Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1895-07-19
STREET TAXING.
ODD BUSINESS CONDUCTED
UPON AN EXTENSIVE SCALE.
Homo of tho Street FakIrs in the
Metropolis Controlled by Boss =
Fnltirs - Tho Wares
nnd Profits.
Nm STREET is tho home c

Thomas z. Barrett, long siucc dead,
was the father OF the craft. Ho it
was, some thirty years ago, who first
set up rs "boss fakir." Such is the
familiar namo applied to the pro-
prietors by the men OF tho push carts.
The "boss fakirs," two or three Of
whom practically control the business
in New York, describe themselves as
"dealers in street novelties"
If ono happens to DO in tho vicinity
of Ann street and Broadway any night
in the year and chances to turn in to
inspect Theatre alley, no will find any
where from fifty to hundred push
carts, bearing the label, Licensed
Vender." The majority of them,
licenses and all, arc pnrt of tho stock
in trade of the "boss faklrs." When
it becomes necessary to throw out u
greater number of men than there arc
carts, during the holiday season or
before tho Fourth of July, for in
stance, tho "boss fukirs' aro able to
hire additional carts, and licenses,
too, in Baxter street. The renting of
such property, it seems, is one of the
peculiar irregular industries of the
city. Tho Baxter street Italians re-
ccive twenty-five cents day for the
rental of surplus carts and vendors
licenses.
While tho carts aro necessary
article in the street taking, the goods
to be sold are, of course, the all i'm
portant factors. Where do tho "boss
fakirs" get them? Where don't they
get them? Sometimes they are selling
books. again it is leather goods, Mt
Christmas time toys and novelties, in
July iirocrackcrs, bombs, fireworks
and tho like.
AS II rule tho "boss faEirs" obtain
their wares Mt auction sales and snles
by tho Public Administrator. Then
mt the close of IL season they will enter
some one of Tho largo notion houses
or department store" houses and
clean up the job lots and sample lots.
This operation is tempered with
Judgment. If the goods are season.
able they arc ut once placed on the
cnrts and sold if they nre not adapted
for immediate uses they aro carefully
assorted. Tho "boss fukir" is keen
one, and never attempts to sell fire.
crackers, straw hats and palm leaf
fans in January, nor will he put out
his china dolls, Noah's Arks, Christ
mas hooks and papicr macho Santa
Clauses in July. Then, too, in look
ing over his purchases ho may find
some choice goods-a dress pattern of
silk, or carton OF underwear, or
something of real value. These, the
chances are, no will sell to another
specialist i'll tho city, man who fol-
lows another odd and systematic call
ing-tho dealer in podlors' supplies.
The ''street fnkirs" who nro em-
/ ,ployed by the "boss fakirs" aro cor
rallied mainly i'll the Bowery lodging
houses. AS general thing they do
not mako any deposit for The goods.
They are consigned to them Oh trust,
and though it is undeniably truo that
many of them arc hard characters, it
IL rare OCCASION that they do not
turn up to render an account of their
sales. The "boss fnkir" always counts
upon securing the return OF his orig
innl outlay, and profit besides. THIS
| profit he shnres with the ''street
fakir" in equal parts, deducting, how
ever, twenty-five cents day for the
use of the push cart.
The profits on street novelties vary
widely. Sometimes huckster makes
rs high ms SO or SIC day. Again
it may be but n dollar or two, and
sometimes tho "boss fakir" has to adj
vance n small amount to carry his
salesman over the night. II the re-
turn has been considernble-S1O or
S12-the 'street fakir" sets about
spending it in the Bowery dives. He
won't work again until reduced to his
lust cent that is, rs rulc.
Theie is still another branch of the
"boss fnkir's" business which no in
trusts only to responsible men, who
follow n circus throughout the coun-
try, attend conventions, country fairs,
the trottinS circnit, and largo gather
ings, from camp meeting to cen
tennial celebration. The "boss fnkir, "
Tor instance, may take it into his head
to run opposition to the 'candy
butcher" in other words, the man
who has bought the privilege to dis
pensc pink lemonade. peanuts, old
fashioned molasses candy, popcorn
balls and the like Mt the circus. OF
course, the fakirs can't sell inside the
tent.
The popularizing OF new toy or
novelty is still another branch of The
"boss fakir's" business. They do not
purchase such goods outright The
patentee, or manufactures, allows the
proprietor, perhaps, S2a day each for
from ten to twenty "street fal1irs, ("
and supplies the stock in trade. The
"boss fakir" makes his own nrrunge-
ment with tho mer, and sends them
out to test the article.
Upon the whole, this business of the
"boss fakir," in its various ramifica.
tons. is exceedingly interesting. The
men are never OF n loss for stock OF
goods, and possess remarkable re-
sources in hawking their wares. New
York Herald.
This COuniry's First Railroad.
| Tho fret ro;IrooI !