. ! rarely saw one Of
them sell any souvenirs Yet ali tailed A. n
with a confidence Of being on the verge Of cIos
ing out the entire stock. After working AZ his
trade for few years. one Of these train boys
would make ideal fisherman In the OdIron.
dacks where the fish are scarce. He could aft
| all day without getting nibble and yet be Ger.
tain every moment that he would get a big
strike the following moment
The literary hero OF the train butcher,
/ throughout California IL Harold Bell Wright
/ who lives In California. I must have asked fif
teen different boys whom they regarded a. tn,
greatest living writer. Without exception the,
told me Harold Bell Wright. and all seemed sur
prised that found IL necessary to ask such
Question. I flew to the defense Of Bertha NJ
Clay and one or two Of the statesmen admitted
that she has wonderful style, but that was a,
as far a. they would 60. They saved their su
periatives for Harold Bell Wright. AS one Lao
Expressed IL:
@ycr can't really know literature until you
have sold II on trains. Then ron see what the
people really want. I reckon Harold Bell Wright
IL the most popular author since william Cutler
Bryant"
Some men are born foolish and some far