The billboard (Jan 1899)

4 THE BILLBOARD "The milbnard" Distributors on Roller Skates. By Jam W. Hoke. Some years ago. roller stating riots Were all the race throughout the length and breadth of the land, at which lime, many of the expurrs in that line made enormous distances <n compel it Ive races. English people have luring a roller ;k;:te . :e with the bicycle, 'hi- skutc being in fact two small bicycle wheel* with pneumatic tires, mounted fore and aft. The price. fSS, prevented any great nuuilier of sales, hut a few months ago a Buffalo concern put out n modification of this article a' a lew price, something like (10. and men on bicycle roller states, or "Buffalo foot cycles." as they are called, can fre- quently be Been on the boulevard" of x '=-- V"'!-- and Chicago, keeping pace ' speed !e- A gentleman In « Western city, in- terested In distributing and slgn-tnck- ine. who was formerly a roller stat- ing crank, tells me that he intends to equip some of his men with Buffalo foot cycles, and give them a trial of a "One"rftSf"claims of the skate bi- cycle Is that when reaching n fiiljii section, tlie skates can be thrown over the shnnlder and ordinary walk- ing Indulged In. This in a subject that nilcht interest distri -s In level sections. A walk of ten or twelve miles a day. carrying a great bundle or circulars or sarnnles. or earns for tacking. I* n hard day's wi Mime man m cover double the territory In the sane length of time, and thereby distrlbnti double the quantity, there will sr liecin to nnpenr n reasonable nrooi of profit In this wort. Aside from the utility of the Idea, the novelty of It for th° first few .i-i.-c. II.- .lu.nght il railu-r high ^ H |T™, ul ™™ul"■ivprtW?* thll'thi lml said he »wnl ]«iv it. He slated r int<inic at a wbu, WRITTEN puniililfi or — in inp^innd> d( u«c £°i^;;i re liiat." lie does not i wrong. He 1;ti..-.y« mi day.'' Couldn't tell n This verv same i will pny an goad Job If li price for the writing of an advertli u'ent. circular, newspaper or a other kind, and be pays it freely, he wants space in a npwspii pays the price asked without mnr. but when II comes to distribut- ing, lie wants the work done for ly nothing. Why is this? Simply I] cause the merchant thinks any 01 mu do distributing and do It right, ■tnim he is mlstaten. " ipbiyed hoys for her of -ears to do bis distrl hill ling. but fraud mat the wort did not nay him. Hie believe* in house-to-house distributing!, anil further stated that shmis. saloons, etc. He also said I hat lie worked the eltv thoroughly from house to house, and the entire distri- bution cost li I in Si.rfl nor thousand.. >'o results whatever.- Was this not a sad eM.erlen.-e? 1 MM Mm where be made his mistake, and nroved to 1dm that he knew nothlus about honse-to- dlslriluitluv. He adiultted lliat 1 was right. ltcf»re leaving, lie said that he liad watched my men ami had come to the conclusion IT * METHODS to build a hoi--.* and then put the foundation under it. One looks Just as sensible to me as the other, and I think all experienced d 1st rile i- - - statement, that ._ .11 get" It is ail good to solicit their trade, and getting are two difer- The local merchant thinks about distribution, lything in that line I— ttsnally goes out on the street anil hires three or four small bovs. or a cnnnle of hobo tmmns or bar-room loafers to do the work. He thinks that en.'s It. Just so the matter is out of his place of ousiness. After lie has tried this thing once or twice lie concludes that distributee does j>M pnv: simply because he got no results from ills printed matter. Should he call upon the local distributor for prices and be asked a reasonable tie- nre. vou would Imagine, jndclnc from his general actions, that the distribn- hundred of them are effective advertising. Then the merchant wonders why lie does not get any results. Now. if the regular distributor did tills work for him. he would exoeot nliout per cent of the circulars to bring him bother Willi 7>r. MI'es Co.. the Dr. Clinsc Co.. C, I. Tlood ft Co.. or anv others you mnv have on your list of patrons. It would paid them "to patronize you. If It did