The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-29

the exigencies of vanity coupled with pov-
elty. The dentist is quartered in the half
basement of a huge tenement, bubbling
with crowded humanity, and his only nd
vertisement of his presence and profession
is a tiny wooden sign. inscribed with some
cabalistic Hebrew characters. There is a
deceptive step just inside the door, and one
half tumbles into the stutfy room which
serves him for office and factory, and, on
Saturdays, masquerades AS a parlor.
II was a prominent dental surgeon in Mu-
nich," says he in good English. but l came
away in '6S, because | didn't care to prac
tice on the battle tielus of the awful fight,
and the German authorities did not want
me to. l had much sickness when / got
here, and what little money ] had realized
in n month or two l Knew not a soul in
New York, and, as / had to live, | went from
dentist to dentist to get work as assistant.
No one wanted mo, though, and l vent to
peddling. After a while l had an %inspira-
tion and l started in this line, and now.
after nineteen years of hard work, l am go
ing back to Munich in the fall.
'Queer business? Well, maybe 80; but
there is money in it. and it is individual
there is not another second hand dentist in
the city. as far as l know. People around
here. You see, couldn't pay eight or ten dol
lars for Il set OF teeth, and rs that is about
as cheanly as ono can buy them new, they
= AAoNA ASaSA w NohthS w Jaw 3 shAAA cAaS
thing of II philanthtopist, l think, for these
poor ones nave a right to wear false teeth if
they choose-not to mention that they often
actually need them-andI supply them with
white shiny sets for Il considerably lower
sum than they could otherwise buy them
for. The woman who was just in, for in
stance: She lost all her teeth through the
use of calomel and was in really great dis
tress upon her recovery to know how she
could afford to pay for II false set. Some
one sent her to me and l supplied her need
at n reduction upon brand new prices of
more than 80 per cent.
tits good that these Hebrews--who form
tbs bulk of my trade-are neither romantic
nor over-fastidious. Why? Well, for ex-
ample, here"--taking from tho tumble on
the work bench Il furnished gold plate with
five teeth projecting from it's a tritie
which once eracei the pretty mouth of a
famous member of the half-world, and, If |
mentioned her name you would know that
not one of her erstwhile admirers ever
guessed that her cleaning pearly row was
not all natures own gift. She went down
the ladder, of course, and finally raised the
wind on the gold value of this odd col
lateral. / picked it IN at n 'pawhbroker's
unclaimed sale for half for What she got
for (which was not very much. Now |
shall take the teeth from the plate, sell the
plate HI old gold to some assayer, mount
these five with some others on Il rubber
plate. and sell the set. memories and all,
for S3. Perhaps | shall make up the set
with these, which were disposed of in the
same way by n Pennsylvania clergyman,
who couldn't got home to his anxious flock
b, any other method, he having investi-
gated the devious ways of vice somewhat
too particularly. Contrast, isn't it2 Open
wickedness aud careful hypocrisy"
who are my customers? Why. most
every one i'll the city who il too poor to get
new teeth. and who knows OF me-; but,
mostly the Hebrews and Italians who make
MP the population of this ward. They are
good customers, prompt paying, and don't
OK peot fancy furnishing, being II people of
suspicious mood, especially where their
purses are threatened. That il why an ele-
Gantly-appointed M hrightly-lighted and
airy office would be no use to me; it would,
in fact, ruin my trade. for my customers
would imagine they had to paw for it,"
"Profits2 Not very large, of courses; but
l manage to retain a few OF the comforts OF