The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-05-30
MONEY IN POSTAGE STAMPS.
4 Chicagoan Who Does . Paying Business
NJ Novel Kind.

.
4 Chicagoan Who Does Paying Business
of . Novel Kind.
A wholesale brokerage in stamps has
netted $4,000 year and the business
has had 17-years' history in Chicago.
The publication Of hundreds and hum
lreds of papers of all sorts and circula-
tion gave birth to this absolute neces-
sity-the cashing of postage stamps in
all quantities.
Consider for a moment: In one day,
when the worlds fair picture coupon
craze was at its craziest, one OF Chica-
uo's morning dailies received $500 In
postage stamps. What could be done
with them? They were not good at the
hanks. The paper had no time to ped
die them, and the cash must be realized
at once to run business or at least TO
save interest.
Such a state of affairs, only OF some
what miIder character, happening
daily, nearly a score OF years ago, came
N tie knowledge of one George II.
Owern, who was looking for something
easy. 4Sweepipg together some BITS OF
capital into bank account, owens
Iouietly circulated among the heavier
stamp receiving business concerns OF
the town and bid all the way from 50 to
OF cents on the dollar for all the odd job
lots of vault stored stamps that he could
get tack of.
At first the tedious recount Oh the
great quantities of stamps at the time
Iof purchase was made with the aid OF
the merchant selling them. This, how
lever. proved a torment - detached,
wrinkled up and stuck together as most
of the big lots were. After wasting OF
much valuable time on the part OF their
cashiers over what was everywhere con-
sidered an utter nuisance. the banks,
newspaper Offices and business houses
gradually shifted the count on him al
together-save cursory sizing up OF
the "pesky torments" as they came in.
Owens simply called around, picked
up the bundles of little government
photos, gave his check for the count in
dictated on the bundle, and when he got
home, if there was mistake, ne
) charged it up to the customer, and II
} went as discount on the next deal
without question. The same thing
. ruled. after time, in the matter OF the
packages retailed. They were paid fol
unhesitatingly, and any mistake his
, customers might afterwards speak o.
: finding Owens would cheerfully allow
: Thus absolute confidence was estab
lished.
q Chicago mail order houses and news
4 paper counting rooms were not slow II
4 advising their other city friends OF thu
a Chicago cure for the stamp curse. ant
n thus the stamp broker was freely ant
without expense advertised from Main
O to California, until after years OF mucl
o profit the "old man" retired on his pile
r to be succeeded by his son. who in hi
l. stock exchange Office the other ola.
|. showed the writer an order he had jus
:, received from an eastern brewing com
S pany for 100000 two-cent stamp
5, (SS, 900 WORTHY at one per cent. discount
II Most of the stamps handled are one:
IF twos and threes; other denomination
70 only as the broker has customers TO
them. Great quantities of Canadian
are tratficked, showing an immens
mail order trade for Chicago with Car
M ada.
Many counting rooms in Chicago an
,r over the country cash $1,000 worth
r. stamps every few days at either SO cen,
ID or 90 cents, and are glad of the chance.
il After reaching the brokers' hand
o. there is but one feature OF interest col
,e nected with the repacking of stamps fo
u. retail delivery. This is absolutely woI
1r derful counting by sight that is don
Of bv the girls who attend to this part {
~ the work.
" Opening upon the table before her
le big envelope stuffed with all sorts
Is stamps, as they are brought from tt
"a merchant, the girl with one dexterol
&c dash of her right hand sweeps the hea
&c to single stamp level; an instant, NJ
Is. more, she looks at them; then one III
ger darts through the broad layer wit
&c evidently no more system than stree
p of lightning, but that leaves the carp
Nv of stamps looking like colored map
the United States. Another pass or tv
=, of the infinitely dexterous fingers, al
=. the stamps are gone. Not 20 secon'
- have elapsed.
,f' What did she do? In that 20 secon
Is. she counted, sorted, piled and
to wrapped 5000 unattached, mixed-'
vn stamps of three denominations. ltw
.st without question the most maryelo
ST; feat of counting the writer ever W
as nessed-and he has seen many OF
to famous United States treasury fling
Ise counters. The counting of the stan
re-. instance was done entirely with the
he "a fact that only increases the m,
er, terry, considering that the stamps we
IN. all in crazy-quilt tumble. = Chica
rs. Tribune.
DTS