Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-17
FREAK JOBS IN CITY
Queer LiveIihoods Earned by
Hundreds in New York.
BREAKING NEWS TO WIDOW
Contractor Employs Man to Appease
Relatives of Injured.
RENTING BABIES TO BEGGARs
Also Singing Teacher for Canaries
and Professional pied Piper"
or Rat Exterminator.
RENTING BABIES TO BEGGARs

NEW YORK, August 16. 1907
An old set Of false teeth auctioned off as
part Of the effects of an eccentric poet who
recently died on Long Island caused spir-
tied bidding and finally were knocked down
10 a man who gave his business as dealer
IN second hand molars and inclsors IN New
York This started some of the bystanders
20 discuss queer ways Of making a living in
the metropolis.
newspaper man in the group who had
made a study of the East Side Ghetto said
that the queerest way OF meeting the rent
he had ever run across was the job of turn
ing out lights for orthodox Jews on Friday.
According to the Talmud. no faithful Jew
may either strike a match eXtinguish
any kind of fire or light on Friday night.
Even the electric incand4scant lamp must
not be extinguiztled. AS a consequence the
orthodox Jews hire some Gentle to light
their fires and lamps and to put them out at
bedtime. There are a number of Gentie
women who continue to live near Hester
street Just to make extra money in this
way. One woman will have several families
for whom she is official sxt!nsuisher, and
each pays her 10 or - cents. or even more,
each week. that they can go 10 bed In
comfortabla darkness
\ second man said that the strangest job
he knew of was that OF man who was re-
tanned by big contracting company prin-
ClIdlIS because OF the DtaNtltQ4 way III
which he broke the news OF an accident to
the widow and then attended to the family
with resultant saving in claims for dam
ages.
Renting a Baby.
Renting a baby TO a professional beggar
Is TO my mind tn oldest form of making
cash" hazarded a third. We just looked
up where mother rented very
winning. though sickly-looking baby to an
a
silently held out a hand for aims. Sac got
into trouble. however. for pinching the baby
10 make it cry when a particularly pros
porous pedestrian approached.
How about singing teacher for canary
brds?" asked another. There's in
Brooklyn. Or for that matter, if you want
q queer one, what's wrong with the snake
dletic:an at the Zoo, who has to know just
when to give the boa-COnstr!ctor a live rab-
bit or dozen raw egGs?
They'll do was the reply. But add to
the list tn man who paints the tall flag
poles, the chap who keeps the Central Park
obeliSk from wearing away. the gem doctor
down in Maiden lane, who can make sick
pearl ruby good as new by some sort
of hocus -poCus. Yes and keep place for
the man who paints black eyes into nor
NAL appearance and the ether man who can
color and bandaga up panhandler until he
looks as If he had the most painful dis
eases
And Just include the man over at the
rare disease. He charges SO much hour
for exhibiting himself at clinics and medical
society meetings" put in medical student.
Another man told OF a young woman who
acts as professional center rush at wom-
ems bargain counters. She calls herself
a shopping guide. She charges so much per
day and takes some little woman shopping
sees that she gets next to the good things
and really saves in time and money more
than the charges.
The book destroyer Is another man with
toh Rip firms frAouenrly finish a
set of bulky ledgers and account books If
their rivals get hold OF the names of Gus
toners In these books. they could play
havoc with the firms trade. At the same
time It's a mean job to destroy five or SIX
great books. II you try to burn them the
sheets may fly out the chimney. So the
firms pay thoroughly reliable man TO turn
their old account books into pulp which he
later sells TO the paper mills.
''Pied Piper
A strangely earned fortune is that cleaned
BY a metropolitan huntsman known as the
Pied Piper. He Is a rat and bug expert
and score of gilt-edged apartment houses
and hotels pay him by the year to bring
his ferrets and traps and strange powders
and liquids to eXterm!nate rats and reaches
and water bugs and other undesirable
neighbors. Some rich persons will pay him
There Is also a child exteruinator for
hotels and apartments and homes Of the
keeps them out OF the way of society and
mothers for certain number of hours each
day lie calls himself-privately, of course
expert playmate 10 poor little millionaire
boys. He got the idea that there
money in giving the children of the rich
Q chance to be children instead OF Isle
drawing room prigs or gOverness torment
ors So ne went to New York University,
which is giving special courses for teachers
In managing Fairgrounds and clubs for
children and physical training and child
hygiene. and learned the trick Of keeping
little chaps happy and well by systematic
play.
In q short time he got all the sons OF the
very rich he could handle. lie hired va
cant piece OF property and started in to
teach them to play ball and to do gyuna-
SUM stunts every afternoon instead of loaf
ing about hotel corridors and learning dew
iltry from belboys. Saturdays he takes
tho children to the country somewhere or
20 the navy yard or public museum The
frst year he cleaned up $1,000. and now
women drive up in their carriages and beg
him 10 take their boys In summer he runs
high-class boys camp on lake charging
Saratoga rates.