The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-01-14

NOASa@on 6HOugH Wdc IedFu0u 20 give
him an idea He at once determined
to call upon him and learn the particu-
lars OF his strange calling. Mr.. M.
was found in rather dingy little shop
on Walnut street. the entrance to which
was partly barred by bulletin-boards
containing display copies of flash litera-
ture, while the show window was pack
ed with dime novels and light reading.
The frizzly-headed youth who stood
behind the counter when the reporter
inquired for Mr.. Markeson pointed
toward gentleman in the rear of tho
store who was busily engaged at desk
with notes piled up on every side.
What can / do for yougn he asked
politely, but still with the air of man
who don't want to be bothered.
81 want you to write me note.
''HaYe you copyPn he asked.
mo, but | will dictate to YOU"
"All right, but proceed quickly, for /
have lots of business on hand. What
I do you want, business handP"
Eyes, business hand will do"
''0n commercial noteP"
Yes
"Well, 90 ahead.
In very few minutes the letter was
written, addressed to fictitious person,
and sealed, 1t was written in beauti-
full business hand, every letter being
almost perfectly formed.
"How muchP" asked the reporter.
twenty-five cents, pleaseP''
The amount was paid, and the letter.
writer WIS asked when he would be at
liberty for few moments. Half an
hour later was appointed, and the
NeqUs Journalist returned.
Nov ] wish you would tell me how
you became a letter-writer, and how
you worked up such business as you
seem to have.
ooh, that is very easy to explain.
Six years ago | was common card
writer. and went to county fairs and
exhibitions writing cards. For a while
| wrote cards on the streets in Cincin-
natl, and great many people employ
ed me to write letters for them. It
struck me that it would be good idea
to work up q trade of that kind, and I
got a little ahead financially and bought
out this stand. 1t began q little slow
at first, but people began to find me
out, and there is not day that do
not write a number of letters. Some
times / have more than can attend to,
as you saw to-day.
''How did tou manage to work 1t
upP''
'Women-that tells the story. One
or two women get letter written, and
then they tell others about it, Nearly
all the illiterate women of the city en-
ploy me to write their notes, and they
are the best-paying class, and then
there are numbers of educated women.
Some of them write really nice, legible
hands themselves, but for some reason
or other they prefer notes written in
some other hand. Poor servant-girls
have notes written and want them with
all the flourishes that can be put into
writing by master. A great many
have me draw bird or deer's head to
make the letter look 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
of for love-sick girls. and have been
put in charge of innumerable secrets.
/ have no regular charge, the lowest
price being quarter and from that on
up to 81. The more ignorant woman
the louder sounding she wants the let
ter and the brighter colored she wants
the paper. Look here, for instance
Eshowing a brilliant red-tinted sheet OF
paper with gold-embossed edge and a
stamped monogram at the top], that
was written for a colored woman, who
is cook at a 10-cent restaurant, and
goes to dllsky lover. | charged her
only a quarter A woman who had
more money to throw away | would
have charged 81.
ITO whom are letters generally writ |
temp"
Men of all classes, Actors come
in for the great share. During the
week Fanny Davenport showed here I
wrote thirty letters TO one of the actors
in Fedora for different women, pro-
Tossing all sorts of admiration. A great |
many are written TO gamblers and fast /
young men A party who recently /
figured in a NeWs Journal sensation re-
ceived good many notes written by
me-
do YOU write many letters for men?
mot nearly SO many as for women.
The men are generally hose who can't /
write themselves or who want anony-
nous OF. threatening letters written so
that they can moi be detected by their
have had an inkling Of +
curious and startling facts that would
create a sensation if known, but never
ask questions. and consider everything
as strictly confidential. | would, per-
haps, make m interesting and valuable
witness In many divorce cases if t'other
party only knew about me.
is the business profitablee' queried
the reporter.
"Well, will give you the figures. l /
began little over five years ago with
D few hundred dollars, ( now have
which can convert into cash
on three days notice, slnd have lived
"a good style, SO YOU can Judge for
yourself. But don J3lI publish that, i
ior have a monopoly row, and il may
start competition.
On the desk were i pile of notes
waiting to be copied, SO the reporter
'iacii5aati Nss0s Josrasal.
a tomato Gamer saws the cause of