A Good Experience by Mrs. C. L. Stone

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Sep 19, 1907

A Good Experience

By Mrs. C. L. Stone

Two weeks before the Young People's Convention at Mount Vernon, Ohio, a company of teachers at the Beechwood Summer Normal, Fairland, Ind., were lamenting that they could not attend the convention. Suddenly one of them exclaimed, “Let us canvass our way there and back.”

A few days before, these teachers had been members of a party of twenty-eight students from the academy, that had sold three hundred copies of the Temperance number of the Youth's Instructor in about two hours. With this experience vivid in their minds, the suggestion to sell papers on their way to Mount Vernon seemed a very feasible plan. The idea was received with enthusiasm, and after carefully considering the possibilities, a company of eight was organized, and a rush order for two thousand papers was telegraphed to Takoma Park Station. In due time the papers arrived, and early Monday morning, the eight young people, properly chaperoned, left Indianapolis, Ind., on the interurban line running between that city and Columbus, Ohio.

The plan was to work every town in Indiana on that line, so the party was subdivided into four companies, each being assigned a number of cities and villages. Three times on the trip, we timed ourselves to meet in the larger cities to exchange experiences, and to encourage any who might become disheartened.

In the larger places we sold only in the business part of town, but in the smaller places we were obliged to sell from house to house. After leaving Indiana, we worked only the larger cities, and in these we united our forces.

At the end of the fourth day a company of very tired, but very enthusiastic young people reached Mount Vernon. Each had sold papers enough to meet all car fare for the round trip. We had learned many lessons about the best methods of selling, for it should be remembered that with the exception of one or two, the company was almost wholly inexperienced in selling papers. We felt that the Lord had been very good, and had especially blessed us in selling. Although it rained two half days, the daily average of sales was from fifty to seventy-five papers each.

We met with the greatest kindness among the people. One thing was especially impressed upon the young people: frequently people asked them if they were traveling in that kind of work without a chaperon. Upon their stating that there were married ladies in the company, the people would say, “That is all right, but I wouldn't think it proper unless there were.”

At the end of our journey all expressed themselves as very glad they had had the privilege of going to the convention in just the way they did, and it was the verdict of all that any two consecrated young people could go anywhere in the United States, meeting their expenses as they travel, by selling our papers.

MRS. C. L. STONE.