264 SELLING LUMBER 



dealer in buying and selling yards, help to persuade an architect, 

 and a thousand things which requires an intellect of a high order; 

 he is a man of dignity and one who is at all times a gentleman. 



It is a recognition on the part of the Southern Pine Associa- 

 tion of all these splendid qualities possessed by you gentlemen, 

 together with the unexampled opportunities you have, which is 

 responsible for this call to you. 



Now I shall endeavor to confine my remarks to the topic of 

 how a traveling representative may best promote the interests of 

 the Association. There are so many other papers to be read, and 

 which have already been read, on so many subjects connected with 

 the general trade extension movement, that it is difficult to pre- 

 vent overlapping into the province of some other speaker. There 

 has not been time to prepare the addresses and compare them for 

 the purpose of eliminating any repetition, and therefore, if I should 

 through inadvertance touch on any phase which has previously 

 been presented at these sessions, you will understand the reason 

 How Best therefore, and excuse me. 



Association How may you best help your employer and the Association 



as a missionary? This perhaps can be answered quickly by a quo- 

 tation from the Scriptures : "Be able to give a reason for the 

 faith that is within you." 



You will recall previous references of mine to "trained rep- 

 resentatives." It is axiomatic that you cannot tell that which you 

 do not know. That heretofore you may have been ignorant of 

 the purposes and objects of the Southern Pine Association is an 

 admissible and pardonable excuse; that you should be so here- 

 after admits of no defense, and would belie my interpretation of 

 the words "trained representatives." 



The literature published by this Association is the encyclo- 

 paedia of the trade. Unlike other, it may be obtained free, merely 

 for the asking. Patient and studious perusal of these documents 

 will enable any one of you to become expert in, and discuss with 

 authority almost all phases of association work. To do missionary 

 work in this connection it would seem to me, therefore, that the 

 first requisite is a desire for the welfare of your industry, its 

 Association and your employer; and naturally resultant therefrom, 

 of yourself. I cannot conceive any man lacking in this requisite, 

 but it is not at all improbable that such a desire has been more 

 or less dormant. What we want to do is to vitalize that desire 

 to the pitch of healthy enthusiasm ; for healthy enthusiasm, forti- 



