Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-09-20

lack OF common sense. The road is annually
streWn with the wrecks of shows that are
iahncned with the managerial understanding
that half Of the amusement going public are
TOOLS and the other half vicious ana tnat
tne loss OF the patronage OF decent ana cul-
E sureu people will be more than onsetOy % Ine
IaVor or the two prevailing elements Inc
rotten plays and worse players that are
sent out of New York every year under tins
impression and the reception they almost
invariably get tell the story.
Another conspicuous evidence OF mana
geral stupidity Is the sending of such plays
among country towns and villages, as II
rural population were naturally more
vicious and morally callous than the slumS
OF q great city. 1t was the honest coal-be-
grlmed miners of Pennsylvania who Missed
the convict adventures off the stage.
The Market for Dogs.
-"I sell about 600 dogs year." said the
wellknown dog man who makes Broadway,
between the Fifth Avenue and Hoffman, his
Held of operations. Sometimes don't sell
one for days, then five or six or dozen right
along. There is always pretty fair market
here for thoroughbreds. 1 keep no other
kind japanese pugs and King Charles are
tne faVorites, but they are too high prlced
Tor most people to reach. Bull terriers ana
hunting dogs always sell. The principal
customers are sports and actresses. Women
are great on dogs. In nine cases out of ten
when a man buys dog it is to give it to q
woman Actresses love dogs. You send
your soubrette one of these, young man, and
you've got her dead to rights. The other
fellow is nowhere. YOu stand here a few
minutes and see the wistful eyes the women
cast at these beauties and you'll under
Stand.''
HustIing for Advertising.
The sharpness of competition for ad-
vertisng patronage encourages some very
clever schemes on the part of the metropoli-
tan newspapers or their agents. The Herald
made the discovery short time ago that
every new advertiser in that paper received
a printed circular from other concerns ask
ing for the same lad" and giving terms for
its insertion. There is nothing new or par
ticularly New York about this. Some time
ago l had occasion to insert a business no
tice in the leading papers of the principal
cities. The mails brought me any number
OF these circulars, each having the "ad'
pas tied ON 1t and giving the advantages OF
that particular paper over its rivals as
means of reaching the public. The big ad-
vertising agencies in New York are saving
at each Others throats all the time, but
there is q country weekly air about a great
journal that runs a thousand miles after a
three-line "ad'' that happens to be printed
in the columns of a local rival.
Why Bunko Men Flourish.
-"Not one case of 'bunko' or green
goods out of 20 cases is ever punished or
made public" said detective the other
day. He then went on to say, in substance,
that the principal reasons why are, first, the
disclinatfon of the plundered people to ac-
knowledge their stupidity and next the
weakness of the law. Owing to these reasons
10 is very difficult to secure a conviction.
Unless everything is favorable, therefore,
no arrests are made. Nobody understands
his advantages better than the. DunkO man.
He trades upon a notable human weakness.
He knows that a man who is willing to buy
counterfeit money to shove upon the public
is really greater rascal than he is who
takes the victims good money in return
for sawdust and brown paper. There is no
sympathy for the individual who gets swim
dled in the attempt to rob other people and
commit felony. The authorities interfere
only as an officer interferes to prevent
breaches of the peace. When express COM
panies can be established and sustained
chiefly by the "green goods" traffic an idea
can be formed OF its magnitude. The
profits on handling. an illegal business are
vastly greater than upon an ordinary legiti-
mate one. For this reason the reputable e1-
press companies and telegraph companies
do not look too closely into the character of
any single transaction. There isn't tele-
graph operator or an express delivery
wagon driver but knows all about this.
There isn't a letter carrier about town who
isn't familiar with every illegitimate busi-
ness on his route and who in most cases
doesn't profit by the knowledge. There
isn't man who lets out private letter boxes
in his place of business, but is
fully aware ware that such, such boxes are
Every officer on the force also knows these
things, and knows that these other people
know them. The great thing lacking Is
distinct complaint and q reliable complain
ant.
An Open Postal Abuse.
1t would really seem that the United
States postal authorities have ample power
and are derelict in this matter of private
letter boxes. When an enterprising firm
some years ago started postoff1ce and let
ter delivery system in this city in opposi-
tion to Uncle Sam, that old gentleman
promptly stepped in and squelched the con-
Germ Being private enterprise it was good
deal better than that run by the Governments
and promised serious opposition. So it was
sat upon. Since then the most danger
GUS Infringement upon the Postal Depart
ment's rights is the private letter box sys-
tenn This is as clearly illegal as would be
the regular postoffice and private delivery.
Technically no person has legal right to
convey q sealed note to another person with
out such note has legal postage stamp on
it, but that fornality Is generously over
looked where the regular mails are not used;
but the private letter hox is not only illegal
but is used almost exclusively for illegal
purposes. They are boldly set up in the
most disreputable neighborhoods and a
sign Private Letter Boxes" is generally
displayed on the window or door. A post
office inspector will have no difficulty in
finding them. And it would be equally as
easy to show that private letter box does
not constitute a legal residence or legal
place Of business. The private letter box is
not only illegal, but the refuge of thieves,
felons, bunko sharps, green goods" dealers,
libertines and the dishonest and vicious
generally, and ought to be vigorously sup
pressed by the postal authorities.
CHARLES THEODORE MURRAY.
vopr