The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-17
COON SAM MOVE.
Merry Laundry War
Precipitated at No.
Brookfield.
A BLOW AT TRUSTS.
Effort to Freeze Out the
New Conner Proved to
Be Useless.


four Chinese laundries in North Brook
field and the proprietors have declared
war to the death against each other.
1t is not exactly the same kind of war
as Uncle Sam declared against Spain,
but to the Celestials it is every whit as
important, and if they carry their dire
threats into execution, it will yet have
its share of embalmed beef made from
the carcasses of several unlucky
knights Of the fatiron.
Coon Sam, new man in North
Brookfeld, is responsible for the big
cut in prices that has raised the ire of
the people from the fowery kingdom,
and set their patrons laughing with
ghouhsh glee. 1t all comes about be-
cause Coon Sam set himself up in the
laundry business here a few days ago
and in so doing stole a march on the
tribe of George Sing, which controls
the three other laundries.
The Sing combination was doing a
thriving business, so thriving that it
could afford to pay rent for several
easements about town rather than
give any competitor the chance to es-
tablish himself in business. Among the
places for which the willy trust paid
money was the basement under H. H.
Rowley's store on Summer street But
a short time ago they felt that this
was a luxury rather than necessity
and relinCuished their claim.
They kept a sharp eye out for few
days, but in an unguarded moment
Coon Sam came in and was open for
business before the trust people across
the road were able to wink their al
mond eyes. The fun started then, but
it was only a joke at first. Now it pro-
misses to be an expensive joke to one
or the other of the firms, as each
claims it will drive the other out of
business.
George Sing, DESTROYS of soaring Coon
Sam before he secured any trade, made
out new price list, reducing the price
for washing and ironing a shirt from
ten to eight cents, with other reduc-
tons accordingly. But Coon Sam was
not to be outdone and promptly went
him one better, making the price seven
cents, and other cut rates being in
stituted to lower those of the old firm.
Now George Sing has long been doing
a good business in North BroOktield,
and waxing exceedingly angry at this
he got in a stroke that he thought
would crush the audacious Sam to the
earth. He cut the price down to four
cents and confidently expected the
newcomer to pack up his tent and steal
away.
But no such thing happened. Coon
Sam is certainly no gutter, for he came
up with a bland smile on his swarthy
face, called Sings bluff and proceeded
with a new deal. 1t was a still
lower cut instituted last night, and
has caused havoc and CONSERVATION
in the rival camp. In this price list
the highest figure is three cents, for
which Coon Sam promises to do UP
work in the latest style to the perfect
satisfaction of the owner of the goods.
That is the way the matter now
stands, but the end is not yet. George
Sing says he has been up against the
same game before and won out. and
that he will do so now. Coon Sam, the
new man, is a fairly well-educated hea-
then with an adherence for trusts that
would do credit to a funower If Will
liam Jennings Bryan. He claims the
same right to do business as Sing and
says in language of his own things
which seemed to the reporter to mean
that George Sing is up against the real
thing now.
At 7 o'clock this mornig, Martin, son
of John Finnican and wife of North
Main street breathed his last, after a
long and gallant struggle for life which
covered a period of several months.
Death was due to consumption and had
been expected for long time, but the
young mans vitality and wonderful
courage kept it away. But the long
battle ended this morning, when eX-
hausted nature gave up the ghost and
left the bereaVed family mourning their
second loss by death within few
weeks.
rho dacescad wac II, his 9o+b YEAR and
had always been popular among his
| associates and the young men Of the
| town in general. Previous to his ILL
ness he was employed al different times
at the Z. & A. II. Batcheller shoe fac
| tory and at Kane & Forests store on
Front street. Besides both parents, he
| IS survived by one sister, Miss Eliza
| beth and three younger brothers, Will
! lam, Francis and James Arrange
ments have been made to have the fu
| neral services at St. Joseph's church
| Tuesday morning at o'clock. Court
| North Brocl,field, f. of A, of which heI
! was a member viii attend in body.
! A valuable acquisition has arrived to-
swell North Brookfeld's corps Of bicy-
, Gle riders in the person of Alexander
| Marshall of Westboro. Mr.. Marshall
| has entered the Collins tonsorial par
| lor on Summer street as an assistant
| and expects to remain in North Brook
! field all summer. He has Wheeled a
mile in 2.15A. -....-.
The many friends Of Martin Bergen,
| catcher of the Boston baseball team,
! were delighted today with the great
work done by the big catcher in the
/ opening game with Brooklyn. Martin
! is a great favorite at his home here,
! where all the old guard predict tire sea-
! son just opening as his most success
| full one.
| George French, managing editor of
! the New York Commercial, spent today
| with his family here
| Amasa Walker and wife of Boston
| are the guests of Robert Walker of
Maple street.
Harrington Barlow of Harvard Uni
yersity is visiting at the home Of Al
| bert Foster on Summer street.
| Catcher William Bergen left North
! Brookfield yesterday to join the Fort
/ Wayne, Ind, baseball team.
| The Brookfield Congregational society
will meet here May 2 and 8.
Road Commissioner stephen Lotus
will commence work on Main street to-
morrow.