The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-11
ELEVATOR sHYLOCK.
How the Lift Man Gets Rich Of His
Tenants.

Tenants.
From the Chicago Inter-Ocean.
"Have you got quarter?" asked the
wise little elevator man.
81 thought 1 had started out to make
this touch" suggested the serious-looking
youth
The senior member Of law finn on the
seventh floor hurriedly entered the eleva-
tor car and the conversation stopped. The
young man backed into a corner. type
writer girl entered the car. The young
man didn't notice her. He kept his hand
in his pocket as if feeling for the quar-
ter An office clerk entered, then a coal
HEAVIER, then man who looked troubled.
then a scrub-woman then a man who
might have been floorwalker out of
job, and the wise little elevator man slid
the screen door shut and pulled the rope.
At the top floor the last passenger, ex-
cept the serious-looking young man, left
the lift.
"Ive got the quarter" said the young
man hurriedly. A man was coming down
the hall to catch the elevator. The wise
little elevator man turned around to get
ocular evidence of the coin and the man
entered the car. The serlous-looking youth
made two round trips before he had
chance to prolong the financial discussion.
The negotiations were easily ended
Gimme the quarter said the elevator
man, and he got it.
The serious expression on the youth S
face didn't brighten any as he felt the
quarter get away
"Sign this" said the elevator man.
The youth took the piece of paper, and
held it against the mirror in the back of
the car and signed IL without pausing to
read what he was signing. A passenger
got into the car. The young man was of
steady purpose and he made two more
round trips and then had chance to
pass the paper back.
Collects Interest Regularly.
Here's the FIVE" said the elevator man
after scrutinizing the signature. Now you
owe me five next Saturday The quarter
pays the interest for one week and you
get five even"
"All right, old man." said the youth,
starting away so fast that he butted into
a pudgy man and came nearly dropping
the bank note. The pudgy man was wise
in his own way. He nursed back his
breath and wadded into the car. He
nudged the elevator man and said:
How much did that young skate touch
you for? He must have got you for
five. he was so excited"
HE did"
SAY is this good building to Shylock
in?"
"Shylockl Say, 1 don't stand for that.
I amt no Shylock, and / amt no kind
of broker l just help out my friends
now and then l am their friend. If you
wanted to make a touch you wouldn't
call me Shylock you'd call me your
friend"
"And you'd collect the interest in ad-
vance"
"If I'd leave my money in a savings
bank I'd be getting per cent. on. 1t.
That guy couldn't go outside the building
and borrow a cent. Who'd lend him?'
TITS worth s per cent a week if the
guy hasn't got any more sense. I amt
making a holer. I always like 10 know
there's Shylock I'm the building. 1 can't
tell when ] may need a five myself
wouldn't have an office in building that
didn't have one of you wise guys in it.
flow many houses do you own on tho
West Side?"
Leave that to me-"
a ShyIOck Needed.
The pudgy man got off on the fifth floor
with an acquaintance who had heard a
part of the conversation. The pudgy man
went into disquisitIon on tho subject.
YES" he said there's a Shylock in
an elevator in all of the smaller office
buildings. You go through an office build
ing and If you don't find a loan shark
with an office in 1t youll be pretty sure
to find that one Of the elevator men vell
get you to guessing. You'll wonder why
he's running an elevator You'll think
he's too good for the salary. When You
get that far you can chop of and bet he's
Srylock."
Does it pay them?" asked the inexpe-
rienced acquaintance.
"They don't quit It. Suppose one OF
these Shylocks has $500 laid away. He
has that much for lending, and he keeps
on an average 5000 of it floating He lends
Il in sums seldom exceeding IS. and the
rate is per cent. a week. That would
give him an income of $40 a week. But
they do better than that They will loan
a man 81 and charge him 10 cents for the