SELLINGLUMBER 265 



fied with an intelligent grasp of facts, will surely fit you to preach 

 the gospel of Southern Pine. I am quite sure that what you have 

 already heard relative to the work that is being done by the Asso- 

 ciation has already kindled that dormant desire into the vital flame 

 of enthusiasm, so we may now safely proceed to a consideration 

 of your training. 



You have all seen, doubtless, that when a politician, a mis- 

 sionary, an industrial or commercial lecturer, or any other man, 

 speaks on any subject from the platform, he avails himself of every 

 legitimate gesture, trick of oratory, fact and figure to support his 

 proposition. Let it be so with you. If you will thoroughly famil- Ammunition in 

 iarize yourself with the wealth of literature issued by the Associa- Literature" 

 tion, and then acquaint yourselves with the efforts that the Asso- 

 ciation itself is putting forth through many other and varied chan- 

 nels, you will soon be well equipped to storm the trenches of ignor- 

 ance with the 42-centimeter shells of fact and knowledge. 



I dwell somewhat on this point of self-culture, or training, 

 because it is to my mind the keynote of the whole proposition. It 

 is "preparedness" brought right home to yourself. But training is 

 not merely the miscellaneous accumulation of sundry facts. They 

 must be marshalled in your mind in logical sequence ; they must be 

 corelated to each other and to the subject; they must be so well 

 understood, digested and analyzed and card-indexed, in your mind 

 that a ten-minute talk by you to anyone on Association work should 

 immediately stamp you as a man of parts and power. Thorough 

 mastery of one of these thoughts will soon enable you to give the 

 dealer a talk like unto a mental birthday cake. And remember, 

 you can get all the ammunition you want from the Association, with 

 additional powder for your flask by observing and using the work 

 which it is doing. There is no necessity to call your attention in 

 detail to what is being done, as by this time you have doubtless 

 assimilated this in very large part, but perhaps a brief reference to 

 some of the more important phases will not prove tedious. 



I want to call pointed attention to the greatest help you will 

 find, and that is, to the advertising which the Association and 

 your various employers are doing generally, and the lumber trade Advertising 

 papers. That lumber buyer who does not illuminate his business Help for the 

 existence with the light of at least one lumber trade paper, is 

 poking about in the dark of commercial stagnation and affording 

 you an opportunity of getting a good price. But most of your 

 customers probably take one or more of these papers. I can cer- 



