The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-02-15
HUB SLAVE DEALERS.

AN ESSAY ON THE MONEY LENDERS
OF THE CITY OF BOSTON.
Theater Manager and Broker who
Knows How to Utilize His Debtors-JacI'
Tar's Deluilers.
(From Our Special Correspondents,
Boston. Feb. 49,
"First-nigh at the play are generally
supposed TO be an opulent and leisurely class
Of people, patrons of art and encouragers OF
aspiring genius.
II any one holding this notion OF first
nighters will make keen scrutiny OF an audi
snce at the Globe theater ON the first perfor-
nance Of some ordinary company he will
have reason for wonder at the individuals
who compose the audience.
There, beside the newspaper critics In the
orchestra chairs he will see coarsely dressed
laborers with their wives. Impecuinous mon
about town who never pay their debts and
gamble away their money are sitting elbow
to elbow with the professional man recover
ing from long spree and showing its effects,
the melancholy merchant who is sinking
into bankruptcy, the fashy clerk whose
salary Is trusteed and scores Of other hard-up
people whose financial depression is more or
less plainly indicated by their appearance.
What are they doing there In $3.50 or ~
seatsa WHY do they squander money ON the
play when they need a square meala
.'They come in on bill-posters' tickets" per-
haps YOU say. No, they don't The people
who use such tickets are present, but are not
30 conspicuous.
This 'largs and enthusiastic audience of
which the papers will speak in the morning
numbers 1900 people, of whom not more
than third perhaps have paid for their
Seats
"What generous, big hearted man the
proprietor of the theater must beW. Not
much.
Ask the mechanic in the front seat how he
can afford to be there with his wife and he
will tell you with a wink 81 am one OF
'Stetson's slaves and the rest of this crowd
is pretty much with me-"
The shrewd manager of the theater, the
noted John Stetson, knows thing or two
When he wants to fill up his house he sends
politely worded invitation to few hundred OF
his thousands of debtors, past or present.
He is the proprietor of loan office as well
as theater, and the shiftless wretch who is
struggling with an avalanche of bills and
paying "$1 interest and 81 principal week
and 81 a week extra every time you skip
payment" this poor devil feels as bewitched
when he receives the orchestra tickets as the
bright bird of the tropics before the glittering
eve of the coiled snake. Thus does the
Napoleon of money lenders charm the men
who pay him tribute, and at the same time
give the newspaper fellows an easier chance
to stihe their consciences when the necessity
comes for writing up the brilliant success
Of the first night.
1t beats the chrome dodge.
~.
One of the most widely known "brokers"
of the town is John Stetson, he who runs
theater, bar-room richly adorned enough
for q Monte Christie, a criminal newspaper
mot The Herald, in which he has large
stake, but police journaD a loan shop,
stock specializing office and factory of
quaint stories All these things does John
Stetson run, and he makes money out
Of all them, including the last named.
Every green reporter who runs up against
the $4,000, 900 Stetson and is overwhelmed
by the blast of vocal fireworks with which
his mild request for news is rejected every
such reporter wonders why man who
shows such an unpleasant disposition toward
newspaper men can get 50 many sugary
puffs in the papers
He has been literally advertised for years
of which are due to his misconception of the
meaning of simple words.
He gets notice of his shows whenever he
wants one, and nothing is said by the papers
when he wants silence. What is the matter
with the press? 1t is certainly not friendship
that inspires it. 1t has got to be a saying
among journalists that Stetson owns the press
of Boston, and there is at least this much
truth in it, that scores of newspaper men
have made use of his loan Office, and dread
offending him for fear of finding him not
lenient in the future. Perhaps the business
managers of the papers are not uninfuenced
by similar considerations.
Great is the money lender of the Bos-
tonians!
But Stetson isn't Shylock He doesn't
care for the pound Of flesh if he can get his
modest % interest. never heard Of his TAX
ing unfair advantage Of ignorant borrowers.
The real bloodsuckers of the trade must be
looked for elsewhere.
Stetson is a character. His biography
would make spicy addition to the lives of
self-made men. but wouldn't recommend it
to Sunday school library. His bluff, Dutch
built hulk has weathered many a storm that
has sunk handsomer craft Fair women I'M
numbered have smiled into the shrewd
eyes which peep from under the bulg
ing lids. 1'oadies have thronged about him,
gamblers, prizefighters and blackguards be-
come respectful in his presence He is a
monarch Of the stage, and the ballet and
chorus tremble in his presence. The violin
lists" of the orchestra become plain ''fiddlers"
whom he is about They adopt his nomen-
claturs, and play ''sneaky" music when the
blonde heroine tells the brunette hero how
she found herself lying in basket On door
step when she was three months old.
The cashier in the newspaper Office says
"Yessir willI'' when Stetson tells him to
s'send Webster and Worcester down to my
Office if they don't like my way Of spellin' my
ads I'll show em - quick whether I'm
goin' to have any - printers spoilin' my
notices." It will bs seen that, according to
the story, John Stetson feels able to knock
cut all the dictionary makers on earth.
"You are lucky to get out of his clutches