New-York tribune., 1891-03-05
NE. BILFINGER. or THTETYTOrRTH-ST ST

MR. BTLFINGER. or THfETYFOrRTH-NT
Americans are accused of being waStctul and cN
travagani and Of negIcctng to save in the thousand
and one little ways in which it is always possible.
That there are exceptions - this rule is striHngY
proved by the case of Mr.. Amos BIliuScr, of
irty-fourth-st. Mr. BilhHgcr stands striking
cyamplc Of American thrift Stll Nr. Bfngcr
does not stoop to ,rieshc does not. for instance,
sir his coal ashes. But Mr.. Bfneer has plan
which enables him TO make enough money 50
that hc can buy more coal whenever his co2l-'n
/, cn,uty. lie WIS 50 kind as 10 call at Tie
Tribune Office ore day recently and explain hn
methods at length
Every one living in this city has noticed how
quickly the blllpostcrs descend upon an ash.
barrel. and with what rapdiy and dcNtcrlty
they cover it. with posters which speak IN hiGh
terms Of the latcet theatrical attraction, coming
walkin1-match or medicine calculated to stimu-
l.,r aud inyigoratc 40 citizen is SO humbi" that
he MAY not find much To cheer and to comfort
him both in a literary and in an artistic way oH
III, ash-barrcl. Ent Mr.. Bifnecr is probably the
first man to turn il 10 "a source of profit. Two
,,r, a., ne noticed ~ he took in his asl-oarrrl at
nj ,,t that IT. was invariably covered with new
l,i Of posters. Indeed, examination showed h'm
That usually there were dozen or more different
scts Of bills added each day. all put on with a
thick coat of paste on both sides, and frequently
making layer half an inch or more thirN.
one. day when the bill-sickcrs had been unusually
Industrious owing 10 great activity in the theatrl
cal world, and when Mr.. liliinger found his bar
rel IN u most astonishing stat" of obesity al night,
the bright idea occurred 10 him OF removing lhr
theatrical bark of adirctiycs and Autographs ana
selling II for waste paper Taking knlic Mt.
p;dnocr readily cut the rind down one side and
4 flt..r. lra
,.rtcI the appearance of a corpulcnt paper barre
WEIGHING several pounds Storing it in the celia
Mr. Binecr waited til next morning. when hc
AGAIN nut has barrel ont on the sidewalk iillci
with ashes, That evening. rs he expected hr
found another thick layer of poster paper on II,
,,Iich he removed and stored IN tine cellar. rms
WAS the tnrnng-point in Mr.. Bllngers fortunes
Tine next morning hc put out two barrels and
rouud them both covered at night. lie gradually
iucrcasrd the number Till he now has ten barrels
All fine sidewalk in front of h,s house will accom-
modat, He sets the entire Let each morning al
Il o'clock He lsriS them twice day, al noon
and aL > o'clock in the evening. Two gatherings
hc finds pay him better than one, as nothing e\-
cites the animosty of a hlllsticl;er 50 nuch - a
clean barrel, except, Of course n barrel covered
with tine bills of rival stckcr Indeed. Hr.
HilGurer sometimes bats his barrels with posters
obnoxious to the majority Of stickers, with cN-
cclIcnt results. Mr.. Btnerr keeps close ac-
count Of his business, and finds that each barre.
on an average brings him thirteen pounds OF parer
and paste each day Ills entire clip, as we may
cxprcss it, is accordingly 1870 pounds day. lhls
he disposes Of directly to the paper mills. without
the intervention of iunkmen, for five cents
Mound This makes Mr.. Hlinger's total daily IN
come ST 80, amply sufficient for his support, when
we consider that he lives quietly and Is not given
70 osentaton. lie is now negotiating TO hire the
two ncighboring houses, sublet them TO tenants,
but reserve the right of pasturagc, as 1t were for
barrels on the sidewalks. This increase of range
will bring his income up to about $4,000 year
Two-thirls Of his income. Mr. Biinger estimates.
comes from the theatres, it is not strange that
he is in return liberal patron of the playhouscS,
being a regular iirst-nighler and discriminating
critic Of everything relating to the drama.
The old proverb to the effect that if We look
after the pennies the pounds will take care
Of themselves, is indeed true, and what noble
example is the career of Mr. Billnger for American