The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-21
hard LUCK TO START WITH.
4 BiTCH or STORIES TOLD by
PEOPLE NOW SUCCESSFUL.
Two Brokers Kept From starving by .
Lucky Find-A Merchants lightning
lIeanser-NeW start for Two stars
The Woman Who Played Housek eeper

II was started by chance remark Al the
dinner table. Two middle-aged brokers
had been joking each other about having
been squeezed that day ON the market.
and he Of the iron-gray hair and youthful
eyes winked as he said:
Never mind, old man il was nothing
compared with our first speculation that
night In Boston
The table awoke on the instant. The
moment was ripe for "reminiscences.
you sec. il was this way: Bert and l
started out in the world together, giving
up small clerkships to make our fortunes
in the nearest big city, which happened to
be Boston. But we found that the world
wasn't so easy to conquer. and with no
acquaintance in the city and no valuable
references we were soon on our uppers.
We knew nothing of life in town. and
were about as green "a could be. But we
were too proud to 20 home,
Finally there came a day when we were
desperate We had slept in a warehouse
shed the night before and woke to face a
dreary rain. Money we had none. and we
were afraid that if we applied to the police
we'd be booked as 'vags
So we decided to spend the day in the
Common and watch for money or articles
of value tina, people might drop. 1t was a
forlorn hope, but We followed it through
puddles and showers. getting fainter each
moment for lack of food
1T wasn't a day for dropping valuabes.
and night found us in sad straits still. We
were in no mood to talk. but al last for the
sake of saying something, | said TO Bert
well ] guess it, about time for us to
take to dark side street and hold up the
first 'Iaarl INT along
Bert took me in earnest, and TT never
forget the expression on his face when be
stopped ia our drcary RECONCILIATION and
fac"l mo II was absolutely tragic.
oh say. George, not just yet Let's
wait n little longer
II doubled up with laughter. and as |
bent over something shiny on the pavement
ca ght my eye. II was dime.
'VehNh clutched at it. Two sandwiches.
or two clps, Of coffee Or two small pans
Of beans Which should il be-?
Then the spirit of pluneing, which has
sipce brought my partner coin of the realm,
seized him Said he
lets shake for it.. If you get it, buy
the grub. II get IL. shoot craps with II
with the first fellow ] meet
lie won and we repaired to the nearest
cheap lunch joint. where he actually did
find a ran WHO would gamble on the enor-
nous sum of ten cents. He doubled our
capital and we had the lunch
hef What! Wen, mat seemed To he the
turning point of our careers The pro-
pre'or e the Joint had spctt 81 us and before
we bad finished our 2C-@"nt neal we were tell
ing him our story
HE put US in tho way Of work Bv and
bv we came to our senses and let the folks
al home know about II, and Ber's father
tickled with our grit. gave US start
Next" said the hostess with a laugh
The manager of a hourishing mercantile
concern leaned forward
MY good wife, heaven rest her soul.
once helped me out Of the highest hole
we were ever in, he began. 1T was in a
midwest city, then in its youth, that I
stranded As a life insurance agent
"IIow we managed to exist for a few
weeks in so-caled furnished room will
not attempt to describe but We finally got
down to our last five dollars Ny wife.
while doing our paltry washing. remarked:
just see what lather this soap makes.
1t, lis the best brand ever used
Il watched the white foam on her hands
and suddenly the inspiration came.
Peggy ! exclaimed, that soap must
save us, I'm going to do ii up in little
packages and sell it on the streets after
dark as lightning cleanser Now. how
can we turn the trick
The family washing was suspended
then and there, and she sat down with
me to figure ii out. Before long my last
five dollars and | were on the street
bought three dozen bars Of the soap, which
IL white and Of a brand that you all know,
a roll OF tinfoil some tissue paper and sew
eral fine, small sponGes.
"Once back in our room INV wife and
went 10 work hard and fast for afternoon
was at hand. Taking the sponges We
wet them thoroughly and rubbed them
hard over the soap until they were satu-
rated with suds
"flen, without rinsng them. we placed
'hnm above tho stove to dry. Mex, So.
carefully scraped of the bars the imprint
81 the soap maker washed the surfaces
to make them perfectly smooth and glossy.
cut each cake into Ave small FAT ones
and wrapped these carefully in tissue and
THAT night took up my stand on the
corner. the soap in tinrof piled on one
hand aad the dry spongcs with a bash
OF water on the other
We'll, proceeded 10 demonstrate
the 'sudsing quality of that SOAP until
the eyes Of the entire crowd seemed 10
bulge ont. or course, when the sponges
were wet the old la,h"r got IN it's work, az d
then when bar, ~ touched 1t on the sample
cake thor" was something doing all over
my hands and clear down to the ground
n.
Al 20 cents a cake. Aud il,en in 'he solemn
hour OF midnight We boarded a train with
INC, proceeds ~ the scheme and quietly
stole back To the ole farm
b There II a reminiscent glow in the eyes
Of Mr. Stevens" said the host waving his
hand in the direction Of a wel-known singer
who Instantly became tho centre Of interest
He begaL:
I'm from New England. as YOU know.
ana my family was opposed to nv adjoining
the musical profession. So ! PROMPTLY ran
swi; and Joined the chorus of a second-rate
opera company.
"Of course. the company selected San
Francisco. the lumping-off place. to 90,
stranded in, and with my utter inexperjence
was soon up against il in dead earnest. One
day got date al "A variety house. though
felt that ] wouldn't make good. as thew
say in the profession. II survived NV
first appearance as a soloist would do we'll
This thought, with the fact that I'd had
nothing to eat for twenty-four hours
plunged me into the depths once moro
when heard wall in feminine voice.
"'Oh, dear, the stage manager saws
cant even rehearse BECAUSE I have NJ
orchestration for my song. What shall
do?'
Hunger IL marvellous inspiration.
Nv brain worked fast approached tho