The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-09-07

countrymen. Prayers for any purpos
 and any occasion can be purchased
 there; enough tosinsure the eternal fe
 licity of the most hardened sinner cal
 be obtained for dollar or two. In ad
 dition, as the man at the counter vii
 assure you, there is not device of tn
 devil that cannot be met by some o
 the wax or paper charms, that they l have displayed for sale. One of theil number makes 1t regular business t(
 go forth and vend prayers of every de
 scription and his business is well pa tronized. If ever, in traveling through l Chinatown, you see man peddline
 great bundles of red and gilt paper
 with intricate writing, and punches o1
 red Chinese tapers set on white sticks | you may know him for the prayer sell CT, who gives ease of the soul for five
 cents to a dollar, according to the na- ture of your petition.
 | A means of livelihood even more sin gular is the occupation of two men who have until quite recently followed
 the Powell street car line at the early
 dawn to pick up the articles dropped
 along the way by the passengers on the
 last cars. This line, leading out of the Tenderloin into the prosperous resi-
 dence district, is favorite one for the
 well-to-do "drunks," who frequently
 give the conductors on the last trips as
 much as they care to do Naturally
 they have way of dropping money
 and other valuables As there Are few
 persons about after the last car, these
 trihes pass unnoticed until the ,ext
 morning. The two men in question
 reaped quite harvest for while by
 gleanings along the line. They were
 driven out of business by the newsboys
 and carriers of the morning papers,
 who learned the trick, watched the car
 line and found enough to make the regular occupation unprofitable.
 All barbers, but few others, know of the occupation of razor swapper."
 There are four or five men in the city following this as a vocation and sev- eral others carry it as side line" They make their living by trading razors-not selling, just trading. Their profit comes in on the boot money given with each trade. The uncertain and finicky nature of razors is at the bottom of the business. As every shaw CT knows razors sometimes act in the most unaccountable manner. More over one razor may be entirely suited to one man and totally unfit for an other, or a good razor may not fit a particular hone. For this reason bar bers are continually experimenting with their tools, changing and trading { ,,,lt razor trader goes from place to place with stock of secondhand blades, which he offers for trade. He usually charges from 25 to 30 cents boot, but will compromise on 10 cents, He never gives boot, and therefore the boot money is always clear. It will be seen that If a man makes a score of trades day, as many do, the profits are fair. Most of these men work irregularly at their trade, taking a chair during the and Sunday rush. when the regular barbers have not the time to dicker over razors. One of the propri- etors of g. large barber supply store in i this city began eight years ago as 4 razor trader, so it may be, seen that it N pays well. Old loungers along Kearney street \ must remember particularly. pictur- I esque fakir who used to hold forth on the corner of Pine and Kearney some two or three years ago.. He advertised himself as comedian" and in fact he did have the comic gift developed in no common degree. He pretended to sell only small book of his own selections and songs. After giving a few really good limitations he would hand out and then say:
 If the gentlemen of the audience will step into the hall opposite I will | render a few more selections, together with medley of the latest songs.'
 Most of the crowd would follow. | When they were once inside, the | comedian would disappear and a | luack doctor would emerge, take off his plug" hat, and deliver a medical lec- ure designed to make the most healthy | nan believe that he was the victim of | ! deadly disease, Before he had fin shed the comedian" would be out on he street again, raking in fresh col ection of marks.
 He was a new wrinkle Tn flourish l ng profession that has never been to public attention, that of 'steerer" for a quack doctor. Hardly | | uuack ih the city but has one or more if these assistants. The doctor and he "steerer" are often partners and when they are not, the latter get fat lice of the fees. Tn methods are sim ,le. The steerer hangs around with he other bunco men watching for rural 'isitors. When he has found his man nd has established friendly relations, e leads the conversation to the sub eet of disease and remedies Present. v, he finds that his new friend is suf- ering from some subtle scourge that } sapping his life. When he has the ictim scared out of his wits he tells ow the doctor" his accompliee, has ured him of just such disease and uns his prey right up against the laughter. The doctor does the rest yearly every quack in the city employs uch an accomplice. Then there is the little negro boy -ho haunts the Tenderloin and makes sn times the money that he could lake by blacking boots and selling pa CTS on the strength of his reputation lr being a mascot. It is supposed l nat to touch his bare head Is to insure 1ck at the races for the whole day. | [e has his regular fee-10 cents for la ies. 25 cents for men, and an hon. |