Daily Republican., 1884-04-17
MAKING A LIVING.
SOME OF THE AMUSING WAYS
ADOP FED IN THE LARGE
CITIES.

I6pun, man mas 6XorClSHu D.b VIII anu III
|gsnuity to earn a living, and of tht
many plans adopted in the large cities
some are certainly amusing. Leaving
out what may be called the legitimate
industries, such as commerce or manu-.
features, there are others devised by
men, some of which supplies the wants
of their fellow men. while others are
merely accomO mOdations for the wealthy.
1t is well known that in New York
and Philadelphia many persons pick up
q living, and some more than q living
IN the streets. kags, bones, pieces of
string, waste paper, old boots and shoes,
and in fact anything that 10 thrown
away Is useless, is carefully gathered
up by this class and turned into money,
and no matter what it is, they teem to
find sale for it.
Segar stumps and old guilds Of tobac-
co are also carefully garnered, and
are throughly dried and packed in
barrels and sent to the manufactory,
from which they emerge made into
fragrant cigaretts or extra fine cut
chewing tobacco.
Some years ago there was an enterpris-
ing individual in neighbo ing city
who with an old horse and cart and a
seive, managed to make q good living
by going around early in the morning
aud sewing the half burned Goals from
thu boxes and barrels awaiting The ash
collector. He always carried a large
box with him, into which he seived the
ashes, and after obtaining the Goals
would put the ashes back in their orjgi.
nal barrels or boxes and proceed to the
next "find.
All the cinder was afterwards picked
out and the Goals washed, and retailed
at cent less per bucket than the fresh
article. Twenty-Five years ago three men,
supposed to be foreigners, did good
business for some time killing cats, the
skins of which brought a fair price at
the furriers, but what was done with
the bodies is not known. They gener-
ally operated at night, but alas, too
many favorite "Tommies" and "Tab-
bies" disappeared, and complaint was
made to the police, who promptly put
stop to their operations.
There Is a man now living on the
rents of his houses in West Philadel-
phia, who made every dollar of his
money gathering slop. He commenced
in a small way with wheelbarr,w ard;
a few hogs, but in short time ~
owned horse and cart and more hogs,
until finally he had half dozen or
more carts on the street and several
hundred hogs a short distance out of
town. These he would feed with horn
a few weeks in the fall, and 'tnsn Kill
and sell them.
There is company formed in New
York called "The Universal Mending
Company" that claim to be a new in
dustry to furnish labor to the toiliDg
masses. This company darns stockings,
closes a rent in ladies' or gentlemen's 8
clothing, cements dishes, Clues or other
wise repairs any kind of furniture, and
in fact makes good any breakage or
wear and tear of any article.
| They also take grease or stains from
clothing or linen, repair boots or shoes,
mend umbrellas, make old hats look
like new, and will on receipt of a postal
card call at a residence and get any
broken article, returning 1t as good as
new.
This company have boot makers, fur
sewers, dress makers, cabinet makers,
and makers Of almost every article of
household utility engaged, ard will no
doubt do a thriving business.
There IL another new industry in some
of the larger cities that israpidly grow
ing, which is simply that of professional
busters. The mania for brio. brac
has caused the parlors of many wealthy
persons to be museums of delicate and
costly ornaments, and to dust and ar
range these collections every day would
of the ladies.
1t Is out of the question to set the
servants at the work, because as a
general thing they are so careless that
tho most delicate of these articles are
almost certain to be broken, and
another objection is the fact, that they
seldom have the time to spare
from their other duties. Therefore the
services of the professional duster are
in demand, and armed with her brushes
she visits house after house. The greater
number of women engaged in this busi-
ness are those who have seen better |
days, but of course that is not a require
ment. She must, however, be light !
footed, quick and strong in her wrists
and arms, as she sometimes is required
to visit dozen houses in day.
She must know how to handle and
dust all kinds of fragile articles with
out breaking them, and fully under
stand that the brush which will not
break fiimsy tissue of glass, is useless
on piece of furniture. She must have
several brushes adapted for the differ
ent kinds of work, and fully know how
to arrange the articles to give the best
effect. This business has become a
regular profession, and there are a
great many women engaged in it.
There are florists in Philadelphia who
AXE plants to hoard, and sick, or droop-
ng plants to nurse. Frequently when
people are about to leave home
or the summer, all the choice plants
hat have adorned the conservatory are
gathered up aud sent to the florists, to
70 cared for until their return.
Sometimes persons will keep plants
} long time, and seeing no signs oftheir
blooming, will send them to a florist
o have them decorated, and in few
weeks they are generally returned in
ull bloom.
" l
living recently brought to light in New
FORK is that of robbipg graves of floral
or gardens, of plants or
lowers. Ina case heard of in that
ity florist testifiedthat he had parties
ften come to him with ivy leaves that ,
10 knew had been stolen. These leaves .
re in demand for making ornaments
or par les and weddings. and floral ,
ributes for funerals, and the price
aries from $2 SO to $40 IL thousand, &C.
ording to quantity.
An undertaken testified in the same
ase, that he often had parties bring the
'ire frames of crosses, anchors and
ther articles to him that he knew from
be price which they offered to sell
hem for must have been stolen from
raves. And he also said that he knew ,
instances where not only the flowers ]
laced by loving hands on the graves of {
lends had been taken, but the plants
lso dug up and sold. Any one who
80 thoroughly lost to all respect for
a,p xyau cr ho foaI;,, <v, ,c osI