A bagman; a commercial traveller.
1827. Dear Charles,—I find the Nos. of Lodge’s book did not belong to the set which I consider yours, but were left by some drummer of the trade upon speculation, so I must give you the trouble to return it.—Sir W. Scott to C. K. Sharpe. (N.E.D.)
1836. Our hotels are thronged, we may say infested, with a set of young men, clerks in mercantile houses, whose special business is to catch customers among the country merchants. In New York they are called drummers, their business being to drum up recruits to their corps of customers. In more quiet Philadelphia they are called borers, probably from some resemblance in qualities to a worm that infests fruit trees.—Phila. Public Ledger, Aug. 23.
1839. Mr. Lummux was a drummer, sent out to drum up customers for his employers.—Charles F. Briggs, ‘Harry Franco,’ i. 77.
1856. Felicien Boutard blessed the drummers and borers of New-York. We both assured him we were O. K., and sound as wheat on the drummer question.—Knick. Mag., xlviii. 407 (Oct.).
1910. A Cincinnati shoe drummer was in the smoking compartment of a sleeping car.—N.Y. Evening Post, Feb. 14.
