Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-12-14
RICHES CAME EASILY.
PROFITABLE EXPERIENCE WITH
SHOOTING GALLEY.
How q Business Man Of Minneapolis
MINI, Made Himself Well'to.Do
Through a Purchase Of G. W.
Parker Busy Shops.

The office OF Z. W. Parker frluay
afternoon was visited by two gentle
men who came many hundred miles
to see the biggest shooting gallery
and merry-go-round mandatory in
the United States and to transact
business with its genial proprietor.
They were wideawake and genial
gentlemen from Minneapolis, Mime
sofa, and one Of them, Mr.. H. L.
Cooke, has had remarkably pleasant
business experience with one OF Mr..
Parker's mechanical shooting gal
leries. To a REFLECTOR representa-
tive he remarked:
~ have had varied business ca
reer but never found anything that
paid SO large an interest on the in
vestment as the gallery | bought OF
Mr.. Parker about year ago A gal
lery was running in Minneapolis but
the owner would not tell me where
he got it. By accident | found tag
with Mr.. Parker's name on it and
with a partner borrowed $780, neither
of us having a cent. We rented a
room in st. Paul, Mimi, at 1925 q
month and had spent all our money
before we we're ready to start. Peo-
pie laughed at us but we did the
laughing when at the end of four
weeks we had taken in $l,040. The
next two weeks we did about the
same. Then | sold out and bought
the Minneapolis gallery as it was
nearer my home. This gallery has
run 16 months steadily in Minneap-
oils in the same location yet it is a
steady moneymaker. In the 10 days
before Nov. 6 it took in $780, S5; in
the next II days it took in $l6S.4o.
From starting with nothing have
been in receipt of fine income ever
since | began the business, my wife
spent the summer in the east and we
have lived well-and saved money
besides. If there is anything better
on earth to make good income with
a small expenditure or returns a bet
ter profit | do not know what it is
Mr.. Cooke bought shooting gal
lery of Mr.. Parker for cash today and
will ship it to Toledo, Ohio, to start
at once.
With Mr. Cooke was Mr.. John
Coveny also Of Minneapolis, who is
also much impressed with the bust
ness and is taking an interest in a
gallery with Mr.. Cooke.
This was dull day in town, but at
Mr.. Parker's mandatory all was
hustle and business. Twenty-eight
men were busy as bees manufacturing
galleries to fill orders. Four shoot.
ing galleries have been shipped this
week and it is almost impossible to
fill orders promptly, SO great is the
demand. A large force of men is at
work on the big addition to the shops,
75x20 feet and two stories high,
made necessary by the increasing
business. The Parker shops have be-
come almost village by themselves
and are well worth visit. Mechani-
cal shooting galleries and riding gal
leries, or merry.go-rounds, are made
throughout, complete foundry max
ing the castings and skilled workmen
being engaged on other parts.
There are few men in Kansas who
have made so great business sue
cess as Mr.. Parker-and few who de-
serve so much praise for it, because
every step upward for him has meant
prosperity for his customers and has
added business to the city. His big
pay roll is all paid to Abilene people
and his shops constitute one Of the
most important business interests Of
| ooptral Konooc