The evening world., 1921-01-05
WEDNESDAY,, JANUARY 5, 1921
Cheer Up! You Wives and
SweetheartS of "Drummers"
Prof. Binders Charges Refuted
Man Who KnOWs Says Modern TraUeling SalesDleR
Make Model Husbands, Stick to Business and
MeetNO More Temptations Than Other Men,"
By Fay Stevenson.
,py riTht. 1871. by the Prys Publishing Co
THE New NoFk fNcnlua Wurid.

Copydght 1881 by The Pr,v rubnshlng Co.
THE New Nork Honlng Wurld.l
n USH! Special to the wives and
X swecthcorts Of travelling sales
men.
Prof. Rudolph A. Binder director
OF the Department OF Sociology
at New York University, has delvod
into statistics and stated that divorce
proceedings follow the marriage OF
one out OF every nine travelling sales.
men.
Then to the rescue comes Charles
Fischer, attorney for the Southern
Travellers Association and the Ma
tional Council OF Travelling Sales
mems Associations who probably
knows more drummers personally and
their lives and habits than any other
man in the country.
Eyes, / have seen Prof. Binders
statements" MIR Fischer told me at
his office, No. q william street,
"and Just let me say that the drum
mer makes one OF the best husbands
on earth lie Is generous, kind and
always crazy to get back home to
real comforts He loathes hotel life,
and as to his being faithful to his
wifb-I know him to be just as
faithful and loyal to the bonds OF
marriage as any other man, In fact,
If had to name the business man
who is most devoted TO his wife, Wild
appreciates his home and adores his
children, / should shout a travelling
salesman
So there you have the professor
side OF 1t" and the practical lawyer
side Of IT,"
People have always made more or
less fun OF the travelling salesman
and his supposed amours. For years
he has been put Oh a par with the
sailor with his sweetheart in every
port" Now. Prof. Binders state
ment that every ninth travelling
salesman seen anywhere in the
United States Is a divorced man and
his further contention that the drum
mers have ten times as many do
mestic rows az the farmers, whom he
states have only one divorce out
Of every ninety two marriages, Id
| enough to make any little wife who
has packed her drummer-huhby's
suitcase and waved farewell to him
sit up ana take notice.
But the drummer does meet more
temptations than the average man,
doesn't he?' l asked Mr.. Fischer.
I'm not 30 sure about that lie
meets no more temptations than the
business man who is ClOsetcd all day
with his private secretary; the man
agcr who employs scores of girls as
clerks, or any other man who goes
out into the world, In fact, the
travelling salesman has no time to
waste nowadays
And right mere Mr. Fischer Wv
idly sketched the difference between
the life Of the drummer when mother
was "A girr' and the husthng busting
salesman Of to-day
in the old days the drummer had
slow trains" reminisced Mr.. Fischer
Time hung heavily on his hands. lie
played cards, he lOunged about the
Village Inn and all the pretty girls
In town (Eirls from fine old families
thank yOuD walked by In fact
scores OF pretty faces greeted his
train when II arrived. And the drum
mer in turn was glad to idle away
the long hours by taking strolls about
the town telling the dear young
thing all about the big sights he
saw in the city.
'NOw," continued the lawyer de-
n n a Nt A. "a "a
"all this has changed. The salesman
day travels by schedule, his hotel
reservations have been made in ud
vance, his time is planned 10 a min
ute. lie dashes into town, gets IN
touCn with the men he wants to meet
makes appointments, makes his sales
and sHps on to the next city or town,
whore this programme is repeated.
"Of course continued the lawyer
IL do not mean that travelling sales
MEN are all angels. Occasionally we
get a man who Is In the work just
Tor the fun he can get out Of his
trips But his firm soon finds this
out The man who rs putting over
big deals the man who is at the TOP
has no time TO dIlly-daIly ON thJ
road with blondes or brunettes Ol
I.,IpH!"
"Th,n too" admitted Mr.. Fischer
there arc some statesmen who repre-
sent houses dealing In wOmcn's wear
hat are more or less known as
pretty gay fellows We expect this
because Of the girls who pose in
rnodcI gowns But tine men who have
represented substantial firms fOl
ears are an fine. happily mnr"lod
wcn. ! wish you could attend one OF
our annual banquets and meet these
men with their wives. wish PROF
Binder could look into their faces
and see II he can trace any signs OF
future divorces"
'yThon you think that absence
rather lends enchautment in the do
nestle life of the salesman
q do indeed" replied Mr.. Fischer
in aQ earpest aud heartfelt voice
Il Know men on the road who write
special letters TO their wives daily
Every time they make a long triI
tncy come home laden with gifts foI
them and whore there are children
daddy drummer never forgets them
"Oh / have great faith in the
travelling salesman,' concluded Mr.
I'ischcr. rn fact I think In som,
cases he has just as much reason tC
, be Jealous AS his wife"