What Tommy Did.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 56, 3 September 1904, Page 10

What Tommy Did.

Tho idea prevailed in Ballston that Hugh Cnrgill "didn't know anything but soap." Cargiil "knew soap" all right, but ho knew other things, too. Tho trouble was, he was so identified with Houp that no one gave any attention to his knowledge and ability in other, directions. He had begun in the soap business as a young man, and had continued in it through middle ago ; ho had begun in a modest way, and had increased his business slowly but surely. The people of Bullston and vicinity insisted that "Cargill's soap" was the best and purest made. The outside world paid not attention to Cargiil at first, but after a timo the big manufacturers began to ''sit up and take notice," as Cargiil expressed it. They found they wore losing business in that district, und, of course, somo one was getting it. They could not explain it on tho ground that Bullston had ceased us--ing soap, for they, knew better. At first each believed that his loss Mas sonic big rival's gain, but in time they learned that all were losing. "It's Cargiil, ' explained one of the. salesmen in that territory to his employer. "They 'swear by Cargiil there. He began in a small way — sort of accident, I guess — Iftit he's fceen slowly clinching everything within reach." "Must bo good business man," commented the employer. "2\'o," repliou the salesman, falling into the popuiar en or. "Cargiil doesn't know anything but soap, but he hus a partner who is a pubhor. Cargiil makes thu soap und Kelson sells it." "How much business do tliey do?" Kot much, gauged by our standard, but they're prospering and piogressing," explained tho snicsnuui. "The lubt time I was thore 1 looked into the uiuttor a little. They put out something through tho jobbing houses, but ,their market is mostly in that district. " "We can undersell them." "Oh, yos; but we have transportation charges to pay, and they have practicully nothing in that line, so far as their own district is concerned. Tho labour conditions are favourable to them, and they hava worked the cost of production down to about our level. They can make a trifling selling profit at our cost prico, whereas we #*li«ll be losing when we como to their cost price. We can beat them out iv the main market, but they have the advantage in their own territory. And they're- modest, in a way. Ni'ithor of them livea expensively, although they must have considerable money now ; it till goes to tho businewr, but they reduce risk to a minimum by keeping well within the limitations of their capital. They make sine they have tho money back of them before they try to do a thing." "Can't wo buy them out?" "Not at any reasonable figure So long as they're doing well they d rather have tho business tnan tho 'money. You're not dealing with mere avaiiciousnesw ; they have a- pride in the- business, and the people havo a pride in them. Tlmt'.s one of the things that mokes tuom strong —tho element of local pride." "Well, we can put a wall around thoir local market, anyway," returned tho big soap man. "We can do that while we're devising some plan for recovering the territory we havo lout. I wnnt you to watch tho thing closely. Go up there and livo for a while I If you can draw the lines any closer than they aro, do so ; but, in any event, don't let tliom gain an inch! Shut them in tight I Ctrcle tho district, and get a little closer to tho centre each time I Wo can tako care of them in tho general nvmket if you can hold thoin down whore they live. And wali'h for a chance to buy! We'll give 50,000d0l cash to get thorn out of business." That wan tho beginning of the memorublo "soap fight," concerning w>ich many stories are wtill told. Jim Hilund—goodnatured, jolly, energetic Jim Hiland, representing tho Acmo Soap Company — established headquarters at Rockland and devoted all his energies to the task of "boxing up" Cargiil soap. Nor was ho alono in his work. Other big soap companies had seen the importance of a similar lino of action, and two restless, pushing men kept Hilaud fiom being lonesome. This was both a help and a hindrance. They could work together against Cargiil, but each was watching an opportunity to get an advantage over the other two. The place choson from which to direct the fight wav tho best that could havo been selected. Kockland was situated at the head of Rock Lake, nnd was familiarly known as "the capital of tho lnka district." Tho one other town on Rock Lakeand all others in the immediate vicinity looked to Rockland for enlightenment, pleasure, and business. There was a collego at Rockland that boasted of fouromed and eight-oared crows ; there were also »ailboiits, an excellent theatre, und many other means of advertisement. To go to Ronkland Mas tho next thing to going to Chicago, and Rockland was almost the equal of Chicago in devising celebrations for the puipube of atliacting people. There- were boat iace», fairs, circuses, and ice carnivals every year. In brief, Rockland was a trade citadel, and it Avas less than ~ hundied miles from Balfrton. Cargiil hud advanced his lines almost to its limits. Hiland and his sdli.d m.iN, Beutley and Clark, Haw thut tlm mmUl bo tho point of ii l 1 ikk. bo tht'v on 1 1 ciiciied themselves btrougly. They fueled ihu C'aigill district leguhtrly, but they spent most of their timo nud money in Rui;klnud. It ■would bo etusy to follow up their advantage after being beaten back heiu. Their plan** were well and wisely made, for Rockland was tho very point upon which Cargill's cycg and mind were fixed. Ho and Nelson had just added some undivided profits to their capital, and they felt strong enough to enter upon a vigorouh campaign for the extension of the limits <>f their immediate territory. ■ "We ought to be sellin' a lot of nonp at Rocklund," Curg.il! remarked thoughtfully. "They got water enough xo's they ought to ÜBo a good bit ol woap, but they ain't gettin' the best. You go ovor an' .seG what you kiu do." So Nelson went to Rockland and win wullv "juried." The town was clearly in the hands of the onemy. The trifling amount of Cargiil soap that had reached the place* in the nrdinury course of busine«» vaa put away on the bnek shelves, <iihl thoro was no call for it whatever. Tho tradesmen '« windows were filled with other brands, the dead walls were brilliant with advertisements of the other brands, and most of tho people were talking of Hiland, Bant ley, and Clark. Thore was a plan, they said, to make R-ockland a distributing point for their soaps, which natnisiJiv fluttered the

citizens. It meant greater importance and more business for tho town. "Looks like some soap people- scared," commented Ciirgill. 'We've been huitir, 1 '0111 a little, 1 guess." "1 met Hiland, of tho Acmo Company," s.aid Nelson, "and he casually mentioned that ho thought he could induce his people to pay us 50,000d0l for our business if wo cared to quit," "What did you buy?" asked Cargiil quiokl.y "1 didn't say anything; I just laughed," replied Nelson. "You're all right, Steve," said Cargiil, relieved. "We ain't seated so ca*y." "I should say not," leturned Nelson. "But we've got a light on our hands, Hugh, and we've got to spend a good lot of money. Those soap mon over at-Rock-laiul uro Irving to shut us in. Yon know we've worked out giudually from here, so we don't sell very much through the joubing houses — ■ — " "We'll sell more," announced Cargiil decisively. "We'll live on Iho homo tradean' lot- it go at cos.t to tho jobbeis. If there's a fight comin 1 we'll dance into tho ring where they ain't lookin' for us, aw' then they won't have s.o much time to give to Kockland. We kin steal in there while they're lookin' tho other way." "That's a good plan as far as it goes," admitted Nelson; "but it doesn't go far enough. It will help, but it won't givo tin Kockland, and it's Kocklaud we need just now. Rockland will open up an entirely new district for us ; it's the key to a big stretch of territory. We must tight for it, and fight hard. Wo have a better chance to win there than we havo in tho outsido maiket, although we enn wony them some outside while we're getting Rockland." '1 guess you're right," Cargiil conceded, "it's been our policy, for the most part, to move out slowly from the centre, an' I guess we'd better keep at it. What's your plan?" "I havo several replied Nelson, " but we've gob to spend money." "Go ahead," «mid Cargiil. It wlas Oargill's readiness to leave practically everything except the details of manufacture to Nelson that had given tho _ impression that he not a good business man. Nelson had a better genoral idea of tho methods of the business world, and could usually plan to belter advantage, but Cargiil had occasionally given evidence of resourcefulness in an omergoncy, although ho did not like to bother with such dctailti. In this caso ho went back to the factory and Nelson wont back to Rocklaud with a chequebook. War followed. Such advertising Rockland and the surrounding country never had known before. "Cargiil soap" appeared wherever there wins room for it, but, unfortunately, there wasn't much room left, for the town had been pretty well preempted by the "big soap trio/ ns the three first on tho ground were sometimes called. IfoM'cvcr, by using fences and bams, Nelson managed to make «. pretty good showing, and ho Satroniocd the local papers liberally, till, ho seemed to mnko no progress, for tho local dealers were not with him. "What's thnt new Oiwgill soap?" ho once heard a housewife ask. "It's all in the advertising, I guess," the grocer replied. "We'vo got a little eomowhoro, but I'd liavo to hunt it up. What's tho matter with the Acme soapi" Nelson laboured with tho tradesman after tho woman had gone, but he made no impression. "I push the kind thnt sells best," tho grocer averted ; "and the call is for tho olher brand*" "Tho call would bo for ours if you'd push it," argued Nclnon. "Oh, some a»ka for it once in a while," •aid the grocer cnrolcniily, "but it's only out of curiosity. It doesn't pay to keep it." "Oiv» it a fair trial," urged Nelson. "Why don't you 'dres«' ono of tho windows with it'/* 1 "No U80," answered the grocer wearily. "I'll rent one of your windows and display tho noiip my«elf," said Nelson. "They're rented," roplied tho grocer. Investigation showed that this was also true olsowhere. Tho "big soap trio" had rented available windows outright, thtin giving tho groccro an additional sonrco of income and an additional incentive for keeping the Cargiil soap in the background. In viow of these circumstances, tho advertising did little good. The people wero pretty well wttHflea with the soaps they wero using, it required an extra effort to get tho local tradesmen to bring out tho Cargiil *oap, some of thorn did not Wp it at all, and the impression prevailed that it was a cliea-p gride, anyway — an -impression that had its origin with tho "trio." In desperation, Nelson decided to cut the wholesale price, in the hope of thus getting tho goodwill of -the rctnilers. Ho know that tho quotation* were the samo for all tho soapn at that time, the advantage naturally being with those j who hod the market and wero working strenuously to hold it. "A good thing !" exclaimed the first man to whom he made the proposition. "That will make it worth your while to bring Cargiil soap to tho front," Baid Nelson. "How big an order will you givo me on a twenty per cent, out?" » "Oh, J'd want to wait and pee how it wonted," was tho cautious reply. "I've got a few bars of your soap on hand new." Thin made Cargiil suspicious, and ho made a further investigation, with the result that ho discovered that the other soaps were sold subject to a rebate io meet any prico he might make. If ho made a cut tho local retailers would get tho benefit of that cut on future orders und a lybato 011 recent buck orders given the other companies. No wonder tho grocer encouraged him to lower the price. But the grocer was too short-sighted or too cautious to gain his end ; ho could have paid for a small order out of his increased profits. Nelson tried other towns in tho Rock Lake district, and found them tied up an tight as Rockland. Tho trio had been ahead of him everywhere, hud mudu many friend*, and hud guined prestiges through success at Rocklund. Whatwus good enough for Rock'.und was good enough for anybody. Besides, tho trio had promised to contribute largely to the next street fair, and tho mpliolom p liolo district was interested in tho biiccess of tho Rncklund street fairs. Then Nelson planned to open a store of his own, but Cargiil did not approve. "Folks buy their soap with their groceries an' other things," he said when he was consulted on ono of Nelson's trips homo to discuss the situation. "You might do a little with tho toilet soap thnt way, but not with tho laundry soap, an' that's our big hold." "Wo could givo it away for a while," suggested Nelson. "Too big a place," objected Cargiil. "We might force the grocers to tako it up better, but we'd havo to havo more'n one store whilo we wna doin' it, an' it would be jest like those other fellors to begin payin' tho grocers to give away their Hoap to keep fcho trade. Wo ain't got as much money as they have. How's the toilet soap goin'?" "Oh, there isn't much of a fight on that." "It ain't where- our money is, either," commentod Cargiil } "but it helps to git us known. Keep pushin' it." "At least, we might give away soap during the street fair," urged Nolson. "Yes, we might do that," udmitted Cargiil. "And wo ought to mako a uplurge in tho parade." "1 ain't much on splurges in this thing," returned Ciwgill. "We tried it, on' thov beat us out. It's three to one.

an' all richer'n we nre. What's the fad at Rockland?" "Boating of ono kind or another. They're ail crazy over water sports, and every second man has a sailboat." "Make a yacht out of soap, 1 ' advised Cargiil, "an' put it on a Hoat for the parade. Thnt's splurge enough for us." This brilliant idea gave tho Cargiil Company its first real hold on tho Rockland public. Tho fair was a grand miccehs, larger and better thun ever before. The "big soap trio" contributed liberally to tho hpcctacular features of tho occasion, they mudo thcmseivcs indispensable to tho management, and incidentally they arranged to udveYtiso their wares on a- big scale. They had great, llaring floats, and plenty of printed mat> ter to throw away. But they wero forgotten when the "Cargiil yacht" appeared, tor that caugnt tho fancy of the public immediately. It was not so big or ko brilliant as somo of tho other displays, but it was just tho right thing, and it had all tho effect of a complete surprise. Other floats had been dibcusscd, described, and lauded beforehand, bin. nothing was known of this until it appeared, "Whose is it?" was the question on every hand, £or the name, though given, wa» not pub obtrusively forward. Of course, tho question was answered as soon as asked, and "Cargiil" was a • familiar sound that day and the next. Advertising had made the name known, but it took this to really impress it upon the people. Hiland knew that ho and his allied rivals had lost their first trick in the game when he heard tho questions and comments: "Did you see- tho Cargill yacht?" "Wasn't it a clever idea?" "Did you cvor try any of their soap?" and so on. And Hiland had another matter to worry him at the same time. Ho hud just received a letter from his company, in which theso pertinent questions and statements appeared : "AVhat are you doing at Rockland, anyway? You've been spending enough money to make things interesting ior Cargiil, but you don't seem to he able to even hold his attention. Instead of being shut in he has jumped right over your head and is making a strong bid for the outside market. We've already hail to cut prices to the jobbers in somo instances to keep him from getting a foothold that would enable him to make real trouble in the future. His influence isn't great, but he has unsettled tho market in one or two quarters, and we never know whore to look for him next. Didn't you understand that you wero sent up thero to squeeze him into a small corner, or did you think we ■were giving you a vocation'?" Hiland hunted up the editor of the leading newspaper. "When do you have your yacht races?" ho asked. Ho know that, in tho inland lake region, they call everything that ourrk-s a wail a "yucht," so he used that word advisedly. "Oh, we have two or three every summer," the editor replied. "The people are crazy about sailing here. The July j'aco is an big an affair as tho ice carnival or tho street fair. Boats come from all parts of tho lake, and some of them are transported overland from othor lakes near hero. They're not very big, you know." "How would it do," ask«d Hiland, "to oiler your local ynchb club a porpotual challengo cup— a really fine ono?" "Great !" cried the editor. "It would set the town wild 1 Shall I nnnounce it?" "You may, if you will first arrange with tho club, (b be mini that it will bo acceptable nnd accepted. It will have to Be called the Acme cup." Hiland would have given a good doal to get "Acmo «oap" into tho title of tho cup, but that would surely make a joke of it the country over. "Acme" alone would have to do. Tho oditor was enthusiastic, and Hiland w«s well satisfied with himself when ho left tho ofllce. Ho had checkmated tho only Cargill move that threatened danger. In the rending-room of his hotel ho sat down to think it over, and tho more ho thought tho better pleased he was with himself. 110 had done the ona thing that could mako him more popular thun ho was already, not only in Rockland but in all the lako district. And it was not the legs pleasing because he had stolen a march on his allied rivals. He was so gratified that he could not refrain from seeking on immediate endorsement of his coun.e from some native, so ho turned to a man sitting near him. "Live hereabouts?" lio asked, falling into tho vernacular of ilio place. "Hereabouts, yes," replied the man. "I guess I've got that soap yacht that had you people so craxy knocked silly," Hiland went on in his bluff, hearty May. "That was a great scheme of Cargill's, but it was only advertising — and cheap at that. Kb takes the Acme Company to do a thing right. Wo have the best aoap, and we do things iv a big way." "What have you done?" asked tho man. "I've just offered a fine silver challenge cup to the local boat club, to make the July races interesting and really worth while." •The man did not seem to be impressed. He chawed his cigar meditatively for a few moments before replying. "Guess I'll have to challenge for that cup," ho snid at last. "You I" exclaimed Hilaud. "\Vho are you?" "I'm Cargill," replied the man. From that moment Cargill bogan to think. "We got to do what Tommy did," he said to Nelsou when he returned home. "What's that?" asked Nelson. "Bo real sports," replied Cargill. "The public likes a real sport more'u it does anything ulse." , But the game was temporarily in Hiland's hands. Benlley and Clark fumed and swore and talked of bud faith when' tho cup nnnounoement was made, but Hiland could afford to bo tranquil. Ho was the man of the hour. "Hiland, tho Acme soup man," was on every tongue. He had arranged for a cup worth whilo ; he had the sporting spirit ; his company was generous. Acme soap boomed at the expense of all others. But who was going to challengo for tho cup? It would be put up in tho July nice, but after that it would be solely a challenge affair. Most of tho entries for tho July races wore Rockland boats, nnd it •was a practical certainty that Rockluud would become the first owners of the cup. Then who would challonge for it? "1 will," came the answer from Ballstem. "Who is it?" was tho next question. "Cargill, tho soap man," was tho reply. Thereupon thoro was laughter and comment, but it died away with lalev news from UaJlston. Cargill was building a boat for the expiess purpose of capturing that cup. Ho would come after it in August, and he would udviso Rockland to bo ready for him, as ho intended tv h#,*e the best boat of its size that ever was built in the State. "Say I he's a real sport I" exclaimed Rockland, and, just as Cargill hud said, a "real sport" was an object of affectionate admiration. Rockland was jubilant. This meant encouragement to boatbuilding and sailing — a sporting and business impetus. Rockland was confident of success in the July race, when only boats whoso qualities wero known would compete 5 but how about meeting a new boat/ It would be folly to put forward anything but tho best and latest in the boot-building line. Rockland decided to demonstrate

its sporting spirit and resources by also putting forwmd 11 new bout, the merits of , which could be tested in (ho July race. No sooner mus lhiv> decision reached than Hentley and Clark offered to build the boat themselves, but this offer wan declined. This was a Rockland uffair, and Kockiund public; spirit would not permit it to bo turned over to an outsider. Of coiuse, if Bentley and Clark wished to make a contribution to the fund That was enough. Bentley and Clark contributed. There could be no doubt that they were fine, generous fellows, but somehow "Curgill" wo-3 the name most frequently heard. llilund discovered * that the "Cargiil challenge" completely overshadowed the, "Acme cup"" in the public mind. "But wait for the race," he wrote to headquarters. "They will forget him an eoou 11s he is beaten, and he will bo sneaking back to Bullstou on a. freight train." To which headquarters replied : "Better offer him 75,000 dollars to quit business and end the thing now." But Cargiil wasn't quitting. "Got to get that cup before I kin talk soap," was all he would say when^lliland went over to Ballston to sec him. ' The details of that famous race are not to bo given here. The July race, usually -sailed on the Fourth, had been postponed to the end of the month to give Roekland's new boat a chance to compete, and the new boat had demonstrated its superibrity. In consequence, Rockland was reasonably confident, and even Cargiil had a word of praise for it before the race. "It's a fine boat," he said, "an' I'm glad of ifc. I don't want that cup unless I kin take it from the best bout that llockiand kin build." Now, wasn't that a fine, manly, sportsmanlike utterance? Well, rather. Rockland found itself cheering Cargiil while he was giving instructions to his captain. If it had heard those instructions — well, never mind that. The race was bailed and lost by Cargiil. His boat made a lino .showing, and there was no lack of excitement, but it was beaten by thirty seconds at the finish. There weie those who said! that Cargill's skipper was at fault, that he didn't get the most possible out of the boat, and there was a note of sympathy in the rejoicing of the victors. Cargiil had risked money for glory, und had lost both. How would lie take it? Would he blame it on the skipper, or make some other excuse? A loser always had some reason to give for his defeat. "1 ain't much on speech-makin'," said Oargill, as they crowded about, "an* I kin only say that the best boat won. My skipper was all right, an' my boat was all right, but you had a better boat. That's all, except that I'm comin' after that cup agin." The next day the last of the retailers had to capitulate and put Cargiil soap in the foreground. That's what the people wanted. "He's got nerve- !" they said. "He's a good io«?er!" A week later, after hearing from headquarters, Hiland went over to Ball&ton and offered Cargiil and Nelson 150,"000 dollars for their business. "Toa much fun in it," was Cargiu"« roply. ''I'm jest gittin' worked up to this yachtin" game, an' I got to play it out. We did middlin' well this year, oven if wo did lose, but you wait till we win that cup, an' there won't be nobody else sollin' soap for fivo hundred miles in any direction." In spite of tho utmost efforts of the "big soap trio" Cargill increased tho advnntage ho had gained. He wa» now well and favourably known fiom ono end of the Rock Lake district to the other, and tho story of his sportsmantihip had even gone the rounds of the metropolitan papers. Ho had pub himself on even terms with the others in the territory over which they had fought, nnd he was gaining thoro and advancing his lino* elsewhere. Furthermore, he retaliated for every effort made -to shut him in by making an assault on the outside market. All this Hiland reported from time to timo to his employers. "I think we'd better chip in again to help them hold the cup," advised Hiland. "If ho should win hod be the biggest man in that half of the State." "All right," said the manager. "You look. after that, and I'll make him a formal offer of 250,000 dollurs for his business. It's worth that to us to get him out of tho way." Tho reply to this offer was more encouraging than anything) that had preceded it. Cargiil merely asked that it be' held open a little while, and the manager, unwilling to let the chanco escape him, answered that tho offer would stand until rescinded by him. Cargiil himself could not have told just why he luudo this request. He had no real intention of selling, but he was a cautious man, and the price was more than fair. Thus* matters stood when the second challenge race for the cup was sailed. Cargiil and Nelson watched it from the shore, each smiling in a confident way, but for different reasons. Nelson had attended to most of the preliminaries on this occasion, and his smile broadened as their boat scoured and maintained a good kail. But toward tho ond Cargiil began to look worried. "The blame fool's goin' to win if he don't look out," he muttered. "Of course, he's going to win," returned Nelson ; "but that skipper you swore by never could do it. I put a. now man in charge just before the race." "You changed skippers !" cried Cargiil. "Certainly," said Nelson. "That other man was no good. Everybody said he lost the race for us hist year." "You changed skippers !" repeated Cargilt. Then, with sudden energy : "You bloino idiot ! don't you know that folks likes a good loser ! Any fool kin be a gopd winner, but tho publio has a lingerin! an' strong affection for the feller that kin smile when he's losin'. He's the real sport ; he's the man they like ! Why, we pretty near pushed thoso other soap fellows out of the Rock Lake district by losin' the last race ! An' you changed skippers!" Cnrgill began to jump up and down and' gesticulate wildly. "You jump for a telegraph office !" he cried. "Quick, now ! an 1 wire tho Acmo Soap Company that we'll take their offer of 250,000 dollars ! Great juinpin* grasshoppers I we won't have no friends at all hero when wo win this race ! Didn't you ■hear mo say I was goin' to do what Tommy did?" "Would Tommy sell," grumbled Nelson as he turned to follow instructions, "If Tommy's wisc,"^ retorted Cargiil, "you bet he'll sell his business the first time ho wins ! Why, we'll begin losin' trade five minutes after the race is over. Hustle, now !" —Elliot Flower in the Philadelphia Saturday Evening Post.