well remember Mrs. P. S. Randolph, an exceptionally fine business woman, who unfortunately was burned to death a year later. Mr. Randolph proved one of the best friends I made in Pittsburgh, and a hearty welcome always awaits me at his place of business or home.
Fred Burki, though I had nothing to offer him at that time, he being a grower exclusively, won my respect and admiration nevertheless.
A. W. Smith, a true philosopher and a man well-read and well-posted on all things horicultural as well as cultural, still affords me delightful hours whenever I chance to meet him.
I might go on and mention other names, all equally notable.
In Pittsburgh I became acquainted with a traveling man named Jerome Stacey, in whose company I traveled for four successive weeks. From him, as an experienced traveler, I received material help in making up my route to carry me to the end of my trip.
From Pittsburgh I went to Wheeling, thence to Zanesville. My experience in those two cities was by no means discouraging. 0"d friend Laupp of Wheeling, in his open-hearted manner, gave me immediate encouragement, so much so that I called again and again. John Dickmann settled in Wheeling years later. He is today the most successful and progressive grower in that part of the country.
At Zanesville I formed the acquaintance of John D. Imlay, and that acquaintance has continued ever since. Mr. Imlay is still a young man in the early fifties, with progressive ideas and business methods which have formed the foundation of his success.
At Columbus, O., I met such men as G. Drobisch and John R. Hel'enthal, both of whom are no longer among the living. Both men represented the German type of manhood—a type that will surmount difficulties and attain the end aimed at. Both were splendid horticulturists. Underwood Bros., two fine specimens of manhood, honest almost to a fault, are among my best friends that I have made on the road. These men are successful in business, and deserve to be.
Albert Knopp, at that time head of the Franklin Park Floral Co., and who has since transferred his interests to Mr. Yacht, a very worthy successor, and has departed for California, was one of the few men who impressed you at once with their sincerity of purpose. When I first met him, he tacitly gave me to understand that my success or failure in his establishment would entirely depend upon myself. In other words, he expected no promises which I could not fulfil, but he did expect me to fulfil all that I made. In this respect, it may not be amiss to say a few words to the young men who are about to start out with sample cases among the trade. My experience has taught me that it is far better to underestimate an article you handle than to overestimate it. In the one instance, your customer will be agreeably surprised when the article you sold him is better than he expected. In the other case he will be quite disappointed if what you promised him fails to come up to your description. To put it succinctly, do not promise more than you can fulfil; do not misrepresent your goods, do not knock your competitor at any time and much less when you yourself are not sure that you can do better than he can.
At Knopp's establishment, I first met Max Rudolph, who two years later married and established himself in Cincinnati. Our acquaintance grew into friendship, and the last time I saw Max was on Sunday, Feb. 2 of this year, when I spent the entire day at his house. Poor Max—that last day together he read to me the obituary notice of Edward Welsh of Hartford. Conn., who died on the 10th of January, nine days after I had seen him. Max remarked to me at the time that human life is very uncertain. "Now you are here, and now you are gone," he said. Verily his words were prophetic, for two weeks later he himself was gone,
S. F. Stephens, a man of the highest business and personal integrity, is an-
