The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1901-12-03
NEW ORLEANS BIRD MAN.
QUEER WAY hit UPON BY MOTION
FOR MAKING A LIVING.
Urowlng Rich Because OF His Ingenuity
IN Picking Up Scheme That Appeals
to the Masscs-A Novel Method Of Sell
ing Canary Birds.

to the Masses Novel Method of Sell
ing Canary Birds.
Says The Nc;v Orleans Times Demo
eTdi: There are many odd WAYS of
making a living, and 1t is well known
TACT tnat here IN New Orleans hun
dredS OF people exist by methods IN
known outside the limits OF this mum
cipahty. Some OF these persons who exc
out an existence in queer ways make
more than Scant living. In fact. some
are growing rich as result of their
ingenuity in picking up scheme that
appeals TO the masses. and in paving
careful attention to the detail work.
Every day OF the year an intelligent
looking man. above forty years OF age.
dressed comfortably, but none too well
can be seen hurrying through the
streets with a pretty yellow singing ca
nary IN handsome gilt cage. AT 2
certain hour every day he shows ND at
the City Hall. and his time does not
vary quarter OF an hour lie Is alwav,
IN a hurry. In one hand he carries =
huge notebook. while the bird cage
with Its singing tenant. is held bv the
other. Over his right ea- is long pen
cil' while his pockets bulge out with
packages OF papers and things. He
walks rapidly and is slightly bent for
ward, as il trying to walk more rapid
iy. AT this cason of the year he wears
linen coat. and despite the heat and
the rapidity OF his movements he all
ways looks cool.
He Is the Bird Man"
hundreds OF people know him. and
yet thousands of others wonder who he
Is and what is his business.
For more than seven years George
w. Motion, member of one OF the old
est families in this part of the State
has made living with the assistance of
his canaries He has not only made a
living. but the living has been good
one and he has no business opposition.
Every day in the year. with the excep-
ton OF Sundays, he disposes of two ca
narleS-no more, no leSS-and since he
went INTO the business he has got rid
OF more than 5000 singing birds. His
method OF sale is peculiar. and that is
the reason he is so successful Ri,
scheme Is the outgrowth OF a man be-
ing set al his wits end by lack of en-
ployment. Seven years ago Motion
lost M, position He was passionately
fond OF singing birds. He possessed a
number OF them. and he conceived the
idea at railing them. He first got I'D
set OF tickets, running from one to sixty
and he went around among the persons
ne knew and got them to take chances
he person drawing the first ticket
would pay one cent for the chance in the
raiiie, while the man who drew the six
tieth ticket put up sixty cents. Thi,
worked very well but there were times
when Mloton failed to dispose of all of
his tickets, and consequently won the
canaries himself.
This was unsatisfactory.
lie decided to issue as usual sixty
tickets, but TO sell them at ten cents
each. One rattle day did for some lit
tie time, but the demand for chances in
the canary rattle increased. and then he
held two. For every bird Motion raj
lies he receives 50, or in event OF all the
tickets not being sold the blank chances
run for him. in the drawing To the
fortunate winner Mioton gives not only
a singing bird, but he throws in Gilt
cage, and the whole outfit is worth
about 81, leaving him fair margin OF
profit for his days work.
For nearly a year Motion was CON
tent with the two daily raffles but be
noticed that some Of his customer,
were not always satisfied, for they
played and played and generally failed
to win bird. Then it was that the
bird man decided to form rafting
club lie got up a little book contain
ing sixty coupons. Each coupon repre-
sents a day, and was valued AZ ten cent,
the person holding the book agreeing TO
pay that sum according to the follow
ing contract: II, the undersigned agree
to pay G. W. Motion ten cents per day
for sixty days provided that my mum
Der ha not previously been drawn"
After having paid sixty days. should
my number not have been drawn G.. w.
Motion agrees TO deliver 90 me one male
canary bird and cage Failure TO meet
payments promptly will forfeit amount
paid
Thus the bird may cost ten cent, if
the number is drawn first day. or 50 i'll
the number is not drawn.
Every day after Motions visi, TO his
customers he repairs to saloon and
there he holds a drawing. He carrie.
with him set of keno or lotto ball,
These are numbered from one to sixty.
lie shakes them out of a dirty cotton
bag, which has seen considerable ser
vice. into a hat. and then i'm the pre-,
enCe OF witnesses Ep a.L- .,.,,..t. L.