The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-04-23
MONEY IN POSTAGE STAMPS.
A Chicagoan Who Does "A Paying Business
of Novel Kind.

OF NOVel htnu.
A wholesale brokerage in stamps has
netted 100000 year and the business
has had 17-years' history in Chicago.
The publication of hundreds and hun
areds of papers of all sorts and circula-
ton gave birth to this absolute neces-
sity-the cashing of postage stamps in
all quantities.
Consider for moment: In one day,
when the worlds fair picture coupon
craze was at its craziest, one of Chica-
COS morning dailies received $4,000 in
postage stamps. What could be done
with them? They were not good at the
banks. 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 milder character, happening
daily, nearly a score of years ago, came
to the knowledge of one George H.
Owens, who was looking for something
easy. Sweeping together some bits of
capital into bank account, Owens
quietly circulated among the heavier
stamp receiving business concerns of
the town and bid all the way from IS to
81 cents on the dollar for all the odd job
lots of vault stored stamps that he could
get track of.
AT first the tedious recount of the
great quantities of stamps at the time
of purchase was made with the aid of
the merchant selling them. This, how
ever, 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 a 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 a mistake, he
charged it up to the customer, and it
went as a discount on the next deal,
without question. The same thing
ruled, after a time, in the matter of the
packages retailed. They were paid for
unhesitatingly, and any mistake his
customers might afterwards speak of
| finding Owens would cheerfully allow.
| Thus absolute confidence was estab-
| lished.
| Chicago mail order houses and news
r,aTar f.onptipu rooms xypra NOT SLOW in
advising their other city friends of the
Chicago cure for the stamp curse, and
| thus the stamp broker was freely and
without expense advertised from Maine
to California, until after years of much
profit the ''old man" retired on his pile,
to be succeeded by his son, who in his
stock exchange Office the other day
showed the writer an order he had just
received from an eastern brewing COM
pany for 100000 two-cent stamps
! ($S,000 worth) at one per cent. discount
Most of the stamps handled are ones,
twos and threes; other denominations
only as the broker has customers for
them. Great quantities of Canadians
re trafficked, showing an immense
mail order trade for Chicago with Can
ada.
Many counting rooms in Chicago and
over the country cash 1000 worth of
stamps every few days at either 9S cents
or 80 cents, and are glad of the chance.
After reaching the brokers' hands
there is but one feature of interest con-
nected with the repacking of stamps for
retail delivery. This is absolutely Won
derful counting by sight that is done
by the girls who attend to this part of
the work.
Opening upon the table before her q
big envelope stuffed with ali sorts of
stamps, as they are brought from the
merchant, the girl with one dexterous
dash of her right hand sweeps the heap
to a single stamp level; an instant, not
more, she looks at them; then one fin
ger darts through the broad layer with
evidently no more system than a streak
! of lightning, but that leaves the carpet
Of stamps looking like a colored map of
the United States. Another pass or two
of the infinitely deXterous fingers, and
the stamps are gone. Not 20 seconds
have elapsed.
What did she do? In that 20 seconds
she counted, sorted, piled and re-
wrapped 5000 unattached, mixed-up
stamps of three denominations. TWAS
without question the most marvellous
feat of counting the writer ever wit
nessed-and he has seen many of the
famous United States treasury finger
counters. The counting of the stamp
instance was done entirely with the eye
"a fact that only increases the mys-
terry, considering that the stamps were
all in a crazyquilt tumble. - Chicago
Tribune.
Prize Poker Story.
Capt. John A. Duble, an old Mississippi