St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-03-20
Curious Occupations:
ODD METHODS OF MAKING A LIVING IN
NEW YORK

. NEW YORK.
There is bright looking fellow per
anfoulating the streets of New Yorl
with huge sack on his shoulder VIII,
styles himself the ''Omnibus buyer.
BY tins term, says correspondent, h,
means that he deals in everything. I'll,
buys old hats, old bonnets, old clothes
old hooks; also canes, umbrellas, ole
gloves. wigs, and in fact almost every
old thing about house. The value
of these things is very small and vel
when people find that they can get
something for them, how rapidly they
save them for the buyer. The latter
knows just what can be done with eacl
article. He sorts his stock in his gar
ret and disposes of them at a nice
prott, 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 pedlers," as
they are called. They visit poor fam.
lilies aad sell second hand dresses, see.
ond hand shoes and similar articles
taklN pay in instalments, and as they
a:.sA' good bargains, they have "a good
run of business. These dresses are
bought at pawnbrOkers' sales at 4
mere song, and hence pay n large
profit. The ''time pedler" expects to
lose occasionally, but he charges an eX-
ira rate, which enables him to meet the
loss. There are hundreds of poor wO-
men who are clothed in this manner al
a very small expense. There is 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 pedlers and others who use
secondhand work. Another man
makes a business of starting toy ven
ders on the sidewalk. Any one who
passes up Broadway will notice the
number of men selling amusing TOYS.
These fellows are started by IA man
who makes purchases and then divides
them up. If he has dozen statesmen
and makes quarter of a dollar Il day
on each he is doing good business.
| he small amount of capital required
is also a noticeable feature Many of
these street vendors have from 81 to
50 invested, and yet they cOntrive to
get a living out of it.
Another curious clay" is found in
the bird fOrtune-tellers, who do better
than most of the street traffickers, since
they work on curiosity, which is always
Il powerful element. The pretty little
fortune tellers are certainly interesting
and you only pay a nickel for their
service. The only secret of their pen
etration is found in the fact that they
are kept hungry at least during bust
ness hours and few seeds being placed
in each envelope they are always
to pick one out for their patrons. The
seeds are cunningly dropped when the
envelope is open and the birds thus get
their reward. If you should follow up
the owners of these canaries You
would find them living well on the
profits, since sometimes they take in
five dollars per day. Another business
of small figures but large amounts is
the five cent eating house, where every
dish is limited to Il nickel. Hundreds
arc.fel in Il decent manner. The five
cent lodging house is another institu-
ton which New York finds indespens-
able. The proprietor has basement
or Il loft which he hires for four dollars
per week. He will sleep fifty to sew
enty-tive every night. and will clear
so per week on Il capital of S25. The
bedding consists of straw pallets laid
on wooden platform, and the cover
ing is carpets and old bed-clothes from
auction. Those who cannot pay for
such a lodging go to the station house,
which, during the cold weather, is al
ways full. This is commonly termed
''taking the plank" since nothing is
given but the privilege of full length
on the floor. The interior of Il station
house affords a sad spectacle, which
becomes still worse as one sees these
wrecks of humanity turned out in the
morning to take the chances of anoth-
er cold day.