The Van Buren press., 1894-10-06
MAKING A LIVING.
queer Ways Of Doing It In a.
Large City.

o1eo OlIy.
A"o men, one carrying tripod and
camera, the other carrying a hirb
stack OF Photographic plates, bound
around by = shawl strap, halted in
'front.' OF a grocery in Blue Island
avenue i"'''
You get them out in front and ri
Dc ready for them" said the man with
the camera, as he spread his tripod in
.ne gutter and took aim at the front
door Of the grocery.
The other member of the firm went
inside and said to the grocer: "We,re
going to take b picture of your store.
You'd better come out in front with
Your family and the clerk. OF course
you'll want to be in TT
why are You going to take q pic.
turep didn't order one."
That's all right. You don't have to
pay anything unless you want to- Get
every body out in front"
The grocer yelled upstairs to his
wife, who came down with the two lit.
tie girls close behind her When she
heard what was to be done she insisted
on going back to "primp," but the man
at the camera objected.
Hurry up; get In position" he
shouted.
HIS partner grouped the family In
the front door and saids Every one
stand still"
There was q click The man at the
camera said VAN right" and slid in a
panel Then he and his partner gath.
cred up their outfit and moved on.
-Four days later the partner OF the
man who had worked the camera came
into the grocery and displayed dozen
handsome photographs.
I'VE got a good picture" said he to
the grocer. That's very good pic
ture Of YOU"
ut is a purity good picture" said the
grocer, closing one eye and surveying
the photograph with admiration.
"Those will be nice souvenirs to send
to your friends and relatives"
II didn't order any pictures"
Certainly not, and you don't have
to take them unless you want to, but l
should think you could find use for a
dozen OF them"
"What are they worth2"
"I'll let you have them for two dol
lars and half.'
"f didn't order 'em and don't care
much for 'em, but I'll give you two
dollars"
That's pretty cheap, but I'll take
It,"
1t Is thus that some street photo
graphers make their money. They
know that every business man is fiat
tered when he sees himself In photo
graph standing in proprietary atti-
tude In front of his establishment.
This Ia but one Of the many unusual
ways Of making money In large city.
There are small and triviol demands
which are multiplied by large popu-
ton, so that 1t often becomes profit
able TO furnish a supply. A profes.
sional cockroach exterminator would
not seem to be public necessity, yet
tho cockroach man in Chicago makes a
good living. There are hotels, restau-
rants and apartment buildings always
ready to pay him q good price to come
with his insect powder and patent
blower and fill all the cracks and cor
ners Of the building with poison
which will kill the pestiferous little
animals. In some instances he makes a
yearly contract and agrees to keep the
premises clear.
The professional ratter agrees for q
certain sum to turn loose his ferrets
and kill all the rats In a building
There are several "ratters' who are
employed by the janitors OF the big
downtown buildings. In wholesale
dry.goods and grocery houses the
"ratter" is an important man. lie
and his ferrets clean the premises OF
rats and mice and save much properly
from destruction.
The soap artist makes good living.
He works principally in saloons ana
barber-shops, making ornate designs
on the mirrors with q piece OF white
SOAP. He is rapid workman and is
good on fancy letters. For quarter
Of dollar he will convert large
mirror into a gigantic picture with
psle effects, and usually he will spend
the money with the house. oi late
these journeymen artists have pegun
70 use water colors for their mirror
decorations. The bright colors give
more startling effect and can DC
easily washed off at any time. Al
least two theaters employ men &c
decorate saloon mirrors with gay al
vertisements.
There are three men in Chicago who
make a fairly good living by market
inc ideas. That lie their business
Suppose a man opens new resta"
rant The idea" man goes into the
rlace and saws: "Why not put out a sign
that you'll give dish Office cream iree
20 .verv red-headed man. 1t would
cause talk"
70 the restaurant man adopts tne
.rooestion the idea" man will expec'
to be paid for 1t.
He writes poetry for soaps and pat
ent medicines and submits 1t to tne
nronrietors. II they like 1t he names
bis price. At the big retail stores ne
drops in and confides new and start
,ing schemes for advertising nc
roes "a the theatrical manager ano
saws: Here, wouldn't this be eo00
Day by day he pokes into :a othe, ne,
,.onie,s business, and is well paid foi
( because, after all, there is nothing
more ~ valuable than ideas OF the righ'
kind. ,;r vb,
The professional entertainer s,.v wnr nc