The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-23
MIR. SIMPSON EXPLAINS HOW
SOME MEN MAKE A LIVING.
ONE A PRIVATE DOG CATCHER
Schools Where Pupils Are Taught to
Law Brick Walls and Shown How
to Become Full Pledged
BARRIERS.

John Simpson, st. Louis travelling man
at the Finlen this morning, as he leaned
over on the clerks desk and lighted a
cigar. 1.-The whirl Of business he re-
minds me Of some of the odd ways Of
making money that I have seen in some
of the cities in the east. One of the we'll
known wealthy men of this country was
once asked what he would do to make
money if he We're suddenly to find HIM
self poor and he replied: L would find
out what the people wanted and furnish
it to Them think some of the lines of
industry I have seen must have sprung
up after the financier made that remark,
for they have been peculiar and yet PROV
ed to be what the people wanted"
Il remember passing building in
Chicago over one door of which was this
sign-'Dogs Recovered in Any Part Of
the City The thing struck me as be-
ing a singular line of business and
stepped in and had a talk with the men
in charge of the Office. He informed me
that he was looking for lost CANNES, u.s.
ually, of course, those belonging to
wealthy people. He had been in the
trade only about week when saw him
and declared that he was being welr
paid for his work. He did not advertise
that he had come to stay or anything of
that sort. but simply began business by
finding a dog that had been lost on the
down town streets. The woman who
owned the poodle told her friends about
her experience with the dog finder, and
the business was well advertised in
short time. The fellow had an ingen-
iously serious way Of going about his
business. His method was seemingly
about as exact as the Be1tillion system
that is used by the police in identifying
criminals. If woman came in with
complaint about a stray pup she was
questioned particularly about the habits
of the animal, and the kind Of dog conf
pany it was likely to keep. This may
seem rather silly, but the fellow was as
serious as any business man could be. He
knew that ladies who lost dogs and wede
willing to pay for having them found
were likely to be very serious about the
affair and he treated them accordingly.
If the animal We're found it's measure
nients were taken just as the detectives
take the measurements of the men whom
they arrest and a record was made of
them for future use, or at least that was
what the man who conducted the bust
ness pretended. I am told that he con-
tinued to prosper and that he is today
considered quite an expert on the color,
size and whereabouts of dogs.
Another singular business once saw
carried on was a bricklayers' school. 1t
was no fake either. The man who ran
it had basement rented and there he
conducted his peculiar college. He had
a lot of bricks and a means of making
mortar at hand. Each day his pupils,
many of whom, by the way, were middle
aged men, came to receive their instruc-
tions. All the parts Of the trade of ma
sorry were explained to them and they
were given an opportunity of applying
what they learned by constructing brick
walls. think the fellow succeeded fair
ly we'll in his peculiar line.'
Another sort of teaching which would
have been considered rather unique a
few years ago is to be found in the bar
bers' schools. OF course they are COM
paratively common now. but they might
not he so common to a man who has
never had any experience in one Of
them. just out Of curiosity. went into
one year or so ago to see how 1T was
conducted. There We're long lines Of
chairs along the sides of two rooms,
men being taught in one of the rooms
and women in the other. The work was
done free, in order to give the pupils a
chance to practice, you understand. I
concluded to take a chance in one of
the chairs, and I have never forgotten
that chance. The lad who shaved me
must have been in the business about
fifteen minutes when he got hold of me.
He started down the side of my face as
though he were hoeing a hill of corn.
and then went around ito my chin at a
rate that made the tears come into my
eyes. lis soon as the razor left my face
I tried to get out Of the chair, but before
I could make a move the youngster had
the knife on my throat and I held my
breath while he pulled out little more
stubble: Finally I managed to get out
of the chair, and as wiped the blood
from my face asked the fellow what
he meant by going at me as if I were
an inanimate. He said that was the
way he was taught to do it. and that
he could not consider the feelings of an
individual at the risk of getting a low
mark in his classes. I left the shop with
the impression that I had found one
place where I had been really over
charged without having to give up any
money. That was my last experience
with an amateur barber"