The Washington times., 1895-05-26
S6Gr0k Mail Box.
for Fond L0U6rS
ALSO USED BY CROOKS OF ALL
SORTS:
Novel Scheme That Makes
Much Money for a Wash
ington Man.

IN these days OF competition and sharp
rivalry in trade, mans ingenuity is sorely
taxed IN devising plans and schemes for at
!ractiug TO his place Of business the class
Of people TO whom he is catering. There is
merchant in Washington who has recently
naugurated a feature hitherto untTied in
This locality
Not far from the Post-offIce Department
building there is q gentleman who presides
over modest Little establishment, where
he dispenses 10 the male and some of the
female inhabitants OF the neighborhood the
narcotic weed in every form in which il is
manufactured.
But the tobacco business did not afford a
sufficiently large field for the bartering ab1-
tiles fthisgeDIus and in short while novels
andnewspapers, stamps tationery, were
put on sale, penny-in- -the-slot machines, a
barber and boot-blacking shop, ard, final
ly, a laundry agency were eStablI IShed in con-
nection with the growing concern.
HIS LATEST EFFORTS.
The GROWING effort OF this Napoleon in
trade was put into operation a few weeks
ago and. from present Indications. this
latest feature VIII in short v lille make of
each OF the otEer departments Of the estab-
lishment signal touIce OF revenue TO the
proprietor.
A piaoard in the window, so large and
plain that he who runs, pedals or rides may
read. invites you to come in and write q let
ter and also TO have your mail sent there
Now, al ilTst glance, this ign seems to
be an Insignificant Affair, but owing TO its
presence IN the window the owner is enjoy
ing a large and lucrative trade while bar
bershops and c.garstores esintheneighboThood
are daily going out Of existence; and in this
very identical house hut short while ago
tobaocunst OF large experience was un-
able 10 make his running expenses.
The outfit OF this private letter-boX es-
tablishnlent. as IL rs called, at present con-
ssts only OF 2 desk, pens, paper ink and a
few cear loxes Tor the letters but if the
business continues to increaee atthe present
rate tie proprietor will icon put in a
pigeon-holed stand along the entire back
wall of the store.
II q person wants to write letter, as
one often Goes when on the street, he
comes in, buys his paper and envelopes, on
which there is a small profit made, and
then his stamps. The letter writer. OF
course, does not depart without investing
in a few cigars or getting shaved, and
here the owner gets into the game again.
Many OF these in time become regular
customers, and a steady revenue arises
from this source.
In most OF the other large cities of the
country these private letter boxes nave
been in vogue for some years, and that
quite nice little sum accrues to the man
who maintains the place is shown by the
large number in the business In one of
the New York papers last Sunday there
wereadvertisemcntso of neutrality-suspicious.
who make a speciality OF this letter-box
trade.
WHY THE BOXES ARE RENTED.
The boxes are rented for a stated sum,
which in most cases exceeds by far the
amount required to secure regular post
office box 1t may be conjectured from
tiaiE that the patrous Of these concerns