Story

Choices History Story: Robert Laidlaw  © Jenny Jenkins 2015       

“Thank you sir. I’ll think about it,” said Robert. He didn't like to rush into things. It was important to make a careful choice. He talked it through with his parents and accepted.(Show Image 3)A few days later Robert ran into Bill Bright, the travelling salesman he was replacing. Bright was annoyed that his important job was being given to a lad who looked like a schoolboy!“Laidlaw!” he yelled. Robert spun around. “I hear you’ve got my job.” Robert nodded. “You don’t drink, do you boy.”“No sir, I've chosen not to.” Robert answered politely. “When you get an order, the customer expects you to buy them a drink. What will you say to Bates the blacksmith, when he heads for the bar, orders his drink and waits for you to pay? What will you do then, boy? Ha ha ha ha ha!” He strode off, laughing furiously.

What would Robert do? He chose not to drink alcohol because he could see the trouble that it caused. It often took men away from their families, and sometimes made them violent. Drinking too much alcohol could damage a mans brain and harm his liver. Robert didn’t want alcohol to harm his body, and he didn’t want to hurt families by buying drinks for customers, but everyone would expect it. Then he had an idea; he'd give his customers a gift instead.

Robert bought himself a season rail ticket and headed off on his round. In his pocket he carried some fine pocketknives. He gave one to each of his customers, instead of taking them to the hotel bar. They liked them, too. But a fortnight later, when he got to Bates the burly blacksmith, he didn’t even get the chance to offer one.(Show Image 4)Bates was a huge man, probably about fifty. He had a bushy beard and was covered in dirt and sweat. He swore loudly as he struggled to shoe an enormous Clydesdale stallion. The horse got shoed just once a year, and hated it. As Bates held a horseshoe against its huge hoof, it fought and kicked. Bates cursed when the shoe didn’t fit and took it back to the fire.

Robert introduced himself politely. “I don’t hear you swearing young fellow,” Bates boomed, pumping air onto the scorching fire with the bellows.

“No, Mr. Bates.”

Bates drew the smoking horseshoe out of the fire. “Do you smoke?” he asked.

“No Mr. Bates. I've chosen not to smoke,” Robert answered nervously. Bates slammed the red-hot shoe down onto the anvil. Robert said bravely, “You are old enough to be my father, Mr. Bates. It’s hard on me that you pick out all my faults on my first call. You ask me if I swear and I say, no I don’t swear. You ask me if I smoke and I say, no I've chosen not to smoke. In a minute you will ask me if I drink and I will say, ‘No, Mr. Bates, I don’t drink.’”

Mr. Bates froze. His right hand held the heavy hammer, raised ready to come crashing down on the red hot shoe. Slowly he lowered the hammer. He turned and looked at Robert. It had taken a lot of courage for Robert to be so open about his personal choices. Mr Bates laid a huge hand on Robert’s shoulder, squeezed it and smiled. “Stick to it, laddie,” his deep voice rumbled. “Stick to it.”

While the other travelling salesmen spent their evenings in the hotel bar drinking, swearing and telling rude jokes, Robert chose to spent his spare time in hotel reading rooms. It was there he found an American mail order catalogue, and he got excited. A mail order company would do well in New Zealand. It would be a lot cheaper for people to buy their goods from a catalogue. When salesmen like Robert sold goods to stores, the stores often doubled the price when selling to their customers. If he could offer goods much cheaper, surely farmers would buy from a catalogue instead? He bought books on how to set up a mail order company. He studied advertisements, collecting the good ones in a file. Robert dreamed of one day owning his own mail-order business.