Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-03-24
JOHN H. PATTERSON
STARS AS AN AGENT
In Business Drama President Of N.
c. R. Company Acts Leading
Part in Salesmanship Play.

He is one of the most remarkable OF
Americas big business men As a
pioneer in practical welfare work, he
has won international recognition. He
is II years old. but has the physical
vigor of a man of fifty.
John H. Paterson. president and gen
eral manager of the National Cash Reg
lister Company. of Dayton. Ohio, is the
star" in a very clever six-act bust
ness play now being produced before
audiences of statesmen. This play
The Evolution of a Store" is the lat
est plan OF the National Cash Register
Company for the instruction of its
large sales force in new selling meth
DDS. But the most striking feature of
il is, of course, the appearance of Presi-
dent Patterson, as the star
The president is noted for his orig
inality of method in all things. more
especially in developing selling talent
He founded the first school for sales
men. and he has made teaching by
the eye" an axiom of business train
ing. In every n. c. r. conference, his
chalk talks" are a feature. These
consist of rough sketches. hastily
drawn by the president in black or col
ored o4ayon. to drive home various
points brought out
Throughout the cash register plant,
you will find large paper tablets on
easels and an abundance of crayons
and chalk talk is just as likely in
thes hops as in the conference rooms
The president is also a strong advo-
cate Of moving pictures
In the staging of The Evolution of
a Store" he has resorted to dramatics
as an effective means of impressing. as
well as interesting his hearers. The
play is based on the troubles of a
storekeeper Mr.. Patterson takes the
part of a cash register agent, and
when the play had its severest tryOue
recently, at the National Cash Register
plant, he occupied the stage for a total
Of three hodrs.
More remarkable his lines" were
entirely impromptu, and he gave a
mastery demonstration of mciern
craftsmanship. In the first act he
made the approach" to a retail gro
Ger. inviting the latters interest and
confidence by suggesting in a friendly
way Improvements possible in store
methods. In the second act the agent
had interested the grocer in the 1916
model of the National cash register
AMI had also succeeded in converting
the grocer's wife in favor of the prop
osition
Next, the agent visited the grocer's
banker and the wholesaler. and "sobl''
them. Then. after the cash register
had been installed, two acts were given
to explain IN c. r. Service" This
service, which is feature of the com
pany's 1916 advertising included such
subjects as the training of clerks, win
dow displays and the like.
OF course The Evolution of a Store
has its happy ending" better bust
ness for the grocer, an improved finan-
cial condition and increased home hap
piness. The play affords the oppor-
tunity to Mr. Patterson to display those
marvellous business traits which have
made him master of business. Both
in his acting and in his Zines" he
shows the supreme value of enthus-
iasm, sincerity. intelligence, kindness
courtesy and other factors of up-to-
'late craftsmanship.
The play is intended for the benefit
of the company's statesmen. and IT will
only be produced before audiences
composed of statesmen brought to the
plant for instruction.