The San Francisco call., 1908-05-30

matte nickel in the slot shoe polishing
machine that is sure to attract atten-
vice and. as a well known writer has
remarked, lit prophesies the end of de-
grading, slavish labor and obyiates the
necessity of men putting their fore
heads at the feet of other men"
l saw one of these shoe sinners in
the company's office, room 407, the
other day. 1t is a little larger than
the automatic weighing scales you see
ance is not dissimiiar. You stand Ito
have your shoes shined. An aper-
ture in the platform permits the foot
to enter and rest on metal form such
as is generally used In shoe shining
parlors. You insert a nickel touch a
button and the almost human machine
gets busy. You feel something soft
and pleasant rubbing the top of your
shoe, then it goes round to the sides
and switches TO your heels. The dust
and dirt are removed. a good coat of
polish put on, and the shoe shined. 1t
is done in jiffy- Then the lights go
change the foot press the button. and
the operation is repeated. In less than
three minutes a shorter time than
the swiftest sinner could do the job,
both shoes have been polished.
The Electric automatic machine COM
pany has leased a store on the ground
floor in the Westbank building, across
the street and intends to install ! 0 ma
week in June. 1t is expected that
large number of the patrons Will be
women. Many of the gentler sex hesf-
tate about entering bootblack shop,
but when they will be able to walk
into an automatic shining parlor and
have their shoes polished in less than
three minutes they viii appreciate and
grasp the opportunity.
CENTER OF SHOPPING DISTRICT
A smart carriage drew up in front of
the Pacific building few days ago and
handsomely gowned matron and her
pretty daughter alighted and hurried
through the revolving doors. My curl
osity was aroused and / decided to fol-
low them up. in the elevator.
AS we waited l tried to decide where
they were going. 1 thought they might
be on their way to the millinery parior
of Alice M. Dixon, but when We passed
the second floor Cher room is 227) L
had. to guess again.
Sixth, the daughter said in a soft
voice to the elevator boy, and in an in
slant the car had stopped and we three
stepped out. What could they be want
ing up here, ] asked myself again. Per-
haps dentist a physician or an at
torney. But l was wrong again, for
they headed directly for the Lewis
sample shoe, parlor, room 602,. with me
the shoe parlor and watched them par
ley and try on half a dozen shoes be-
fore they were each satisfied. I had to
smile when the mother took So from
seemed so amusing that these appar-
entity well to do people should be buy
ing $3.50 shoes. And yet 1t showed
their excellent judgment, for they ap-
peared delighted with their bargains.
Lewis buys his sample shoes in great
quantities from eastern manufacturers
and is thus able to sell them at a fiat
rate of $3.50 no matter what the make
or quality may be.
The jewelry firm of George A. Desen-
fant, Incorporated, is the first in the
downtown district to establish its busi-
ness upstairs, off the ground floor The
entrance to the firms quarters is room
261 and. owing to the fact that their
xpenses-especially the rent and in
surance-have been materially cur
tailed since they moved from 1913 Fill
more street, they are able to quote
their customers practically wholesale
than the same articles can be pur-
chased from the best firms in Van
Ness avenue and Fillmore street.
Descendant is an expert diamond setter
and appraiser and is fortunate in hav-
ing r. w. Storer at the head of his
watch repairing department His es-
tablishment Is open on Saturday even
ings until 10 o'clock.
FIRMS of ALL KINDS
On the third floor, in room 357. is
the sample room of A. c. Grossman an
Just received his fall line of ladies'
cloaks, suits, skirts, furs, opera coats
and auto raincoats in all the seasons
novelties. He is able to guarantee To-
cal dealers and firms in the interior
cent less than they can. buy the same
goods for locally. And Grossrnan also
claims. that by showing his excellent
assortment of goods he can save the
dealer money enough to pay for q trip