Try a Re-roofing Campaign

A visitor in town dropped in to see the local lumber dealer. "How's business ?" he asked.

'lFriend," replied the lumber dealer, "the only man doing business here is the undertaker, and he can't collect for half of his coftins."

"Why, business shouldn't be so bad in this district. The crops are good, and the farmers strike me as being a progressive lot. Have you ever tried the plan of calling on each prospect personally?" he asked the dealer.

"Yes," was the reply, "I called on everybody who answered my ads or letters, and I either made them buy or explain why they didn't. In fact I just naturally exhausted

Dimmick Lumber Company

PACIFIC

CAR rad CARGO the territory with calls. For two weeks I haven't heard of anyone even suspecting he was going to build. The plan's a good one, but for the time 'being, it's worked out."

"Listen," said the visitor:"On the way up here, in the torvn alone, I counted six very bad shingle roofs. In fact, I even put down the street numbers so that I could find them again without losing any time. Norv understand, these roofs were discovered on my way up to your yard. I'll bet I can walk around through this town and surrounding district and list dozens of bacl roofs. And I'll go further and risk the smokes that ferv if any of these people who own the houses covered by these bad roofs, have been urged to repair or replace them. I'll bet you can start out ringing door bells at these houses that have these bad roofs, and can dig up enough orders to make your stocks look like last year's Christmas pudding. There is your opportunity to get some good fall business. There are leaky roofs in every part of the country that ought to be fixed up before winter. Hop to it, old fellow, and if you do your job right, your business will be brisk for a while."

Did he do it ?

Youbethe did. Business was so rotten he literally jumped at the opportunity to rRove some stock. First of all, he went out to see the people rvho owned the six bad roofs his friend had cited. The first one was owned by old Tomkins. He said he'd been planning to re-roof that house for two years but had been holding off waiting for lower prices. Well, the dealer showed him how much prices had come down since last winter, and told him more about the shingles than he ever knew before. He also named a man he knew who could be secured to start the re-laying work at once.

He bought the job. He then remarked that his son had been planning to build a bungalow but had not yet decided fully about it, and that call on him might do some good, since building materials had come down so much.

On the way to the son's house the'dealer passed the fire engine house and saw the department just returned from a fire. Inquiry developed that they had just put out a fire on a roof. The dealer took the number, drove out there, and sold the material for replacing the burned roof.

' When he showed his pictures and plans for bungalows to Tomkins' son, he was so pleased with them and with the prices quoted, and with the offer of free plans with the material, that he promised to settle the m'atter with his wife that evening. Two days later vour Tomkins bought the bungalow material, choosing a special'design from the dealer's plan books.

Just a sample of the possibilities of business lying dormant. Get up and rustle for it. It's there. if you go after it.

After harvest is over there will be ma{ny repair jobs to do around the farm, and the farmer will jbe in the mood to fix up and repair. Impress upon himthe necessity for housing his stocks, his crops, his implements, and all his possessions in the best possible way.

It's all a matter of centering on some building ideas and applying them practically and interestingly to the needs of the other fellow.

If that other fellow has not yet arrived at the point of realizing those needs, and so has not been asking for bids on same, so much the better. The building idea that you plant yourself, is the one that brings the best returns.

L. D. MACDONALD RETURNS FROM EASTERN BUSINESS TRIP

L. D. MacDonald, MacDonald-Harrington Lumber Co., San Francisco, has returned from a month's business trip in the East. Mr. MacDonald visited all the large lumber consuming centers, going as far east as Boston. While in New England, he also made a trip to Maine to call on some of his old friends in the "Pine Tree State." He reports that lumber conditions in the East look very satisIactory.

. ED.GARLAND SPENDS VACATION IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Ed. Garland, rail manager of the Charles R. McCormick Lumber Co., with headquarters in San Francisco, is on a two weeks' vacation rvhich he is spending in Southern California. While in the South, he planned to spend a few days in Los Angeles, calling on his meny lumbermen friends there and also look over lumber conditions in the South. He rvill return to his desk around the middle of the month. Mrs. Garland accompanied him on the trip.

Floyd Elliott Spends Vacation In The Northwest

Floyd Elliott, Bay District representative of Charles R. \,IcCormick & Co., is on a twb weeks' vacation trip that he will spend touring the northwest. While in the north he will spend several days inspecting some of the larg6 Fir mill operations. He will go as far north as Vancouver, B. C., and also plans to visit the Rainier National Park and Columbia River Highway drive. He will return to San Francisco around the first of September. Mrs. Elliott is making the trip with him.