Morning journal and courier., 1884-03-03
Other Peoples Letters.
How a Young Man is R ap1dIy Amasstng g
 a Fortune.


 Fortune.
 From the Cincinnati News -Journal.l
 She certainly writes a beautiful hand, '' remarked one young gentleman lightly. after examining the pink colored and dainty rose had just handed him. The recipient Of the lester was one of those jolly good fellows who receive 8 goodly number of missives from the fair sex, and the note was only g formal declination of an invitation. so there was no indelicacy in showing it.
 "Oh, yes, it's 8 nice hand-very pretty writing" said the party addressed "but it's fact that I've receivel notes from fifteen to twenty different women in the last six months, all addressed and written in precise ly the same hand. The truth of it is that there is a man in this city making a fortune writing other peoples letters"
 ''The deuce you say Who can it be ?''
 IA young man named Markeson, who has headquarters on Walnut street"
 To the reporter who heard the conversa- ton enough YVES learned to give him an idea He at once determined to call upon him and learn the particulars of his strange calling. MT. M was found in rather dingy little shop on Walnut street. the entrance to which was partly barred by the bulletin boards con- taining display copies of fash literature, while the show window vas packed with dime novels and light reading. The frizzly- headed youth who stood behind the counter when the reporter inquired for MT. Marke son pointed toward gentleman in the rear of the store who was busily engaged at a desk with notes piled up on every side.
 "What can I do for you r" he asked po- litely, but still with the air of a man who don't want to be bothered.
 q want you to write me note."
 Have you a copy 2' he asked.
 'tNo but I will dictate to you"
 ''All right, but proceed quickly, for have lots of business on hand. What do you want business hand?"
 ''Yes, business hand will do."
 "On commercial note ?"
 "Yes"
 "Well, go ahead"
 In very few minutes the letter was writ ten, addressed to a fictitious person and sealed. It was written in a beautiful busi- ness hand, every letter being almost perfect ly formed.
 "How much ?" asked the reporter.
 Twenty five cents. please
 The amount was paid, and the letter-writer was asked when he would be at liberty for 8 few moments Half an hour later ap- pointed and the News journalist returned.
 Nov wish you would tell me how you became letter writer, and how you worked up such business as yon seem to have" ''Oh, that IS easy to explain. Six years ago WAS a common card writer, and went to county fairs and exhibitions writing cards For while wrote cards on the streets in Cincinnati, and great many people em- ployed me to write letters for them. It struck me that it would be a good idea to work up trade of that kind, and I got a little ahead financially and bought out this stand. It began q little slow at first, but people began to find me out, and there is not day that do not write number of letters Sometimes I have more than can attend to, as you saw to-day"
 ''How did you manage to work it up ?'
 "Women-that tells the story. Ore or two women get letter written and then they tell others about it. Nearly all the illiterate women of the city employ me to write their notes, and they are the best-paying class, and then there are numbers of educated wo men. Some of them write really nice, Iegl- ble hands themselves, but for some reason or other they prefer notes written in some other hand. Poor servant girls have notes writ ten and want them with all the fourishes that can be put into writing by master. great many have me draw g bird or deer's head to make the letter attractive and pretty. Sometimes they come and tell what they want themselves, but not frequently. have written some of the most sickening stuff you ever heard or TOT love SICK SlrIS1 anu nave been put in charge of innumerahle secrets. have no regular charge, the lowest price being quarter, and from that on up to one dollar. The more ignorant a woman the louder sounding she wants the letter and the brighter colored she wants the paper. Look here, for instance showing 8 brilliant red tinted sheet of paper with gold-embossed edge and stamped monogram on top that was written for a colored woman, who is a cook at a ten cent restaurant, and goes to a dusky lover. I charged her only quarter. A woman who had more money to throw away would have charged one dollar"
 ''To whom are letters generally written ?'
 'fMen of all classes. Actors come in for the great share. During the week Fanny Davenport sho wed here I wrote thirty letters to one of the actors in Fedora for different women,s protesting all sorts of admiration. A grt at many are written to gamblers and fast young men. A party who recently fig ured in News.Journal sensation received a good many notes written by ms"
 "Do you write many letters for men? ?"
 "Not nearly so many as for women. The men are generally those who can't write themselves, or want anonymous or threaten