Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-26
AS ONE WOMAN SEES 1T
Man Who Has Arrived Tells Of His
Experience as a Book Agent and
Then Succumbs to a Book
Agents Wiles
BY SARAH ID. LONvRIE

" Is uirCnuN renowned ana ms income tax Is
larger than he cares TO mention was re-
counting to some Of US the other evening,
at the urgenCe of his wife. his adventures
In getting himself an education.
AT least the adventure he rccolected for
our benefit was one summers experience in
nccumulating enough extra money TO take
him through his Junior year in college. I
rather guessed that each vacation marked
somc capitalistic venture Oh his part for tho
accumulation Of the funds to continue. This
particular one was what his wife called his
CLOTHES. basket episode
II appeared that that particular summer
he had elected the Job of a book agent lie
and some half dozen young fellows were
taken on by publishing firm to sell n book
Of two volumes that had been got up 20
especially bcguilc the dollars Of the parents
Of Brooklyn public school children
Contained between tho stout md cheerful
information tho children of the schools we-e
supposed to accumulate during the course
Of their primary and high school grades. II
was arranged, however under subjects. and
for the special accommodation Of parents
laboring in the wake Of their offspring in
tcllcctuolly. So that n widcawakc parent,
however handicapped by lack Of education,
could bone up' on any givcn subject for
any given ycnr or grade. and in point OF
handy information. at least. be able to com o.
pete with his children converSn tionally and
not only compete. but be nbc to show them
a thing or two in tho matter Of history or
science or even English as she is wrote"
THE would be book agents who were to
i get this book over to the Brooklyn
mothers end fathers were provided with
lists of school children, with their grades
and tho names Of their schools and grade
teachers. also their home addresses and
copy Of general letter from the school su-
pcrntcndcnt recommending the book as wor-
thy of possession.
The firm exploiting the book had arranged
that the young chaps who were to sell t
should be boarded for the summer at
nearby scaShc"C resort of an inexpensive and
healthy type, from which each morning they
departed and TO which each evening they
returned leg weary. but prcsUmedly sue
ccssfu.
Their minimum Of success was three sets
subscribed for each day They had to gct
that much in order 20 nay their wcckly OK
pcnscS and assure The publishers Of their
expected profits. Whatever sets they sold
over and beyond thNr Il day ncttcd them q
reasonable profit.
At the end of Tho tEroc months my friend
for instance, had ace .mulatcd $500 besides
a weekly allowance Of $l5 that went to hig
landlady and for railroad fare and other
fixed expenses.
But he insisted that hc worked hard for
that money and sometimes wore down some
thing barber to replace than shoe leather.
ilc gave Ms an imitation Of his method Of
approach from the time ho rang the door
t% o%a t" inc HwiUl lnomrnt wLcA. seated on
~" t.iu oi t"E PIt'"r su1"' ne reaHneu the
of the book was mentioned.
HIS psychology vas rs sure as it was
IL elemental. lie began by IN apprccia-
ton Of a certain child of the family, calling
her by her nam" and speaking of hrr prog,
reSs in school. lie had her teachers name
on his tongr"'S end and thc probable study
that sh" showed an aptitude foY. lie bNcarnr
ti!"n an ardent listener while hcr mother.
who had let him in. al first amazellv and
then with Il gathering interest. would take
rp ii" Ia" wh"Y' he prrforr" had TO l"t it
drop "r brrray 'ur further depths Of his
Ignorance. From thc daughters opporuni-
ties for an odUration II vas but step ia
tn" mother la"., of the same opportunities
in her own S"h""+ days. Al thnt moment
pocket iett"r troi" the high school princi-
pa tt,, VI H"pST'r"u"ml' ""''"eV"f 1t was
VIII tI'' 'HNNui 70 'ILHEE'