The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-05
MONEY IN BACK NUMBERS.
pTEFR TRADE IN WHO OLD NEWS
PAPERN GRE TURNED INTO CASH.
Ten Genra AEe n Distributer or MorninE Papers
Began saving In Tbis WnS-Hia Custoaers
Are Ali Glasses or People. ana tho Pror-
its OF the BuhIncSs Arc satiaractory

Began saving In TbIs way His Customers
Are All Glasses or People. ana tho FrOr-
lite OF the Duslnrss Are satisractery,
prom the chicago Tnier ocean.
Mr.. Sam S. Walker Of this city is a dealer In
old newspapers, not In wholesale. junkshop
style, by the ton, but in single copies of back
numbers, the value OF which increases in direct
proportion to their ago. The moro ancient the
paper, and tho moro historical the ''nows' 10
contains. the more you hap- to pay for 10
Moreover, have to pay for It" Is an eminently
fitting phrase to use in this connection, because
MIR. Walker has n complete monopoly Of the
business, and maintains a rigid price list ar
ranged on a sliding scale. Even tho newspaper
publishers do not attempt to rival him. On the
contrary, they are among his bcst Customors,
and frequently nay from 81 to So for a back
number OF thor own publications.
Ten years ago Sam" Walker, as he Is known
among his intimates, was u distributor of news
papers on tho south side, and In that capacity
was frequently applied to for papers q month
old, and sometimes considerably older. 1t 10 q
rule In newspaper offices not to keep ON sale
back numbers for more than four weeks. In
his business ms n distributor Mr.. Walker gen.
orally had some surplus copies Of each OF the
daily papers, which piled UP from day to day,
and from week to week, until there was q sum-
Client quantity to make q sale 20 the junkmans
and thus realize q small amount of salvage on
what would otherwise have been n total loRa.
AS these Accommodations required several months
before the junkman's services were in order,
the distributor was frequently able to find the
required copy and to get a handsome profit
out Of its sale. Just as often. however, after q
long search, he found that he had pretty nearly
everything In stock but the paper he wanted,
and this gave him the idea of saving at least
ono copy of each days issue of every daily
paper published in Chicago.
BY 1890, these back numbers had %accumulat-
cd to such an extent that an entire basement
was filled with them. Then the storms beab
and the floods came, and owing to a defective
sewerage system all the Easements in the vi
entity OF Thi-ty.nrst street and Forest avenue
were inundated for days. The result, so far as
destruction of his files for three years. He
ttempte to convince his landlord that he was
landlord declared that the Hood was tic act OF
God and that Sam was thus barred from the
i In conseq% ne %sNe Of this sy disaster iSs ier% no d back sce i nu@:
bers Of Chicago papers arc obtainable further
The sliding scale Of prices now in force was
come to by an arrangement made originally
with the inter Oceqn and which has since been
papers. That scale is as follows: For papers
one month old, 10 cents; three months old, p
81, and a dollar is ndd'd for each additional
year. Thus a copy Of the Inter Ocean for any
81, and in certain events it would be very
cheap at that price.
numbers, aad why arc they in domandi As to
who are the principal purchasers Mr.. Walker
abe clients and BY far the greater numf or Of
COUNTS coSm or" Of diverse IN Tcer trie Is Or RD divorce so Bills aIed, IN in
which charges of cruelty or moral turpttudo
tlculer!y those in which the reputation of some
woman is involved. Why3 Because it is an
unfortunate fact thnt there is a small and un-
important element to be found among the gen:
tier sex to whom gossip about ncighbors and
even friends has n peculiar fascination.
For instance. Mrs. Brown moves into ANEW
is a sort Of inquest on her antecedents and char
acter, in which a self constituted jury Of her
new ,noighbors, decides upon the advisability
Of { calling 1lniYE T tpooOn her her. nI This inquest does Sss not come .
former address Il generally discovered. and
some member OF the Jury who has an ae9uaints
to make a call with a view to possible informa-
ton. In such an event, II the lady under investi-
CATION has ever had her name made unpleas-
antly prominent in the newspapers. you may
be sure that the day and date of publication
paper Office for u number. If the number hap
pens to be more than four years back, the in.
an her customer is secured. No matter what
the 'st may he, thai paper must IT. be obtained tame =.
articl published in IA newspaper has attracted
consid able attention, and that there is a prob
form. hey at once resort to Mr.. Walker TO
secure a complete set or supply missing articles
toners. Accounts of accidents and other hap.
penings which may be important IN damage
! bulLS III various WuyS,.llbelb, blhllbCIS, anu u
t counts OF trials, much moro fully reported than
tho briefdigest given i'll the regular law reports.
and many other matters, are OF interest TO the
> legal fraternity. Many back numbers are pur.
. chased because they contain sermons, essays.
or lectures.
But, to quote Mr.. Walker:
Taking it altogether, the women after scan
dial stories or society paragraphs are probably
the best customers. At any rate i get moro
calls from them than from any other class. The
best payers are the sporting people. Sometimes
] run across II woman who has no conscience.
There was one u few days ago who wrote mo
from Jamaica, N. Y, for a paper several months
old, inClosing three 2.cent stamps. VOL, l
hunted for the paper, which contained a scan.
= dial story, and sent it to her. with n bill for the
4 balance, so cents. because the price docs not in.
cludc the postage. i heard nothing from her
for some time, so wrote again. and what do
, you think she rcpliedi That she wanted the
. church dedication. and, as she wanted: iC for Q
religious purpose, she thought a cent for an out.
of-date Sunday paper and 8 cents for postage
D WAS encugh! Wouldn't that freeze you 10
? DEATH She didn't wnnt to read that scandal
oh, no! She wanted to read about the church
dedication. j have had others. There was a
q real estate man who wanted q paper four years
, old to be used as evidence In an important law
= suit, | supplied the paper and no offered me
n 40 cents al the rate OF 10 cents q year for carry
;. ing that paper. Unfortunately | had delivered
= the copy TO his clerk. so | had either to take thu
40 cents and sue for the balance or replevtn the
paper, and, as it doesn't pay to go TO law for 81
|. ] let him get the best OF me. | didn't weep any
briny tears when the Judge decided against
him, and the next time l met him gave him