Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-02-19
"oENUINE ENTERPRISE.
Successful business Methods Of Firm Of
City Street Peddlers.

City Street Peddlers.
"Just watch that little game down
there-it works as slick as IL it was
CREASED" said the big policeman in
front of st. Paul's Church yesterday as
he pointed his club toward Vesey street.
Fifteen yards further down Broadway,
in the middle of the block, was brisk
young man with a big push cart full
of hand mirrors, brushes and combs,
which a big placard proclaimed "were
the last of bankrupt stock at half the
cost price" In front of the cart,
which stood up against the curb, was
an ingenious looking man with long
ulster and a we'll brushed silk hat. He
had just bought five hand mirrors and
was looking at the brushes as the re-.
porter came up and began examining
the bankrupt stock"
"Wcll, ! declare! Did you ever see
anything so chcapP" exclaimed the in
genuous man as he turned to the re-
porter. Here they're selling these
mirrors for twenty-five cents apiece.
Real Venetian mirrors and solid brass
frames. | can tell that, for | was in
the importing business once. They're
worth one dollar apiece at the lowcstl
I've just bought five. I'm going to
give one to my wife and one to each Of
You're right, sir" said the brisk
young man behind the cart; "they'rc
almost given away. just look at one,
sir, and you, too, madame" as he
stopped wrapping up tho parcel for the
ingenious man, and thrust one mirror
into the reporters hand and another
into the hand Of n lady in q sealskin
sacque who had heard the eulogies OF
the ingenious young man and had
stopped for n moment in an undecided
sort Of way.
Upon my word" continued the in
genuous man in an enthusiastic tone
that iloatcd forty feet away. ~ never
saw anything like it-yes, it's q real
ivory comb and genuine ivory backed
English made hair brush-rve dealt in
'em myself. How much did you say,
my mana What! only a quarter
apieceP You may wrap me up four of
each. j never saw anything so cheap
in my life. just given away; yes,
given away Is the word, SIR" and
again he turned his radiant counte-
nance upon the reporter.
The lady's doubts seemed dispelled
by this emphatic approval and she
bought hand mirror, brush and comb.
A dry goods clerk, who looked as il he
was going to see his best girl, so re-
splendcnt was he, was also encouraged
to the point Of buying mirror. Three
shop girls iluttered up and bought two
hair brushes between them. Messen-
ger boys sprang up from nowhere and
stared. Small girls appeared myste-
riously and gazed with longing eyes at
the mirrors and celluloid backed hair
brushes. Before the ingenious man
had gotten his change there was a
crowd Of fifty people around the cart
to buy something.
whats the gamep / don't see any
except that twenty-five cents is about
twice as much as those things arc
worth" asked the reporter, when he
had at last disentangled himself from
the crowd.
you're not very fly" said the big
policeman. pityinglyi THAT man in
The ulster is only 'capper.' He'll 90
off now and wait till this crowd goes
away and business gets dull again
Then the feller at tho cart'll push il
iown or up Broadway block or two,
md the 'capper' II turn up again and
Duy whole lot of things, He'll en-.
.huse about their quality and cheap.
lcss and another crowdll collect and
,uy a lpt-tumbleP l tell you,
couple Of fellers working that way
will sell as much as a good sized store |
will, I've seen that cart there emptied
Tx times in day. It's what [ call |
yen-u-ine enterprise. IN T. Herald. |