Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1886 — A Boston Female Book Agent [ARTICLE]

A Boston Female Book Agent

Two Buffalo Times men were recently besieged by a Boston book agent, who took possession of the only remaining chair in the sanctum and began to pour ia her broadside. _. .* “My name,” said she, “is Miss Alice McAllister, and I come from Boston, the seat of culture and the home of all good women.” “What made you leave it, Alice?” said the reporter, seeing that the combined indifference of the two newspaper men had brought the wemail of culture to a sudden halt. “I’m a traveling advocate of women’s rights and a wandering book-worm. ” The reporter was about to ask her if the walking was good, but by this time she had shaken 'off what little embarrassment she might have felt at first,

and would not give the reporter a chance to utter a word. “I have been to all the Eastern cities, and am only stopping in Buffalo for three months to take a few orders on thiswork of ‘Eminent Women. 5 lam no every-day book-agent, as you will perceive. I carry my sample-book in my muff, in which I had a pocket made for the purpose. I do no advertising through the papers, I advertise in persqn. I despise very young men and very old men. Neither can appreciate my work. I find out the names of every man in the office and what position they hold before I enter it, so that I can call every person by name. I pay no attention to the signs over the doors which forbid agents to enter. They never know I’m an agent until I’m fairly settled, and then the whole office usually makes up one or more subscriptions for my book, so as to get rid of me. lam never in a hurry. If people do not subscribe, or remain immovable after I have used Up all my exertions, then I faint and work on their sympathy. I got into a railroad office once, and they gave me a pass to ♦Chicago if I would leave the town. I jOnce recited the first verse of a poem of my own production in a newspaper office, and the editor offered to subscribe for my book if I would omit the remaining stanzas. When I called around to collect my money they told me that he was dead, and that there was no money left after paying his funeral expenses.” All this, and even the threats of the lady that she would recite this entire poem and scan every meter, failed to have any effect on the newspaper men, who could witness anything •npto a death scene or listen to a funeral oration without flinching, and she departed in disgust, saying that she would nevei 1 call again, that the newspaper men had no money anyhow, and that, if they did. subscribe, thev oould never be found when she wanted to collect- So the lady t-ook a walk to nerve herself for a new attack. 1