To The Editor:
I read Huguette Viens Abbott’s “About Town” article in the February 23 issue of The Valley Reporter with reminiscent interest. Her primary subject was the Raleigh salesman, John Cameron, from the late 40s through the 50s. Both my paternal and maternal grandparents referred to Mr. Cameron as Johnny. As I recall, he made monthly sales visits to homes around The Valley.
Living just over the road from my grandparent’s farm on the Common Road in Waitsfield, I was often present when Johnny made his calls. Hindsight tells me I was more interested in his chats than any product he may have had. In my recall it would appear that catching-up conversation was as important as any sales might have been. As Huguette wrote, he seemed to have everything known to man in his sales kit.
The Raleigh salve was probably his most popular product given the sore hands of farmers and housewives back when The Valley was truly an agricultural community. John Cameron was related to the Camerons in Moretown and Duxbury, I believe brother to Lester Cameron Sr. and Bert Cameron off Turner Hill Road. Not certain of that. At any rate, Johnny was a smoker and developed lung cancer in the latter 50s and died soon after that. I can still hear my grandmother, Blanche Eurich (Warren), admonishing him to stop smoking. So, I offer my thanks to Huguette for a nice little ride down memory lane when The Valley was a much simpler and slower-paced community.
Kevin Eurich, multi-generational Valleyite now in Myrtle Beach, SC
