Peddlers On The Farm

I have often mentioned that I grew up on a farm in the forties and fifties. In those days, traveling salesmen were men who peddled their wares to the housewives. There were peddlers that sold Fuller Brush items, peddlers that sold Jewel Tea products and those that sold Watkins products.
There was also a man that stopped every once in a while called a tinker. He would fix my mom’s porcelain pots and pans.
My favorite peddler sold Watkins products. I didn’t know any better so I called him Mr. Watkins. My mother was very particular about showing grownups respect so I thought I was being respectful by addressing him that way. He was short and round and wore wire rimmed glasses, but most of all he had the cutest mustache that moved when he laughed. I just adored him.
One day he stopped to sell mother some spices and I called to Mother and told her that Mr. Watkins was here. She and the peddler both laughed. As usual, Mother was busy so she asked me to make the coffee. I got the teaspoons and the tablespoons mixed up. The coffee was extremely strong. Mother apologized to Mr. Fussel. He laughed and said he was a good German and loved his coffee strong and thanked me for making such good coffee. For some reason I still have some of his tins that his spices came in. I have them on display in my kitchen.
Mother purchased some things from Jewel Tea and had some dishes they gave as premiums. I don’t have any of her Jewel Tea dishes any more, but those dishes are often found in flea markets for extraordinarily high prices.
Mother only occasionally bought things from the Fuller Brush man. She told that peddler the brushes and cleaners lasted a long time, so she didn’t need to buy things very often.
She treated all the peddlers with the same hospitality she would for friends and relatives. They enjoyed stopping at our house not only for the sales, but for the friendliness and of course, the coffee and something homemade to go with it.