Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-03-26
Curious Occupations.

There is bright looking fellow per
anlbulating the streets of New York will
a huge sack on his shoulder who styles
himself the "omnibus buyer" By thii
term, says q correspondent, he mean.
that he deals in everything. He buy,
old hats, old bonnets, old clothes, OLD
hooks; also canes, umbrellas, old gloves
wigs, and IL fact almost every old thing
about house The value Of these
things Is very small snd yet when peo-
pie find that they can get something fol
them, how rapidly they save them for
the buyer. The latter knows Just what
he can do with each article. He sorts
his stock in his garret and disposes OF
them at nice profit, and if he can clear
ten dollars q week he is doing well,
Another class of petty dealers which
one finds among the poor are the ''time
peddlars" as they are called. They visit
poor families and sell secondhand
dresses, secondhand shoes and similar
articles, taking pay In instalments, and
as they afford good bargains, they have
a good run of business. These dresses
are bought at pawnbrokers' sales at q
mere song, and hence pay large profit.
The slime peddlar" expects to lose oc-
casionally, but he charges an extra rate,
which enables him to meet the loss.
There are hundreds of poor women who
are clothed decently IN this manner at a
very small expense. There Il a man
here who deals In nothing but second
hand harness. He calls on the livery
stables and buys anything that may be
offered cheap. He repairs and cleans
these articles, which he sells to the
wagon peddlars and others who use sec
ond-hand work. Another man makes a
business OF starting toy venders on the
sidewalk. Any one who passes up
Broadway will notice the number of
men selling amusing toys. These fel-
lows are started by man who makes
purchases and then divides them mp.
Ii he has dozen statesmen and makes
. quarter of y dollar a day on each he
Is doing q good business. The small
amount or capital required Is also a
feature. Many of these street
yenders have from 81 to SO invested,
aud Yet they contrive to get living out
Of 1t.
Another curious clay" Is found in the
biro-fortune-teiiers, who do better than
most of the street trafickers, since they
work on curiosity, which Is always a
powerful element. The pretty little
are certainly interesting
and yCu onl y pay a nickel for their SER
wee. The only secret of their penetra-
lion Is found In the fact that they are |
kept hungry at least during business |
hours and n few seeds being placed in
each envelope they are always ready to |
pick one out for their patrons. The
seeds are cunningly dropped when the
Is open and the birds thus get
their reward. Ii you should follow up
the owners of these canaries you would
ind them living well on the profits,
since sometimes they take in i've dol
ars per day. Another business of small
igures but large amounts Is the five
cent eating house, where every dish Is
United to nickel, and where hundreds
're fed in u decent manner. The five
cent lodging house is another institu ion
which New York finds Indispensable.
The proprietor has basement or a lott
which he hues for four dollars per week.
lie will sleep fifty to seventy-hve every
night, and will clear $40 per week on a
'apitsl OF S25. The bedding consists of
traw pallets laid on wooden platform,
md the covering is carpet and old bed
'lothes fIom auction. Those who csnnot
'ay for such lodging go to the station
louse, which, during the cold weather,
5 always iull. This is commonly termed
taking the plank" since nothing Is
,iven but the privilege OF full length
N the floor. Tue interior Of a stauon
louse affords q sad spectacle. which be-
ONES still worse as one sees these |
'recks OF humanity turned out in the
lorning to take the ,hances OF another
old.