Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1895-05-24
THE STREET FAKIRS,
A SYSTEMATIC BUSINESS CONDUCT
ED UPON A LARGE SCALE.

A SYSTEMATIC BUSINESS CONDUCT:
ED UPON A LARGE SCALE.
1t IL Controlled by Boss Fakirs and Bring,
Them In Good ProHts-Thero Is Nothina
They VIII Not Buy and Sell Through.
out City and Country.
The business Of the "street fakir'' is not
conducted, as many persons believe, upon
haphazard principles. It is, ON the con.
trary, thoroughly systematized. The men
with the pushcarts do not own either their
vehicles or b wares they sell. They are
commission merchants upon a limited
scale. The goods are consigned to them,
and they return the proceeds Of the sales,
less the commission, to their principals In
much the same as do the million
aire dry goods men of Worth street.
OF course, there is some difference be-
tween the merchant of Worth street and
the fakir of Ann street. It is one Of de-
gree, however, more than of nature. The
comparison is made to call attention to
the feet that taking is a thoroughly regu-
lated industry, conducted in a systematic
manner, upon business methods.
Ann street is the home Of the street IA
kir, and, according to the men engaged in
the business themselves, Thomas P. Bar
rett, long since dead, was the father of the
craft. He it was, some 80 years ago, who
first set up as a "boss fakir." Such is the
familiar name applied to the proprietors by
the men of the pushcarts. The "boss IA
KRIS" two or three of whom practically
control the business in New York, describe
themselves as dealers in street novelties. !"
If one happens to be in the vicinity of
Ann street and Broadway any night in the
year and chances to turn in to inspect
Theater alley, he will find anywhere from
SO to 100 pushcarts, bearing the label,
Licensed Vender." The majority of
them, licenses ond all, are part of the stock
in trade Of tho "boss fakirs." When it be-
comes necessary to throw out q greater
number Of men cher there are carts, dur
ing the holiday season or before the Fourth
of July, for instance, the "boss fakirs'' are
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. The Bax-
ter street Italians receive 25 cents a day for
the rental of surplus carts and vendors
licenses.
While the carts are a necessary article in
street taking, the goods to be sold are, of
course, the all important factors. Where
do the ''boss fakirs" get them? Where
don't they get themq Sometimes they are
selling books, again it is leather goods, at
Christmas time toys and novelties, in July
frecrackers, bombs, fireworks and the like.
And sometimes the "boss fakirs' get
hold Of some very valuable articles for a
song. In fact, they have not yet got over
talking in Ann street of the marvellous
success one of the craft had in buying up
the books and plates of a To- we'll known
magazine. At the time in question the pub
LEGATION had languished-failed. The time
came for reorganization and the manage
ment thoughtlessly sold all it's back num-
bers and plates. They went for a song to
q firm in Ann street. Two or three days
later the proprietors of the magazine ca1nn
TO their senses. They realized that whilo
they had the plant and the good will, the
fakirs absolutely controlled the magazine
for a number Of years.
Perhaps they made a second mistake, for
II anything a "boss fakir'' is shrewd, and
so, when the magazine people within a
week offered five times the price at which
they had disposed Of the articles for their
return, the "fakirs" said "No!" They
knew that something vas up, but just
what they were at q loss to determine.
They inquired and found that they con-
trolled the publication and could defeat
the reorganization Of the company. The
bid for the property vas raised and raised
again, and eventually the property was
sold back. In Ann street it is reported
that the ''fakirs'' divided something like
$25, 900 on that little deal.
Such opportunities do not come often.
AS a rule, the "boss fakirs'' obtain their
wares at auction sales in the dry goods
district, custom house sales and sales by
the public administrator. Then at the
close of a season they will enter some one
of the large notion houses or department
store" houses and clean up the job lots and
sample lots.
This operation is tempered with judg.
ment. If the goods are ~seasonable, they
are at once placed on the carts and sold.
If they are not adapted for immediate uses,
they are carefully assorted. The 'Fboss
fakir" is q keen one and never attempts
to sell frecrackers, straw hats and palm
leaf fans in January, nor will he put out
his china dolls, Noah's arks, Christmas
books and papier mache Santa Clauses in
July. Then, too, in looking over his pur-
chases he may find some choice goods-a
dress pattern of silk, or a carton of under
wear, or something Of real value. These,
the chances are, he will sell to another
specialist in the city, a man who follows
another odd and systematic calling-the
dealer in peddlers' supplies.
The ~"street fakirs'' who are employed
by the "boss fakirs'' are corralled mainly
in the Bowery lodging houses. AS a gen
eral thing they do not make any deposit
for their goods. They are consigned to
them or trust, and though it is undeni.
ably true that many of them are hard
characters it is q rare occasion that they
do not turn up to render an account OF
their sales. The "boss fakir'' always
counts upon securing the return Of his
original outlay and a profit besides. This
profit he shares with the street fakir in
equal parts, deducting, however, 25 cents
q day for the use of the pushcart.
The profits on street novelties vary
widely. Sometimes a huckster makes a.
high as SO or $12 q day. Again it may be
but q dollar or two, and sometimes thu
"boss fakir" has to advance a small
amount to carry his salesman over tn,
night. II the return has been considerable.
$40 or 41l-the sstraat fakir'S cote oho,,