The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-12
INTERCHANGEABLE LODGINGS
The Results Of Hrs. Jefferson's Efforts
10 Increase her Income.
r7~o., H. V.a,r Vo,E- TriEsrns

From the Ne,c York Tribune.
Women have but an Indifferent reputa-
ton for business ability. We believe that
this arises rather from the want Of opPor-
tunity TO display their business aptitude
than from any real lack of it. How often
does a woman VINO has been reduced TO
widow hood support herself aud children on
| perhaps quarter of the income which the
| family enjoyed while the husband was liv-
ing; and very likely along with it all pick
10 a second husband worth dozen times
as much as the first one A recent occur
| renee in Newark brings to light remarka-
| BILE case of feminine business ability.
Two wears ago Henry Jefferson died in
| Newark, leaving only small means of sup
port for his family. But Mrs. jefferson
was not a woman 10 despair. She adver-
tised furnished rooms to let. She found
/ that she mad ten rooms which were availa-
/ BILE and she soon had them all occupied
! She got s. per week for each room. which
gave her total weekly income of $50 This
/ was sufficient for the support of her family,
but more was of course, desirable. Mrs.
jefferson began 10 think.
One day a month after the death Of her
husband, brilliant idea flashed upon her.
Her rooms were without exception, let to
dry goods clerks. They all arose about $50
O'Clock in the morning and weht away,
never returning before o'clock in the
evening. Mrs. Jefferson accordingly adj
vertised quiet rooms for night-workers
The result was that within two weeks time
she had let her ten furnished rooms to ten
night telegraph operators, who never got
in before 7:30 O'Clock in the morning.
and al ways went away before 6 o'clock at
night. This doubled her income, with prac-
tically no additional expense. The hour be-
tween the departure of one set of dodgers
and the arrival of the other lot, morning
and night, geve her ample time, with the
aid of a servant, TO make the beds and
transfer the clothing, toilet articles, trunks
and ''tnings" 10 general, so that when the
clerks arrived at night or the telegraphers in
the morning neither set found any evidence
of the occupancy Of the other contingent.
Nothing happened to mar the harmony for
two years But like many others, Mrs.
Jefferson became too grasping.
A month ago both the clerk and the oper-
ator who occupied the front parlor on the
first floor, and who, of course, had never
heard of each others existence. left the city.
Mrs. Jefferson failed to find any more
clerks or operators who wanted rooms, but
in day or two she had call from young
man who was employed In an electric light
works and went on duty at midnight, going
10 bed about O'Clock in the afternoon and
getting up at l1:30. She let him the front
parlor. The next day young man called
and finished his days work at midnight,
retiring a half hour later. He did
not seem to clash with the electric expert,
so Mrs. jefferson let him have the front
parlor. He proved light sleeper, and was
always out by 9 o'clock a. m. 1t so fell out
that a week later young doctor. who was
hunting for an office, came along Mrs.
jefferson ascertained that his office hours
were from O'Clock a. m. until noon, and
let him the front parlor. Everything went
on smoothly for another week, when a pale
young man, who works on a Newark MORN
ing paper, came to Mrs. jefferson to get a
quiet room in which to write. He was con-
structing play for a prominent pugilist
and wished TO work on il afternoons before
going to the office. Mrs. jefferson found that
he purposed writing from 1890 until little
after 3, and accordingly let him the front
parlor. Matters now moved like clock
work. The electric expert went to bed at 4
p. M and got up a little before midnight
Mrs. jefferson arose, removed his goods and
chattels and set the bed, if we may so ex-
press 1t, for the ticket agent. This gentleman
arrived few minutes later, but went away
ct $50 o'clock. Mr.. jefferson closed the
folding bed, removed his trunk, and hung
out the doctors sign. This able practi-
toner came at . and stayed until II O'clock.
Mira. jefferson then removed his books,
took in his sign, and set out the pale young
mans pipe and tobacco, shufffed Ehis manu-
script and scattered it about on the table.
He soon came and worked for three hours.
sometimes meeting the returning electric
expert on the corner. Each one of the four
paid So per week for the exclusive use of
the room, and, as we said, everything
moved like clockwork.
Unfortunately last Wed nesday was the
beginning of the electric experts vacation.
He determined to celebrate it by sleeping
till morning. Mrs. jefferson knocked warn
ingly at midnight, but he only muttered
aud turned over. The ticket agent came as
usual. Mrs. Jefferson retreated. There
were high words between the agent and the
expert, each of whom looked on the other
as an intruder. 1t was finally settled by
| the agent snatching the quilts off
the expert and rolling up in them
on the lounge. The expert wound him
self in the lower sheet, and each vowed
that he would starve out the other Mrs.
| Jefferson kept in retreat. Nine o'clock
| came, and with it the doctor, carrying a
new sase of surgical instruments under his
arm. He was astonished and angry at the
lntruders, but as they refused to go he sat
down to besiege them. At 1890 o'clock
the pale playwright walked in. He had
intended killing the villain in his play that
afternoon and was cross and irritable. He
| shouted at the expert and the ticket agent
and made a dash at the doctor. All
three leaped up; all four seized a
surgical Instrument; Mrs Jefferson
screamed for the police from an upper
window. The officers came and arrested
the four occupants of the front parlor. In
court each told his story and the whole
thing came out, The clerks and the tele-
graphers heard of it, got together and com.
| pared otes, and their situation also came
out. To-day Mrs. Jefferson has only two
| of her ten rooms rented one to a mar
with the rheumatism, who has his meals
| sent in, and the other to woman with a
pair Of twins
All of which teaches us that the full
boarding house is not always to the Graf tiest
landlady.
| EOTTR nuTT nprN pY0pu