Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-11-07
SHOE SHINING MAGNATEa.
Much Money Made from LOwly
Occupation.

Chicagoans Of middle age easily re-
member the time when the bootblack
with his box was conspicuous on near
ly every city street. The course Of in
dustry has changed all that. The
ragged urchin is gone, with the old
time newsboy, the horse car, and other
institutions of that day. Chicago has
its shoes polished more than ever, but
the work is done in the "shoe-shining
pallor."
There are captains Of industry in
the shoe-shinlug business, as apparent
ly in every other business. There are
at least three, and they are Joseph
Pacell and Angelo Geocaris Of Chica-
Mich. Their rise aud that of the ''shoe-
shining parlor' is described by Arthur
Sears Henning in the American Busi-
ness Man for September. With Pacell
and Geocasis we are most concerned.
Pacell, an Italian from near Brin-
disi, arrived in Chicago twenty eight
years ago and began selling papers and
backing boots at Adams and State
streets. He saw the possibilities of
boot backing among a well-to-do peo-
pie, careless of its small change, and
opened the first ''parlor" at the board
Of trade. He began with two chairs
and kept adding chairs until he had
fifteen. Soon he opened a second place
in the alley that used to open off Mon
roe street opposite the Inter Ocean.
He still has two establishments, one
of which Is the largest in the city.
His income is said to be $4,000 a year,
and he is reported to be worth $780,
600
Pacell's success almost Immediately
revolutiOnzed the 'shoe shining" buSi-
ness, and the passing of the ltinerant
"a " arloro" by the score. But prices
were kept up. Ten cents was the price
for At ordinary "shne," and a special
polish cost 10 cents, down to seven
years ago.
Athens, Greece, is possibly the dusti-
est city in the world, and it is said to
have more bootblacks for Its size than
any other. Geocaris was born in a
village about POO miles from Athens,
and began life as bootblack at the
capital. The price of shine in
Athens Is One-third of cent--a fact
that is of considerable Importance to
Chicago.
Geocaris arrived in Chicago fourteen
years ago and began blaching boots at
Halsted and Madison streets. Within
Il year he had opened 'parlor' in an
alley. The next year he opened two
more. In two years more he was
known as the Boss of the West Side
RootbIacks." His Price was always 5
ccnts-a sun which .ookel large to
him as compArrl with onr-third of 4 |
cent. Therefore, for years the price
of a shine was 10 cents down town and |
5 cents on the West Side.
In 1897 Geocaris invaded the down |
town district by opening two 5-cent |
'parlors at 10 Van Buren, street |
and the other at Monroe ana Clark |
streets He secured SO much trade |
that he had to open other places.
he forced his competitors 10
come to cents. Pacell held out for
three years and then came down.
Meanwhile Geocaris was becoming a
''shoe-shining' magnet. He opened
large establishments in Milwaukee, De
troit, st. Louis, Omaha, and Kansas
City. Ten years after lie landed at
the Polk street depot with s cents in
twenty-five parlors and the employer OF
2sC men and boys. HIs net iucomG
was said to be 25,0G0.
Now he is a rich man with many
business interests. \ ou may see him
lrive up to his offices In 'Chicago's
1atiroH building at HaiStcd street and
Blue Island avenue In an automobile
my afternoon. There he dictates lei
ers for an hour or so ana then drives
iway again. He has 4 steamship
lgency, and handles Insurance, real cs-
ate and brokerage He is probably
worth $150,0O0 and retains only the
general supervision of his various in
ereSts,
The 'shoe shining business of big
ity Is quite an affair. In Chicago
here are more than sixty ''parlors"
within the loop, and outside of it more
han 400, to say nothing of the buSi-
less of the barber shops. 1t Is estl-
mated that Chicagoans spend more
han than 100000 a year in having
heir shoes "shined." OF this 100000
epresents the profits of the business.
which includes many sides lines, such
IS the sale of insoles, laces and foot
'owder, and the cleaning of hats
while you wait"
Geocaris had never been at school an
lour in his life until he became a pu-
Ill In n Chicago night school But he
rganized his business, systematized
/. introduced many small economies,
nd expanded 1t In a way that would
70 credit to the most modern of our
ative born captains of industry.
Athens has taught the world many
hings. TO these must be added the
cience of shining" shoes.-Chicago
nter Ocean.