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Wednesday morning, beating the
‘expert’ by two days.
Map of the NSW rail system in its heyday. Percy Kingston gave me much good
NSW is larger than all European nations except western Russia. advice but the best of it was, “Never
The combination of distance and steep climbs from Sydney was hesitate to leave a town without a deal
best managed by overnight passenger and mail trains. if you don't consider it good enough.”
Next to his office was a room
equipped with two double bunks for
salesmen to use if they arrived back in
Sydney early Friday morning. This
overcame the extra travel of a trip home
and then back to the office for the
weekly interview and review of the
contracts signed.
Selling never came easily to me,
although I quickly honed my skills as a
negotiator, which stood me in great
stead for the rest of my career. I kept a
little book noting each client's likes and
dislikes - was he interested in cricket,
golf or rugby; did he drink, his wife’s
name - which I consulted before every
End of a run. The Mudgee Mail left Central Station as seven carriages and vans. meeting.
Some were detached along the way until it reached Gwabegar (here) as one sitting car The main western line was known
and brake van. in our trade as the “widows’ line”: Mrs.
Randal at Bourke, Mrs. Wolff at
“Not enough.” He responded that I my return the following day - and to be
Narromine and Gertie Warton at
would leave Sunday night for Parkes, in Tottenham on Monday night. The
Wellington. One week, in the company
and would not get back until Friday exhibitor was a Wall, an uncle to Trevor
of a traveller who represented a big
morning. at Coonamble and Merv. at
pastoral company, I arrived in Bourke
What a pleasure it was to join the Muswellbrook, who invited me home only to find Mrs. Randal was in
Silver City Comet at Parkes, bail out at for dinner, exclaiming that I was the hospital with pneumonia, so she
Bogan Gate and hitch a ride to Trundle, first Fox rep. he had seen in five years. couldn’t see me.
complete a deal, catch a mixed goods Ron Pitt had never been there!
My companion advised, “Don't
train which stopped at Tullamore for a On Tuesday I caught the mixed
worry, go and buy two dozen of those
ninety minute lunch break - which goods back to Parkes, fluked a sleeper
enormous irrigated Bourke oranges and
enabled me to lock up a deal signed on on the mail train and arrived back home
take them to the hospital”.
CINEMARECORD 2006 25