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
