Huntsville gazette., 1886-01-02
"GENUINE ENTERPRISE"
Successful Business Methods Of Firm I
City Street Peddlers.

City Street Peddlers.
''Just watch that little game down
there-it works as slick as if it was
creased" said the big policeman in
front of st. Pauls 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 big push cart full
Of hand mirrors, brushes and combs.
which 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 well 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"
"Well, l declare! Did you ever see
anything so cheapp" exclaimed the i'm.
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 lowest!
I've just bought five. I'm going to
give one to my wife and one to each of
my girls"
You're right, SIR" said the brisk
young man behind the cart; they're
almost given away. just look at one,
sir, and you, too, madame" as he
stopped wrapping up the parcel for the
ingenious man, and thrust one mirror
into the reporters hand and another
into the hand of lady in a sealskin
sacque who had heard the eulogies of
the ingenious young man and had
stopped for moment in an undecided
sort of way.
Upon my word" continued the in
genuous man in an enthusiastic tone
chat floated forty feet away. II never
saw anything like it-yes, it's a real
ivory comb and genuine ivory backed
English made hair brush-I've dealt in
EN- myself How much did you say,
my manp What! only a quarter
apiecep You may wrap me up four OF
each. I never saw anything so cheap
in my life. just given away; yes,
given away 10 InC Sill anu
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 if he
was going to see his best girl, so re-
splendent was he, was also encouraged
to the point of buying a mirror. Three
shop girls fiuttered 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
crowd of fifty people around the cart
wanting to buy something.
whats the gameP | don't see any
except that twenty-five cents is about
twice as much as those things are
worth" asked the reporter, when he
had at last disentangled himself from
the crowd.
you're not very fly" said the big
policeman, pityingly; ''that man in
the ulster is only a 'capper.' He'll 60
off now and wait till this crowd goes
away and business gets dull again.
Then the feller at the cart'll push it
down or up Broadway block or two,
and the 'capper' III turn up again and
buy whole lot of things. He'll en-
thuse about their quality and cheap
ness and another crowd'll collect and
buy a lot-tumblep l tell you,
couple of fellers working that way
will sell as much as good sized store
will. I've seen that cart there emptied
six times in a day. It's what | call
genuine enterprise. IN. Y. Herald