Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-10


women than that supplied by the school room,
the counter. the needle, and the washtub. Dur.
Ing many years the following instances of orig
inal occupations have fallen under my personal
observation, one of which may give hint to
some struggling soul.
know a well-educated, charming little mar.
ried lady who makes quite o sum regularly
by the sale Of Saratoga potatoes. These were
aiw avs favOrite dish OF hers, and among her
own circle Of friends she had acquired quite
reputation for their delicious cooking. Think
Ing one day how she would love to make
visit to her Eastern home, with plenty Of new
ciothes aud nurse to relieve her from the care
tatoes for sale occurred to her. She saw her
grocer, taking q sample of her wares, who viii
nngly became her agent. Soon 1t kept her
several to the number Of her servants, teaching
tnem her methods, and she now frequently pre-
p1ies Rarrel OF Saratoga chips to M single N
1OrK ana San Francisco, where her potatoes
are regularly sent, and are as much in demand
toga potatoes is as follows: Choose the largest
| potatoes; peel and cut extremely thin, the long
w WAY, Win shd patent slieer, into cold water
sne starch; Fry in a deep kettle, where the
,aro Is polling, dropping in q crust OF bread to
dipper in which to lift the potatoes frequently,
blisters. When cooked a light brown, put in a
These potatoes sell readily at fifty cents .
! halfponnd bags and receives Ave cents an his
commission, leaving an excellent profit, es-
peciaily when potatoes and lard are bought in
large quantities. No commodity could be better
hight, keep week or two, only needing q thor
! ougn heating In the oven to make them crisp
ana fresh as ever.
| lady and her daughter living in Chicago
t foss not only fortune, but their husband and
aaIser. FOR the decoration Of their own home
aen as CUTS to friends these ladies had ire
9uentiy made most beautiful feather flowers.
nov tney earn their entire support by maui
featuring them for sale. The exquisite white
lilies that everybody tries to smell, the lovely
tuchsias-in fact, limitations OF all the flowers
ere are mace simply out OF chicken feathers, with
the assistance of dyes for colored blossoms.
| toWn one day. was struck with very ferocious
LOOKING sign. 1t was eight feet high by two wide,
rayed in all his war paint and feathers, grasping
and an, 9: r K,"ao and N. R. r." p. 4. r.
arr, who said, in reply to my interrogatory eye
brows, "Cone and see."
I'VE we stepped into large, pleasant room,
NWHose front windows were all filed In with
bloom1ng plants; canary-brds goldfish and q
parrot ADDED to the attractveness of the apart
men, one sfde OF which was almost covered
with historical wood-cuts taken from the
Bdzur But the greatest surprise after such a
terrifying sign, was the occupant of the room,
friend introduced me. Yankee fashion, soon
| asaed an explanation OF the remarkable pic
lure at the door: 1t was told me that this lady
was "a scalper,' or dealer in railroad tickets,
and that her income was from seventy-five to
one hundred and twenty-five dollars a month,
| toners coming from the great city of Dan,
! instead OF buying tickets only to their oun
NIUE town. would purchase them to the metro
| Roiis OF Beersheba five hundred miles beyond.
/ ihe iare from Dan to Beersheba was only
| twenty Ioliafs but q passenger buying to the
town where our Scaper lived, less than mid
| charged Twelve a nd had n
decided to continue his trip TO Becrsheba, he
would have to add fifteen dollars more to his
| travelling expenses. So 1t is plain that our little
! LADY could easily afford to pay ten dollars tor
| the remainder OF the ticket brought her, which
was always in demand at thirteen dollars and
SO she made three dollars and saved her pas
! sen2crS two. besides the two She put INTO the
POCKET OF the traveller who bought her the
| ticket. Though the United States is full of
dealers in railroad tickets, though most of the
roads offer generous commission to brokers if
] able to command much trade, though it re-
quires but small capital, as the money is turned
| over very rapidly, there is but one woman in
| the United States engaged in this business.
know finely educated woman, school
| teacher for many years, who,e health gave way
under this nervous work, and whom paralysis
stared gr;mly in the face. She dropped her
SO OF land with little cottage and barn upon
1t, and called to her side as assistant and pro-
tector, an elderly woman VINO was without
home. This lady is now at the bead of quite a
prosperous chicken farm. She uses the incu.
bator successfully, raises fall chickens for ex-
portation to the city in January and February,
receiving large prices for them at that time
! packs her eggs and those of all her neishbors in
summer, thereby doubling her profit, has re-
gained her health, and feels thankful every day
! Of her life that She had energy and conrsee to
escape what was coming so rapidly upon her.
know another lady, avery capable woman,
She had always been extremely fond of flowers,
and Knew great deal about them. Their
lovely nome was her own. gift from her
1atfer. 20 the greenhouse, which had been sim
ply thing Of beauty before, under the hanGs
of an expensive gardener, now was taken into
her own charge, and was made to bear a veiy
large share Of the family expenses for several
years. There was no other conservatory in the
little city, and the demand for her aZaleas and
wonderful, as we'll rs the rapid.ty with which
she changed her blossoms to silver II was no
child s play; there was plenty of good hard work
about 1t, but at the same time it vas heaithful
ana refining; and what is pieasanter than TO see
things grow, especially ii each leaf and rosebud
represents money which is really needed?
An Ohio lady has lately set out ap acre in red
raspberry bushes. The gentleman from whom
she procured them has o very valuable farm,
lars an acre except his fifteen acres of red rasp-
berries. Next spring her bushes will be produc-
ing, and she will be able to add considerably to
her pin-money, doubtless, by this venture
Another lady in the same state lately lost her
husband, large farmer, and heavy cultiva-
| tor of sweet potatoes. She was courageous
enough to go On with her husbands business
and instead of selling the farm for a mere song
and living dependent the rest of her life, she
superintends the farm as her husband did lives
in the same handsome style, ard is inexpressi-
bly, happier than If she had folded her hands in
ldleness and misery. Last spring this energetic
lady transacted an immense business in selling
the young potato plants, receiving orders for
them nom Ill over the United States, frequently
sending away by express one hundred thou
sand. carefully packed, in n single day. Occ;.-
sionally she has some trouble with new
iaborcr who does not like ito be bossed by a
woman" but 1t is not long before the most ln-
ruly grow to admire and respect the energy,
honesty and ability of their EN- ployer
A lady came once In despair to one of the pa
irons of the WOElan's Exchange in q western
city. Her eyes were very seriously affected,
and allowed her to do nothing In the way of
painting and fancy work, in which she OK
celled. She was poor, and in perfect despair as
come. "Well,' said the representative of the
Exchange, ''what can you do? For what have
you been most highly commended in your
whole life?"
II really believe for my chicken pies" re-
sponded the poor lady, laughing at the poverty
OF her accomplishments now that her eyes were
useless.
THAT is the very thing for you to do, them"
said her friend; and she did it well. Buying
some little dishes. just large enough to contain
enough pie for one person, she at once began
supplying the Woman's Exchange. She found
1t far more profitable than her needle-work and
painting had been, as her chicken pies were SO
remarkably nice that they soon became the
fashion.
Another lady who lives in the country makes
one hundred dollars each spring by simply pick
Ing the beautiful marguerites which grow wild
IN SUCH proiusion, making them into artistic
little bouquets, and sending them to the
w oman's Exchange. There, with their innocent.
lovely faces, SOSuggeStivc;Of green grass bahhlinv