He Knew the Secret of Friendship

An old friend of mine, a very successful salesman, used to say that the difference between a salesman and an engineer is, an engineer is ninety percent bull and ten percent slide rule, and a salesman knows nothing a,t all about a slide rule.

Be that as it may, and it was stated for a gag, of course, there is much to be said for selling as a science. And one of the most scientific things an ambitious salesman can develop in himself is his letter writing.

Just the other day I was reading about the personal characteristics of one of the world's great, and v,ras caught and held by this stateme,nt:

..HE KNEW THE SECRET OF FRIENDSHIP.''

It was Elbert Hubbard, that great philosopher of selling, who wrote those words about Eugene Field, one of the greatest letter writers of American history, and this is what Hubbard said also:

"He hqd a great heart. He was a friend. He lived every day so that he loved and was loved in return. And his greatest works of friendship were the letters he wrote his friends. This man's greatest claim to friend-making was based on the letters he frequently wrote. So, let us consider a description of those letters; for in letter writing, most men are woefully weak.

"His letters breathed kindness, appreciation, truth, understanding. A man lvho received one of those letters would no more part with it than he would with a portrait of his mother. Each letter bore an element of joy; a message of wisdom; a jigger of wit to give the wisdom flavor. Every letter was short. When he was through, the letter ended. No postscripts. FIe never preached. His letters never "called you down"-they called you up. Up into the sunlight of friendly interest. His letters were all short messages of geniality and friendship. He never uttered a gloomy thought. Only happy thoughts should be perpetuated on paper. His letters made you pleased with yourself, with the world. He came right to the point; never hid a grain of kindness under a bushel of wordy chaff. A lot of loose words turn the milk of human kind,ness to clabber."

Thus vrrote Elbert Hubbard concerning the letter-writing of Eugene Field. True, we cannot all of us write such letters as Field wrote, but at least we can try for some of the points made in the above; try for better, happier, and more frequent letters to our friends. No limit to what that sort of thing could do for salesmen; and, after all, arqn't we all salesmen of something?

Jonucry Housing Stqrts 74,OOO

Washington, D.C.-Nonfarm housing starts in January totaied 74,4n units, l5f6 belorv thc extracirdinary January total last year but favorably comparing rvith most postwar January starts; onlv 1,000 units r".ere public housing.

A dor,vnrvard revisir,n in the October 1955 figures brings the preliminary estiriated 1955 starts dorvn ro 1,3-8,7ffi units, rvhich is still 108,300 units ahead of 1954; NovemberDecember figures are still being studied.

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