The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-22
CHANCE FOR SOME ONE
 TO BUILD UP A FORTUNE
From the New York Commercial.

From the New York Commercial.
 N FINE chance to build up busi- WO ness is awaiting the man or
 [ . woman (preferably woman) who can operate a boarding and lodging exchange which would do away with the wearisome and unsatisfactory method Of calling from address to address looking for the right place at the right price.
 To be of service to the homeseeker, an institution of this kind should be fully equipped with information covering loca- tion, character of neighborhood, accomo- dations offered, price, means of trans portation, schools. churches. and, as far as necessary, the personality of the land lady and character of any other lodgers or boarders in the same place.
 For the landlady it should be able to give satisfactory references for both per- conal and financial responsibility of the lodger.
 In recent issue of a Sunday news-
 pa per there were about 1500 ads Of rooms to rent and board, and about three hundred inquiries for rooms and board. That probably meant fully 420OO inquiries and investigations and calls on both sides together The amount of labor expended in questions, car fare, time-not to speak of the vacations and sweariness of spirit on both sides-will show conclusively that there Is a great human need waiting Tor
 some capable person to supply it.
 If the fee required for concise informa-
 ton of this kind would average $1 re-
 ducing the 42,O0O inqurers to terms or probabilities even though but per cent of these chances should develop into
 money, s42O week could be made out
 of this business.
 My own experience" writes Catherine E. Cook of Chicago, lis typical of the great number of unattached in every
 great city. A country friend who desired
 to come to Chicago to live requested me
 to look up boarding place for her. Hay ing two small sons, she specified hfst- class neighborhood near good schooi' started out to find just the right place. That was ten days ago. l am still looking
 for it. In nearly every one of the nice nlaces children were classified with other annoyances. and neither price nor prom
 ,se would secure even one weeks stay for this little mother.
 "It being time for school to open, took chances and sent for my friend and her children. The four of us started out to find a home. To date the cost of this undertaking has been exactly soo in cash. the items of expense being car fare. lunches. absence from business and cart age necessltated by one night stands In
 various places where they were willing to take children and other annoyances, but which other annoyanccs we were not will ing to take.
 'I would have been glad to have paid s10 to have had this work done satis- factorily.
 "'The methods by which one should op- crate the business would be to make chart of the residence districts of the city, showing streets, lines of transpor'a'ioi'' location of churches and schools. The next step would be to watch ads and To ae- [ quaint oneself with the opportunities or fered. either by letter. telephone or per sonal invekti gation. This part oi the worK would reauire some time. and would be the most important part Of It. but after few weeks of judicious calling and in- vestieation this exact information would he a most valuable asset. The busy sea- son. would bc spring and fall. with long periods of leisure between, which would permit, travel, study. social life, or other advantages absolutely impossible where one is employed full time on a salary. It is worth a try. The work is peculiarly adapted to women, who. being natural