The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1913-09-08
A NOVEL
OFFICE
BUILDING

An eight (s) foot by forty foot, one
story office building. containing FIVE
offices. is East Chtcago's latest i'm
provement
The building is located in Forsyth
avenue between Friedman's liquor
store and Ladd's pool room and is to be
known as The Hole in the Wall" 1t
is SO small that the majority of the
East Chicago citizens. did not realize
during It's construction. that new
office was being erected In the heart of
the city. Most of them did not notice
it's erection at all. in fact. Since its
completion 1t proudly announces itself
to all passers as No. 1903 n, but there
are those who believe 4603A would fit
It better.
The Ave who rejoice in the occu-
pancy of the Hole in the Wall. are
Jacob e. Friedman. real estate and in
surance; Steve Joyce, coal and team
ing: Henry cambridge. general con-
tractor; Claude Dreeson. sign painter
and decorator; J. l. Day. business
agent, Carpenters union
While these various lines of business
are represented under this roof it must
not be imagined that each man occu-
pies a separate room. They are all in
one room. i've desks being strung
along on one side of the room, at such
intervals as the size of the desks and
the side of the room will permit. Each
desk has phone of It's own, so that
when all the phones are in use at one
| and the same time, the office building
is as much of mad house the av
erage newspaper office.
| At first it had been thought to ar
range the desks on both walls. one on
one side. and the next on the other
]
having business to transact at the last
desk. would get dizzy on his way
thither and thereby be incapacitated
for business.
The desks are arranged with method
and once a customer enters, he must
run the entire gamut For example.
Mr.. Friedman at the first desk, sells
| him his lot Next the unsuspecting
customer falls into the hands of Mr..
cambridge and presto. Before he
knows 1t, he has arranged with the
said Mr. Bainbridge, to build him a
house. Next Mr.. Dreeson lies In walt,
| his part in the chain being to arrange
for the painting contract. Scarcely has
the customer closed a. deal with Mr..
| Dreeson. before Mr.. Day takes posses
| sion Of him and prescribes that every
bit OF labor used In erecting and finish
lnB the Duilulng, must De OF the GOOD
off union brand. and it remains for Mr..
Joyce to contract to All the cellar of
the new home with coal, before the
customer Is permitted TO turn around
and start for the door. And even then
Mr. friedman gets him on the re-
bound. and sells him his insurance.
Mr.. Friedman 1t would appear. has the
best OF the arrangement catching EN-
| coming and going. Only one thing
| seems to have been overlooked. and
that may be provided for later on. The
uncomfortable quintet should have in
stalled a desk for a Justice of the
| peace. to marry the man after he had
passed all the other desks. If this idea
is followed up, however, 1t will be
necessary to build an addition on to
the building to accommodate the extra
desk.
The Ave are thinking some of in
| stalling an aeroplane service to hurtle
| customers out over the heads of any
| jam that may blockade the door. when
| business is brisk. Thus the space be-
| tween desks and ceiling, well the
floor space. will be utilized.