Traveling Salesmen Jokes Not Funny Then CHICAGO—There may be a lot of jokes about traveling salesmen to day. but there was nothing tunny about the travels of a salesman a thousand years ago Commercial travelers of the time spent the^r days dodging mud-holes in the unpaved roads and their nights looking for decent lodging - History research experts report that ' Flemish merchants in rural districts were often forced to stop at crossroads hovels. There, they would sleep wrapped in their own cloaks and lying on benches in a mean, crowded room ." ' Hotels” circa 1000 A D , did not furnish sheets because linen was too expensive and cotton in those days was virtually unknown in Eu | rope. Blankets, when available. were invariably dirty and flea ! laden As a rule mattresses were j even worse and filled with lumps and lice. In fact, guests were kept so busy tossing and scratching they bad little time to worry about : trivial things lute "morning back ache.” In larger towns, the inns offered crude sleeping attics which were reached by steep ladders leading from the public rooms downstairs. Among the special features of these attic dormitories were rows of hard beds and lively rats and mice which raced about the straw-cov ered floor at night or gnawed ! busily on the dusty and mud-caked boots of the weary, torpid guests. Other appointments” included small, dirty "windows'' that were shuttered tightly " gainst the peril ous rnght air.”

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