St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-02-04
MAKING a LIVING.
Queer Ways in Which Some Chicago Poo
pie Support Themselves.

Queer Ways in Which Some Chicago Poo
pie Support Themselves.
A noteworthy feature in many Chi
cago business houses is the ''automati
cash CARRIER used in place of casl
boys. The patentee of that ingenius
continuance was a New Englant
clergyman, who. broken in health
was obliged to relinquish his profes
sion, with no very well-defned mean:
of livelihood to fall back on, and /;
family to support. Accident threw
him in the way of man who hat
about brought an invention of the casl
carrier to perfection. The clergyman
saw the merit of the scheme and h
purchased the inventors rights, mad
some improvements, and took out g
patent, or rather several patents. Thi
was four or five years ago. A hand
some fortune has already rewarded thu
shrewd Yankee clergyman.
There is firm in this city wh'
make it business to relieve newly
married people of their super1uou
wedding gifts. Sometimes a bride
will have a half-dozen pair of opera
glasses, basketful of napkin-rings, O.
fishknives, or sugar-spoons, or othel
things selected by generous friends
each thong htless of what other friends
may select. The trader in weddins
gifts keeps track of fashionable we'd
dings, and as soon as the young coup.
lie have passed the honeymoon and got
settled down he presents himself and
offers to relieve them by purchase Of
their superfuous goods. After some
little dickering a bargain is struck
and the trader obtains the superfui.
ties at a price which affords him 8
good profit and is at the same time ali
cash to them, for the presents have
cost them nothing.
There are advertised places in this
city and in every large city where
both literate and illiterate aspirants
Tan have their work done at fee
which remunerates the ''bureau'' with
fair livelihood. For consideration
which varies according to degree. an
applicant can have a letter written. a
graduating essay. a sermon, a lecture,
an article for magazine, or any kind
of literary ware desired; or person
can have a manuscript trimmed up or
trimmed down and put in shape for
publication. Speeches also are writ.
ten out for orators, and it is said that
many Congressman and legislator
has obtained credit for an Grafton
that he never had the brains to con.
ceive originally.
Some of the large manufactures af-
ford instances Of Observation-Disclosures
workmen who seem always to be in
demand. 1t takes battalion of peo-
pie to make a boot or shoe, though
machinery does great deal. In that
business there are cutters, lasters, paste
filters, heelers, binders and finishers.
In the tin trade there are bright hands,
general hands. common hands, jobbine
hands, box hands, case hands. colande1
hands, tea-kettle hands and bowl
hands. besides a multitude of others.
Among tailors there are basters. press.
ers, cutters, coat hands, trouser hands,
vest hands, jobbing hands and finish
ers after machines. In the making
of neckties there is also great
diversity, women being employed al
most exclusively in the industry.
In this trade there are hands for fronts,
,or bands, for ends, for knots, for
bows and for each of all the various
1iversities ofneckwear that gentlemen
most effect. In the millinery business
here are almost numberless divisions
N each of which a special workwoman
S demanded. Some women apply
themselves TO willow sewing, some to
hip, some to straw, some to manila,
ome to silks and yelvets, some to lace,
ome to paper, some to braid, at all
md each Of which they make hu mble
wing. These are all in the line OF
What may be called legitimate bust
Tess, though the ordinary citizen may
lot be familiar with them.
Next and perhaps most ingenious,
re those who live off other peoples
eavings- the refuse of the city.
fost noticeable among these are the
ag-pickers. who, in the early morn
ng, prowl through the streets and al
sys of the city picking Up the f1otsam
nd jetsam of the night before. There
re thousand rag-pickers in Chicago
rho by their industry support ten
housand people upon what has been
brown away as useless. Pretty much |
very thing is fish that comes in their
ct: paper. rags. old iron or other
FETAL, rubber shoes, bottles, broken
lass, wood, coal and bones. The
ones they sell to the fertilizing fac
ories; the wood and coal they
Sc themselves; the rags and
aper are sold to the rag merchants,
nd the other articles to the junk mer.
hants. An industrious chiffonnier |
18th good route can make from 90
, @4 a day between DAYLIGHT and |