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About The Falls City tribune. (Falls City, Neb.) 1904-191? | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1909)
I IT SEEMED A SHAME The Rook Agent Was Sure He Was an Easy Mark The Reformed Book Agent was re citing a few of his adventures to the bunch in the hotel lobby. "You know," observed the R. D. A., in the course of the dissertation, "there always comes a time sooner or later when the rule you’ve been going by won't work. It had got to be a rule with me that school teachers were comparatively easy marks for a man who desired to enter negotiations for the sale of a book the size of a child's Bible, bound in either plain cloth or half morocco, with title in gilt letters. "I was selling a book that was prac tically the same thing as a 25 cent World almanac, containing all sorts of useful information, and "if you didn't care for the'best binding you could get It for as little as $2.75. It was a work that appealed strongly to teach ers, principals, mothers and all who had the education of the youth of any given community at heart. “Now, one feature of the hook agent's game that's as old as the statutes and city ordinances of the Medes and Persians is to get the lead ing educator of the town you're in to buy the book, or at least make him think he's bought it—give it to him for nothing if need be—and, then, having bought it, to write you out a brief recommendation for the work. With that recommendation every wo man in town, a^id everybody else who goes in for 'cultchuh and aht’ and all that—you know the type—becomes your prey. Most of them will fall for your great educational work, just like a lot of school children crowding in line for a special matinee of ‘Ten Nights in a Barroom.’ “The first move a knowing book agent makes, therefore, is to get the indorsement of the superintendent of public schools, or the president of the college if there is one of these fresh water colleges around, and the lead ing highbrow minister. But it is a sort unwritten law that the superintend ent of schools must be made to come over, first of all. “The publishing house I was work ing for sent me to one of those little county seat towns where nothing of importance ever happens except the next number on the Star lecture course. Somebody pointed out the ! bead of the public school system to me, and 1 chuckled to myself, for he looked so easy that I had a notion just to sell him the book by telephone without even bothering to go to his of fice and have him send his indorse ment to me at my hotel by a messen ger boy. I knew that there was no possible way that he could turn me down. He looked so gentle anu amia ble that you would have sworn he was the local representative of the Society -for the Prevention of Cruelty to Some thing. “I went over to see him the next morning. At first I thought of telling him right off that 1 was a book agent, j and what I wanted him to do. In the light of later developments that’s 1 what I should have done. But I fol lowed the usual rule made and pro vided for book agents in such cases, and talked to him as if I were inter ested in education some way or other, and had just dropped into visit with him for a spell and get his views. “He was such a benevolent old party that I had chatted along for half an hour on general topics before I thought of mentioning my book. By that time we were as friendly as hired help and 1 knew that I could sell him anything from a book to a second hand gas engine, I “l was just going to pull out my prospectus when a young man came into the reception room just outside the office atid started to walk in where we were, but stopped when he saw me. 1 told the old man that 1 would let my business wait if the man in the nejtt room wanted to see him for a minute, but he waved me back Into my chair. " 'Stay right where you are,’ he Bays, smiling amiably, and added in a whisper: ‘1 think 1 know who that is. It’s a young man who’s been coming around to bother me about a book. It jwon’t do him any good, for I never Jiuy books from agents, but I suppose pie’ll succeed in taking up a lot of my time before I get rid of him.’ * “WoWI Put me in fine, didn't it? I about abandoned any idea right then of owning up that I was a book agent myself, but to make matters worse, the young chap walked in right then and my intended victim turned around and recognized him as his own son. “’Well, well!’ he chuckled, 'to think that I would take my own son for a book agent! That’s pretty good, I guess!’ And he laughed heartily. We all laughed. Mine must have sounded like the cold, calculating laugh of the man who wears a gray derby hat in a show, for there was no mirth in it, that’s a cinch, "Well, sir, do you know, I Vas ed put out over that deal that I went on to the next town without trying to sell a single hook in that burg, though I’d expected to spend three or four weeks there. In the first place, I had enough superstition in me to take it as a hodooo. And then I was afraid that old man would meet me on the street some day and learn what my business was. So I ducked. “But,” added the Reformed Book Agent, “the thing that I've wondered about some thousands of times since then was this—did .the-, benevolent, hu mane society-looking old party get off ' that book agent talk a purpose? Do you suppose he did?” THE COWERS AND GOERS 1 __ HAPPENINGS OF INTEREST TO YOU AND ME. What Your Friends and Their Friends Have Been Doing the Past Week. —Eat Sowle’s Candy. •I. A. Hill of Lincoln spent Sunday in tliis city. Ur. M. L. Wilson was a Stella vis itor Sunday. J. S. Lord and family were Salem visitors Friday. Walter Rose of Salem was in the city last Friday. Charles Santo of Rulo was a Falls City visitor Friday. Miss Edith Peck was reported ill the first of the week. See Clarence Heck for your coal this fall. Phone 101. | Oeo. Gilligan attended the Assem bly at Salem Sunday. •1. R. Cain,Sr., spent Sunday with his family in this city. .lames Stewart is visiting at his old home town, Iliglow, Mo. F. P. Page of Dawson was in the city Saturday on a real estate deal. * Joseph Norris, who has a ranch in Montana arrived in Falls City Friday. Rev. R. R. Teeter delivered a lec ture at Jameson, Mo., the first of the week. Ed galloon returned from' his busi ness trip to Jefferson City, Mo., Sat urday. Dr. Harry Pittock and James Jaq uet attended the Assembly at Salem Sunday. Mrs. Charles Loree, who has been on the sick list, is now rapidly im proving. ' Fifty-seven round trip tickets were sold Sunday to people attending the Salem Assembly. Sirs. Win. Nettlebeck and children of Snubert visited with relatives in this city this week. Gene Fitzgerald, wife and little son of Craig, Mo., visited with relatives in this city this week. Mrs, Walter Saylor’s mother, Mrs. Biddenger of Cincinnatti, O., visit ed with her this week. Miss Etta Kapp is enjoying her vacation from the duties of operator at the telephone office. H. M. Jenne and wife and Bert Baker and Miss Carrie Slocum spent Sunday at the Langdon lakes. E. E. James and family spent Sun day with relatives over near Verdon. They drove over with their new auto. Mesdames R. Meyers and Ray Mick ey, of Morrill, Kas., visited the first of the week with Bert McGuire and family. Miss Irene Prior returned the first of the week from a visit to her sister, Mrs. Ernest Oberland, at Con cordia, Kas. Miss Ethel Cade accompanied her mother to Osborne, Kas., Thursday, where they will spend a few months with relatives. The Salem Assembly was well at tended by Falls City people Sunday. In the neighborhood of ont hundred attended from here. Mrs. James Pickett visited her par ents. Mr. and Mrs. O. Radinsky, at Lincoln and attended the Epworth League Assembly, this week. George Hummel and Mark William son, who have been working on fhe new Presbyterian church, went up to Humboldt and spent Sunday with rel atives, Glen Brunson, wife and little son of near Shubert, visited with Mrs. Brunson’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. .1. B. Ramel and family the first of the week. M'.ss uaqie L,app reiurnea rrom me Missouri Lakes Sunday. Miss Stel la Knickerbocker brought her over in the buggy and returned to the lakes Monday morning. Rev. John Boose and son of Pon tiac, 111., arrived in Falls City Satur day for a visit with relatives and his many friends. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. William Boose. Miss Rue Gates left Sunday for St. Joseph, where sh«s will take in struction in one of the wholesale mil linery houses of that city, before tak ing a position as trimmer in the ! country. Mrs. James Jellison who now ! makes her home in Lincoln, but who | had lived in Falls City a great many ; years, was in the city a few days : this week. Mrs. Jellison will soon | take a position on the Lincoln Star, 1 in the capacity of proof-reader. ! Frank Marvin of Oklahoma City, Okla., spent a few days in this city, I his old home, the first of the week. Mr. Marvin put a price on the store i building which he owns,now occupied 1 by the Lyric theater, and will sell i the skme, no doubt. He took advan tage of the occasion and pushed bis 1 credit up on The Tribune while in ' town. 1 The elegant new barber shop of W. S. Byerly was cbrisleped Wednesday morning by 8. W. Decker, he being the first man to be shaved therein. A ’ remarkable feature of this incident \ is that Mr. Decker is almost 84 years -of age, and had never in his life be i fore been shaved by a barber,—Yor ; don Vedette. Mrs. James JYlltson of Lincoln hat been in the city visiting her husband j who is doing brick work on J. S, Harman’s residence. Mrs. Jellison is j known as a competent newspaper ; woman and after September 1st will ! be connected with the Lincoln Star in an impartant capacity. — Teeumsell Tribunal. Joe Nedrow went to Falls City Sat urday to visit a couple of days with his brother, Henry Nedrow, who was there from Norton, Kansas, attending to tlie settlement ol’ their father’s estate. The estate is valued at $13,000 and is to tie divided among the wife and nine children.—Stella Press. A fishing party from this city con sisting of Messrs. Guy Crnok, Harry Cain and Misses Nolle Gain, Ruth Mc Millan and Mildred Holland spent a few days at the Rig Lakes the past week. They returned Monday, hut the weather was so licit that they did not bring their cateli home, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson Miller of Falls City, grandparents of Mrs. Chas Thomas,drove up yesterday for a vis it with I)r, and Mrs. Thomas. They wt'Ve accompanied by their daughter, Miss Fannie Miller, and by Robert Ganti, a brother of Mrs. Thomas.— vY'i'iU n Vedette. Miss Edna Wentworth sang a solo at the Presbyterian church Sunday evening. The selection was appro priate and rendered in a manner that, showed the power of a thoroughly trained voice. It was a rare treat to her many friends who were present. After a visit with her son, Herbert and family Mrs. Charles Hedges re turned to her home at Odell, Nebr. Friday. She was accompanied by her little grandson, Gordon Hedges who will spend some time there. Miss Ena Cooper Seabury, who had been visiting her father and other relatives at Humboldt, came down to Falls City the first of the week and visited with Miss Carrie Slocum. Mrs. Jake Eichty and son, Ezra, accompanied Mr. Lichty to this city Friday, where he took the Burling ton for California. They came In their automobile. Frank Boss, republican candidate for register of deeds, was in the city Monday shaking hands with his old friends and making new acquain tances. Miss Anita Wilson has returned from the school of music connected with the Valparaiso University and is ready for pupils in voice and violin. Mrs. James Cottier of Itavanna, Mo., mother of the Whitaker boys, is visiting witli her sons and other rel atives in this city this week. W. M. Seng and Ids workmen are in Peru this week at work on a church there while waiting for ma terial at this place. Harry llenne and wife and Bert Baker and Miss Carrie Slocum drove the Slocum auto to Verdon last Thursday evening. The average live newspaper does more for a town in one year than does the carping critic during ins life time. —Humboldt Leader. E. E. James was up from Falls City Friday afternoon and while here pur chaseu John Hall’s automobile.—Ver don Vedette. Mrs. John Yocam went to Fairview, Kas., Thursday to take care of her son, Claude, who is ill with typhoid fever, AH'9. Alice Walker and little child of Council Bluffs, visited her cousin, John Hutchings, and wife this week. J. W.Dowty was a pleasant caller Monday and before leaving renewed his faith In this family journal. J. S. Lord and family were among Dr. Reneker took his family up to Salem Sunday in his automobile, Miss Louise Rule of this city and Miss Jackson of St. Joseph, Mo., were Salem visitors Sunday, where they attended the Assembly, those from here who attended the Assembly at Salem Sunday. Dave Davies of Falls City attended lo business matters here Tuesday af ternoon.—Verdon Vedette. Mrs. Vet Simanton and daughter, Marion, attended the Epworth Assem bly at Lincoln this week. Dr. Green and family drove their auto up to Salem and attended the Assembly there Sunday. Harry Mann was down from Hum boldt Monday helping appraise the Neitzel marble works. Porter Randolph is enjoying his annual vacation from the duties of rural mail carrier. Miss Schoenheit of Kansas City visited with friends and relatives in this city this week. J. C. Wileman and family of Bara da visited at the home of T. J. Oliver and family Friday. ( Richard Dittmar spent a few days in St. Joseph the past week, return ing Monday. Col. Charles Marion cried a big horse sale at Highland, Kansas last Saturday. Dr. R. Cooper Bailey and wife spent a few days this week in Omaha. Mrs. Jessie Bunker of Dawson was in Falls City the first of the week. Going! Going! The remarkable sale we are now conducting has set the whole town talking t Every Spring and Summer Suit MUST BE CLEARED AWAY DURING THIS MONTH Any $22.50 or $20.00 Suit of Clothes in our store Now $12.50 Any $16.50 or $15.00 Suit of Clothes in our store Now $9.50 Sr*M. SEFF'-BB Miss Edna Carico was a Salem vis-j itor Sunday. —The taste tells—try our ice cream—Sowles. Harry Craig took in the Assembly at Salem Sunday. T. J. Oliver was a west end visit or the first of the week. Sheriff Fenton returned Friday from the western part of the state. Miss Fay DeWald spent Sunday with Miss Alma Dorste at Rulo. Will Crush and family attended the Assembly at Salem Sunday last. The dates for the Verdon Pioneer Picnic are August 18th and 19th. Mrs. Charles Marion and daugh ter, Audrey, left Tuesday morning for a \ isit with relatives at Kansas City and Independence, Mo. The Colonel accompanied them as far as Leaven worth, Kas., where he had business. . . —The Best Ice Cream at Sowles. —Dr. Trumpore—Massuer and face Massage, Phone 267. 3Df. Miss Gertrude Lum of Verdon was a guest at the party of Mrs. Andrew Cameron Monday. Walter Tanner, Stanley and Seott Stump and Louie Davidson were In Salem Sunday afternoon. Miss Clara Stockton, accompanied by her cousin, Gladys Stockton, left Wednesday for a three week1 visit with relatives at Stanberry, MO. A. N. Cook has disposed of his residence property in this city, In ex change for 160 acres of land in But ler County, Kansas. Property taken in at $5,000. Mr. Cook has no idea of farming, but will rent the land and continue traveling on the road, and will live in Falls City the same a ever. —For the Best Ice Cream go to D. W. Sowles. Fred Graham left Wednesday for Lincoln, where he will assist in the lumber yard that IiIb father became interested in some time ago. The Auburn canning factory will commence operations this week. The company has 850 acres of sweet corn planted, all of which is in splendid condition. David Graham of Kugene, Oregon, is spending the week in this city the guest of his uncle, A. Graham, lie is engaged in the shoe business and is on ids return from Boston and other eastern markets, where he goes an nually in quest of new creations in ills line. Mr. Graham is a son of the oldest brother of our townsman, A. Graham and this is the first meet ing of these relatives. Harvest Excursion $15.00 From Omaha to Melfort, Canada and Return Train leaves Falls City Tuesday, Au gust 17th, at 1:40 P. M. This is your only chance to see this country this summer for this amount. Make your ar rangements and go with me on this date. It will be a nice trip even if you do not buy land. for particulars WRITE OR CALL ON C. H. FALLSTEAD Falls City, Nebraska