The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-02-05
OLD LIVELIHOODS.
Earning an Existence in Queer
and Original Ways.
A Unique Character Who Buys
Left over Washing.

The ever.increasing energy neces-
sary to keep the wolf from the door in
these times OF pushing iostling COM
petition has driven many OF the rank
and file Of life to capture the Heeting
dollar in queer and original ways 1t
occurred to ono genius recently TINT
there might be profitable trade
done through purchasing the leftover
linen from Chinese laundrymen aud
disposing of it to INDECENT individuals
who retain lingering amount of self
respect and weakness for clean
shirt. The man to whom the idea
came has been making a steady living
since at his unique business, and al
ready has competitor in the field.
In almost every Chinese laundry
there is an accumulation of linen, left
there for I ne most part by persons
who forget to call for it, and in somo
instances through the loss of the
ticket and the consequent hopeless
ness of identifying the owner. This
leftover linen the individual referred
to makes a bid for, gets, usually at
his own price, and retails at hand
some profit.
Another queer way of getting liv-
ing is that pursued by man on the
East River front, who is known from
Cherry Hill to Corlear's Hook as "The
Grappler." In tho summer time,
when the piers and stringpieces are
crowded with sweltering humanity
from the east side tenement houses,
it is a common thing for some unfor-
tunate to topple over Into tho water and
be drowned before help arrives. The
body is usually washed around by the
tides and cddies on the pier front and
cannot be located without careful
search by an experienced hand.
''Tbe Grappler" is usually sent for
by the sorrowing relatives, and he
strikes bargain to recover the body
for 80 much money. The price usual
ly paid him is S25. Then, armed
with tools of his own invention, "The
| Grappler" launches his boat, makes n
careful study of the spot where the
body disappeared, draws his own con-
clusions as to the whereabouts of the
drowned from life long study of
the ways of East River waters, and
then begins to grapple. Sometimes a
body will be brought to the surface
within half nm hour. At other times
the work has to be carried on patient
ly for days and weeks before the Crap
ping irons catch the remains. In
some instances the grappler has failed
to find the body and has thrown mp
his contract As a rule, however, his
gruesome task is successfully accom-
plished. When not searching for
bodies, "The Grappler" fills out HE
time fishing for anything he can get.
He catches all sorts OF fotsam and
ietsam, that he turns into cash. Old
rope, lost anchors, chains, rusty iron
and other deposits of the river bed
are all worth money to him. ''The
Grappler" says business is not flourish
ing now. He succeeded to his pecu-
liar calling through his father, who
taught him the business in the days
when graphing paid, aud he cannot
turn his hand to anything else at this
late date.
One of the remarkable band OF
camp followers that hovers on the
outskirts of Wall streets speculating
crowd is Billy the Goose, an ex.stool
pigeon of the police, who is credited
with earning II weekly sum in variety
OF ways. Billy is usually seen hold
ing in his arms q pyramid OF cast-ofi
hats, which he sells for anything they
will fetch. These transactions are all
clear profit to Billy for he gets the
hats as gifts from the brokers of the
neighborhood who have purchased
new ones Billy also loans money al
exorbitant rates of interest to impecu-
nious messenger boys, and makes a
large profit in this manner. Then he
acts as the broker on commission to
men who wish to speculate in the
bucket shop, but who do not care tc
be seen in this lone strata Of Wal
street society. Every one in the street
knows Billy. and il he were to an
nounce that he had accumulated 9
fortane and was about to retire from
business, no one would be at all sur
priced. New York Recorder.
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