Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-10-09
Matching Buttons for q Living.

From the New York Mail aud Express
On much-traveled uptown thoroughfare q
little halt-story wooden shop stands between
two big business blocks, for AL the world like q
diminutive chunk OF nam between the abnor-
mally thick slices of bread in railroad sand.
wich. Tue little shop aud ground on which 1t
Is built are owned by a shriveed old man. He
has refused every offer to dispose of the prop
erty, Notwithstanding the exoruitant prices re-
peatediy proposed by neignooriug merchants,
who desire ~ rid tne street OF the saauty little
shops dishsuring presence. Tue Old mans
moue of gaiuing - livelihood is fully AS peculiar
rs has reiusiii TO part wiki uis real estate the
terms that nave Deen offered him. The snop has
two front windows. In one hangs card gearing
the legend. "Buttonhoies inside,' and in the
other is another with the inscription, "Any but
ton matcned-ten cen only
Within the Little shop are shelves and coun-
ters Covered WITH Dashboard trays COM aiming
larger collection oi bu tons, prob bly,, than can
be Hound ANY where else IN New YORK. Ta-re
Is every sort OF button known to civilization
from the plain white shirt button, whose ab-
sence has caused untold lnlserIes In many
q family circle, 10 Ihe boiufaced meLaiiic
military BUTTON which saves lie every now
ana tnen in war stories by turning Il bullet
rom It's deadly course: hattous o. jet git
ivory, bone, gasS and wood, plain buttons.
pafti-colured buttons, enameiied buttons, ,I ush.
covered buttons buttons WIFI snnks and Wit IL
out siauks, rough DuttOiis ana sino 9TH Uuitous
buttons That We're invented yesterday anu but
tons that were made hall a century ago.
In the BACK OF lie suOp Is Il oeucI like a cob.
blers, where the old man sits all day cross
l. gged. A prettyiaced Iii lie giri, wno Looks old
fUi her size, waits upon customers. She Is the
little old mans granddaughter. Neither the Old
man nor has granddaughter Is inclined 10 talk
freely about their business. To reporter no "
ever, the little girl said: 1--WE match buttons
and sew them on TIE coais or vests OF gentle
men and Oh The dresses OF ladies. On, ye, we
have Il good maEy customers, prIucIpalif
young men who have lOst d button or two aud
maven any Que TO sew ,nen can't mach
the buttons in the regular stores. We often
have Calls from seam stress also who need "A
lew buttons they can't fluid elsewhere. You see
our collection is So large that can supply
the missing buttons Ia almost an, set
Where did We get such large collections?
Grandpa has been gathering IL for years. He
has number OF Tailor SHOPS anu dre~sm ng
establishments whicn he visits regularly. From
these he gets odd buttons by Inc hundreds,
very cheap. We charge oniy 10 cents for any
button that may be desired. Of course, some
of them are worm good deal more tuan that,
but as the demand is greater for the cheap
kiudS, we make "a lair profit in the long run.
How did grandpa conceive the idea OF tue bust
ness? 1 don't know, Pm sure. l never asked
him; but suppose from seeing many per-
sons with buttons missing from tnelr clothes,
wno would nave them replaced il they didn't
have to 60 to any trouble. In addition to sup
plying Odd battons and sewing them on wniie
the customer waits, We also mend ragged but
tOnfioies make new ones where they have
been torn out"