The Washington times., 1901-09-22
RAFFLEs cANARIEs DAILY.
How a New Orleans Man Makes a
Comfortable Living.

There are many odd ways of making
living, and here in New Orleans hundreds
of people exist by methods unknown out
side the limits of this municipality. In
fact. some are growing rich as "A result OF
their ingenuity in picking up a scheme
that appeals to the masses, and in paying
careful attention to the detail work.
Every day. OF the year an intelligent
looking man, about forty years of age,
dressed comfortably, but none too well,
can be seen hurrying through the streets
with a pretty yellow singing canary IN
handsome gilt cage. At certain hour
every day he shows up at the city Han.
His time does not vary quarter OF an
hour He is always In L hurry. In one
hand he carries a huge notebook, While
the bird cage, with its singing tenant is
held by the other. over his right eSr is
long pencil, and his pockets bulge cut
with packages of papers and things. lie
walks rapidly and Is slightly bent for
ward, as If trying to walk more rapidly
At this season of the year he wears
linen coat, and despite the heat and the
looks cool He is the ''I3irl Man." HuE-
dreds of people know hlm. and thousands
of others wonder WOO he Is and what is
his business.
For more than seven years George W.
Motion. a member of one Of the Oldest
families in this part Of the State, has
made living with the assistance OF can
aries. The living has been n good one
ery day in the year, with the exception Of
SUNDAYS he disposes of two canarles-
no more. no less-and since he went into
the business he has gotten rid OF more
than 5000 singing birds. His method OF
sale is peculiar, and that is the reason he
is so successful. His scheme is the out
growth of man being set at his VII
end by lack of employment. Seven years
ago Mioton lost his position. He was pas
sionately fond of singing BIRDS. lie pos
sessed a number of them and he conceiv-
ed the idea of raffiing them He hrst got
UP a set of tickets, running from one 10
sixty. and he went around among the
persons he knew and got them to take
chances The person drawing the one
in the rattle, while the man who drew
the sixtieth ticket put up 6O cents. rms
worked very well, but there were tifnes
when Mioton failed to dispose OF an ms
tickets. and consequently won the can
aries himself This was unsatisfactory:
He decided TO issue as usual sixty TICK
cts but to sell them at 10 cents each. one
rafti, a day did for some little time, but
the demand for chances in the canary
ra file increased, and then he held two.
For every bird Minton raiiies he receives
Sc, or, in event of all the tickets not being
sold. the blank chances run Tor MN IN
the drawing To the fortunate winner
Motion not only gives singing bird, but
he throws in a gilt cage, and the whole
outfit is worth about 81; leaving MN a ialr
margin of profit for his days work.
For nearly year Motion was content
with the two daily rafies, but he noticed
that some of his customers were not al
WAYS satisfied, for they played and played
and generally failed to win a bird: Then
ii was that the Bird Man" decided to
form a rafting club. He got up a little
book containing sixty coupons. Each cou-
pom represented day. and was valued at
10 cents, the person holding the book
agreeing to pay that sum according 10 the
following contract: y, the undersigned.
agree to pay G. w. Motion 10 cents per
day for sixty days, provided that my
number has not previously been drawn.
After having paid sixty days, should
my number not have been drawn, G. w.
Motion agrees to deliver to me one male
canary bird and cage. Failure to meet
payments promptly will forfeit amount
paid
Thus the bird may cost 10 cents If the
number is drawn the first day, or 81 II the
number Is not drawn.
Every day after Mioton's visit to his
customers he repairs to q saloon and there
holds his drawing lie carries with him
set of keno or lotto balls These are num-
bered from one to sixty. lie snakes them
out of a cotton bag. which has seen con-
siderable service into hat. ana then. In
the presence of witnesses he asks some
body to draw out two numbers. Inc nrst
number drawn is for the rattle CLUB ana
the second for the daily rafiic- Inc WIN
ming numbers are shown all present. MO
ton opens his book. rings the numbers OF
the winners. and five minutes later he Is
on his way to deliver the birds ana cages
to the winners Several people In the city
who have been patrons OF Mlotoh nave
won numerous birds, and one GraYler sa.
.oonkeeper has as many as elght. ana
they do not represent all his Winnings IN
the last year-New Orleans Times-Demo-
crat.