Twenty years a fakir

by S. James Weldon

“Prof. S. James Weldon, president of one of New York’s largest literary clubs, arrived in the city last evening. He furnishes the new edition of Banner’s encyclopedia and will call on our professional and business men in the interests of that magnificent work. Afterwards he will organize here a branch club of his parent society, the object being educational advancement and social intercourse. Gold prizes will be given the members making the best progress, and twice a year the local assembly will be represented at the grand lodge by two delegates. Once a year the grand lodge takes a tour around the world. Prof. Weldon was one of the party the last trip, and says they were royally entertained by their foreign friends. He will, in a few days, call a private meeting of our leading citizens and address them in the interest of the enterprise.” This ad. always gave me a wonderful prestige.

At the present day the publishers take a larger hand in scheming than formerly, yet the principal methods remain much the same. For instance. Books are advertised at a high price, but at the same time an offer is made to place a few sets with certain leading citizens at a greatly reduced figure. No information is given in regard to terms, but prospective purchasers are invited to write for particulars. Those letters of inquiry are sent to agents traveling for the house, and one of them drops into the town and tells Mr. Customer that he has made a special trip from New York or Chicago to see him personally. In the interview the agent brings all his batteries to bear; broadsides, mostly loaded with flattery, are poured into the victim’s ear, and generally a sale is landed. The neatest dodge I have ever seen is one originated by a Chicago firm. Coupons are given to the amount of the purchase, which are good at certain stores for ten per cent. of the price of any article purchased there, such an arrangement having been made with the merchants who are in the field to draw custom. If a man buys a fifty dollar set of books the company gives him fifty dollars worth of coupons. He buys, say five dollars worth of goods. He would pay four dollars and fifty cents in cash and fifty cents in coupons, thereby in the end virtually getting his books free. If the merchant would stand that the customer surely could.

Canvassing in the larger cities is very hard work, more so than in the smaller towns. So many of the office buildings have a sign hung up like the following:

“No Agents or Canvassers Allowed.”

I have worked such places in the garb of an express messenger, and though the janitor may have suspected my visits were unduly long he gave me no trouble. I have used the clerical uniform, both in such places and in small towns, with good effect. When I visited a town that was a railroad division point the garb of a railroad man suited me to a charm. I would pose as an eastern railroader on a lay-off, making a tour of the country and canvassing to help out.

In working the smaller towns I found that a rumor circulated to the effect that I was a foreign detective on the trail of some noted criminal was of great assistance. It would work a sort of undercurrent in my favor and give me prestige with a customer I otherwise could not get. It was really amusing at times to watch the crowds whispering to each other and sizing me up as I walked down the street. The thought of having a real live detective in their midst would always arouse their curiosity.

Thus, in selling books, and especially encyclopedias, I varied my canvass to suit my respective locations.

I found that I had to be constantly on the watch to adapt the method of my approach to the nature of the individual. One man had to be taken by storm; another would surrender only after the slow process of a long continued siege. With some I made a strong argument upon subjects with which they were not supposed to be intimately acquainted; with others I had to call attention to the very points which they oftenest touched in their every-day life. With lawyers I had to confine my remarks a great deal to legal questions and debates; with doctors, to medicine and surgery; with ministers, to theology and the sciences and it was generally safe to ply a school teacher with such things as art, poetry and the classics, or a newspaper man with matters of general information. For merchants I had a little song about free trade or tariff, income taxes, imports and exports, the price of grain and the like, and to mechanics, blacksmiths and builders I talked of machines and materials. Again, there were others who seemed to want to get away as far as possible from the grooves in which their own lives were running, and these people I had at a decided disadvantage unless their range of reading was a great deal wider than that of the average of their class.

Here is an instance of my manner of approaching customers:

I would walk rapidly into a man’s office, as though it was the place I had been looking for all the time. I would state that I was directed to him as a gentleman well versed in literature and learning, and as that sort of sympathy was what I desired to meet in my business I thought I would run in as I was passing by, see him, introduce myself, and promise him a call by and by. Then I would start for the door, but stop as I turned the knob, make some suggestion in regard to his being considered authority on literature, start for the door again, and draw him into questioning me, asking me of what books I was speaking, and the like. Then I was safe. If I could get a man who was able to purchase to ask me questions, and then listen to what I had to say, I was reasonably certain of a sale.