The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1896-02-01
THE STREET FAKIRS.
A SYSTEMATIC BUSINESS CONDUCT
ED UPON A LARGE SCALE.
1t Is Controlled by Boss Fakirs and Brine,
Them In Good Profits-There Il Notbt,~
They VIII Not Buy and Sell rhrourh-
out City and Country.


They VIII Not Buy and Sell Through
out City and Country.
The business Of the "street fakir,, IA NO.
conducted, as many persons believe, upon
haphazard principles. 1t Is, on the con-
trary, thoroughly systematized. The men
with the pushcarts do not own either their
vehicles or tho wares they sell. They ara
commission merchants upon limited
scale. The goods are consigned to them.
and they return the proceeds OF the sales
less tho commission, to their principals In
much the same manner as do tho million-
airc dry goods men Of Worth street.
OF course, there Is some difference bo.
tween the merchant Of Worth street and
the fakir OF Ann street. 1t Is one OF de-
gree, however more than of nature. Tho
comparison is made TO call attention 10
the fact that taking is thoroughly reou-
lated industry, conducted In a systematic
manner, upon business methods.
Ann street Is the home of the street fa-
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 1t was, some 30 years ago. who
first set up as n "boss fakir." Such il the
familiar name applied to the proprietors by
the men OF the pushcarts. The boss fa-
kris, two or three of whom practically
control the business In New York, describe
themselves rs "dealers In street novelties.
If one happens to DO 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
80 to 100 pushcarts, bearing the label,
Licensed Vendor" The majority of
them, licenses and all, are part of the stock
In trade Of tho boss fakirs" When it be-
comes necessary to throw out greater
number of men then there are carts dur
ing the holiday season or before the Fourth
of July, for instance, tho "boss fakirs'' are
able to hire additional carts, and licenses,
too, in Baxter street. The renting of such
property, 1t seems, Is one of the peculiar
irregular industries Of the city. The Bax-
ter street Italians receive % cents 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 them? Sometimes they are
selling books, again 1t is leather goods, at
firecrackers, bombs, fireworks and the like
And sometimes the boss fakirsi 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 now well known
magazine. At the time in question the pub
LEGATION had anguished-failed. The time
came for reorganization and the manage
ment thoughtlessly sold all its back num-
bers and plates. They went for song to
firm in Ann street. Two or three days
later the proprictors Of the magazine came
to their senses. They realized that while
they had the plant and the good will, the
fakirs absolutely controlled the magazine
for number of years.
Perhaps they made q second mistake, for
If anything "boss fakir" Is shrewd and
so, when the magazine people within a
week offered five times the price Mt which
they had disposed OF the articles for their
return, the "fakirs" said MOP They
knew that something was up, but just
what they were at 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 was 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 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 ut the
close of n 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
a are at once placed ON the carts and sold.
II they are not adapted for immediate uses
they are carefully assorted. The boss
fakir' is n keen one and never attempts
> TO sell firecrackers, straw hats and pam
leaf fans in January, nor Will he put ou'
, his china dolls, Noah's arks, Christmas
7 books and papier machc Santa Clauses ID
July. Then, too, in looking over his pur
G chases no may find some choice gooos-d
dress pattern of silk, or carton OF under
, wear or something of real value These
the chances are, he will sell to another
9 specialist in the city, man who foilo"'
another odd and systematic calling-'n'
D dealer in peddlers' supplies.
I The "street fakirs" who are employs
( by the "boss fakirs" are corralled mainly
D in the Bowery lodging houses. AS gen
Q eral thing they do not make any deposi
a for their goods They are consigned .
them ON trust, and though 1t Is undeni
ably true that many of them are mari
9 characters 1t is rare occasion that tnel
: do not turn up to render an account .
q their sales. The "boss fakir AWAY
y counts upon securing the return oil ni'
g original outlay and profit besides I'M
profit he shares with the street IaSir Il
= equal parts deducting, however, 20 cen"
!, a day for the use OF the pushcart.
The profits on street novelties var
widely. Sometimes huckster makes .
e high as $40 or sl2 day. Again II may o
a but dollar or two, and sometimes IN
e "boss fakir'' has to advance sinal
o amount to carry his salesman over ~
Il night II the return has been consiuerao'
" $40 or sl2.-thc street fakir' sets aoou
: spending it in the Bowery dives lie won
y work again until reduced to his las, 90"
that is, as rule.-New York heraiu'
is Failed.
10 t.~.fx won