SALESMAN  AND  CUSTOMER  255

encounter  on  a  trip  between  New  York  and
Chicago.
From  a  perusal  of  the  requirements  necessary ­
  for  a  salesman  in  this  territory,  and  I  may
add  that  I  have  not  overcolored,  or  underestimated ­
  them,  it  is  apparent  that  the  right
man  will  be  difficult  to  find.  If  a  house  cannot ­
  see  its  way  clear  to  enter  this  field  with  the
right  kind  of  a  representative,  it  had  better
remain  out  of  it  altogether  or  combine  with
several  concerns  in  allied  lines  and  send  one
high  grade  man  to  represent  them  jointly.  It
is  extremely  doubtful  if  any  one  could  do
justice  to  more  than  five  firms  in  such  a  venture. ­
  The  plan  adopted  by  European  houses
is  to  send  a  capable  young  man  to  one  of  the
countries  and  let  him  live  there  until  he  has
acquired  the  language,  the  customs  of  the  people ­
  and  their  ways  of  doing  business.  Then
they  put  him  on  the  road.  This  serves  to
demonstrate  the  thoroughness  which  marked
every  step  of  the  European  conquest  of  these
markets.  Our  American  public  schools  are
now  instructing  pupils  in  Spanish  and  Latin