—————
ODD and dubious are the methods of gaining a subsistence which are practiced by the adventurers and adventuresses of the metropolis. There are many lines of money-making in a great city, which, though not exactly “legitimate,” are yet not precisely criminal. Still, like the professional criminals, Bohemians, blackmailers, bogus literateurs, agents, models, and the borrowing landlady, make it a business of preying upon society, and an exposé of their operations cannot but serve as a protection for the innocent against these sharpers. The more important of these frauds are well described in the following article, culled from a metropolitan newspaper:
“There is a lady, a little passé, but still pretty, who keeps a popular boardinghouse, and who has in her time kept several boarding-houses, all of them ‘popular’ while they lasted, but none of them last very long. That is her little game. She is a woman of very ingratiating nature, and she generally manages to wheedle some favorite boarder—generally some rich old bachelor or widower—out of a large sum of money, in advance for board. Then, suddenly, somehow or other, her affairs become ‘entangled,’ and she is unexpectedly obliged to ‘give up’ her house. The house is accordingly given up, and the lady temporarily disappears till the former favorite lodger ‘gives up’ all hope of ever getting his advanced money back again, or its equivalent. Then she reappears in a new street, occasionally in a new name, and the routine of ‘borrowing’ from a lodger and then ‘giving up’ the house again is gone through with once more. She has been known to obtain an advance of $1,000 from a lodger, for more than two-thirds of which sum she has never given and never will give an equivalent. Whenever she ‘gives up’ a house she generally is more or less in debt to all her lodgers, whom she treats so kindly while they are with her that they generally gladly comply with her request ‘for an advance to relieve her from temporary embarrassment.’ As a rule lodgers generally victimize their landladies, but this instance shows that sometimes the rule is reversed and the biters are bit.
“A certain smart woman has hit upon a capital way of making money. She is an observing woman, and has noticed that one of the most difficult matters in New York is to procure a reputable yet convenient place at which a lady and gentleman or ladies and gentlemen can be ‘private.’ There are plenty of ‘private supper rooms’ in New York, but they are either very nasty or very expensive, and under all circumstances of ‘dubious’ character. If a lady and gentleman really want to enjoy a little supper or a little chat together without publicity, they will find it almost impossible to accomplish, their end without losing caste. To counteract this state of things the lady in question has opened a fine, large house and has furnished it finely. The three upper stories she lets out to gentlemen only as ‘furnished rooms,’ the parlors on the ground floor and the basement are devoted to the realization of her peculiar design, which is this:—A gentleman and lady or gentlemen and ladies or a party of gentlemen wish to be ‘private’ for a certain length of time. For a moderate sum they can have the temporary use of the parlors. Important interviews can thus be held privately, card parties and dance parties can be held here; or, if supper or refreshment is required, the lady is prepared to furnish, at a reasonable tariff, both wine and supper. This sort of thing is really a novelty in New York, and as such attracts attention.
“In a recent interview with the proprietress of this ‘new idea,’ the lady said that her record for a month back embraced eighteen suppers of ladies and gentlemen, the parties varying from four to twenty persons—three suppers of gentlemen only. Evenings had been devoted to card parties and one evening wholly to dancing. The utmost decorum had been observed and in only one instance had she experienced the slightest trouble.
“Some women are really very industrious and very clever in their peculiar line. One now residing in elegant style up-town, has acquired quite a little fortune by ‘trading in her influence.’ She has a large circle of acquaintance among moneyed men, and has also a ready perception, a glib tongue and a keen, instinctive knowledge of human nature. These qualities she is constantly turning to the utmost pecuniary account. She is a married woman, though her husband is a nonentity, practically speaking, and keeps house up-town. There in the evenings she receives calls from numerous bankers, brokers and others, whom she elegantly and pleasantly entertains, and meanwhile ‘talks them’ into, wheedles or coaxes or argues them into favorable notice of any scheme she may have at the time a pecuniary interest in. She does a paying business in this line, as she never undertakes any but a big scheme and a plausible scheme, and when once she undertakes it does her ‘level best’ to carry it through. Not long ago the lady talked up a mine, got most of the stock subscribed through her own exertions, and took her pay in the shape of an extensive roll of greenbacks, for it is characteristic of this personage that she will never take ‘commissions.’ She demands so much money down, and generally, having proved that she is worth it, gets it. By her earnings in this line, sub rosa, of course, she makes the major part of the family income, and clothes herself and her daughters in excellent style. This lady is widely known by Wall Street and Broad Street magnates, and is held in high esteem with them, as she is considered equally shrewd and ‘square.’
“Now and then in New York one comes across a woman, a lady, who, though she could not be properly styled an adventuress, yet has adopted in some respects quite an ingenious and dubious way of adding to her income, or at least of lessening her expenditures. There is, for instance, a young lady in ‘society’ quite locally famous for obtaining all her gloves and bijouterie as ‘gifts’ from her gentlemen escorts to parties and theatres—gifts which are hinted for if not volunteered. There is another woman who, residing in a furnished suit of rooms and ‘taking her meals out,’ always manages it that two meals out of her daily three are taken ‘at the invitation’ of some gentleman, and, of course, at his expense—thus saving the ingenious invitee at least $10 a week. A third woman always contrives to fasten herself on some richer woman, making herself a species of ‘companion,’ living at the expense of the fashionable woman to whom she attaches herself, thus presenting a curious combination of belle and barnacle. A fourth fair creature has made it for years a practice to become ‘engaged’ to some rich young man, receive from him as many ‘presents’ as he will be tempted to present, and finally quarrel with her betrothed, breaking the engagement and retaining the presents. She has already been engaged four times, and her presents are computed at over $5,000. Her last lover, however, insisted upon a return of the major portion of his gifts, and as the ‘belle’s stratagem’ is becoming known, her chances for continued success are at a discount.
“Canvassing and book-peddling are growing into favor with females, at least, though their victims are not so enthusiastic in their praise. While some of those canvassers and book-peddlers are worthy, well-deserving, hard-working women, many of them are merely dead-beats, frauds, bores intolerable. One of this latter sort will talk to a business man when he is busiest, wring from him in his agony some expression of dubious import, such as, ‘Well, well—perhaps I may some time,” and then she will go forthwith to the office of some newspaper, state that he has ordered, through her, such and such an advertisement, collect her commission in advance, leaving the collector of the newspaper and her victim to settle the final payment between them. Others leave books whether or no, or talk a man ‘deaf, dumb and blind’ into subscribing for them, and so the world wags.
“As for fortune-tellers and clairvoyants, their numbers are large, and are on the increase, but luckily this class of people have been so often and so thoroughly ventilated as to call for nothing but mere mention. Perhaps the most curious fact lately unearthed about ‘the world of women,’ is that there are several respectable young women, technically ‘ladies’ in dress and social surroundings, and really females of good character, who serve in secret the purposes of art as models. The writer of this sketch is acquainted with an estimable lady—a genuine lady in birth, education and manner—who earns about $10 per week as a model for a ‘life class.’ She keeps this fact a profound secret—her own mother is not aware of it—but the fact is as stated, the writer having ascertained it through a visit to an artist’s studio, during the sessions of a ‘life class’ of art students. Inquiring into this matter further, the writer discovered that the young lady in question had in vain attempted to secure employment in writing, translating or trade pursuits, was on the verge of starvation with her old mother, when a lucky hint suggested the livelihood of a model, which was finally and successfully adopted, though only after severe self-struggles and under conditions of the most profound secrecy.
“A prominent painter, with whom the writer held a conversation recently, stated that the supply of models was at present greater than the demand, and that the majority of models in the city of New York were not only well formed, but well behaved; ‘a really superior class of persons,’ forced to exhibit themselves by their necessities. A model quite in demand is a young German. Another model has recently been married to a young painter who fell in love with her, from seeing her as a model in a life class which he was then attending, and from all reports the daring and unconventional painter has a worthy wife. Occasionally in our better classes, ay, even in our best society, it is rumored that ladies do not hesitate to serve as partial models for the bust or arms or for classic poses, to please popular artists or to gratify their own vanity; but these are isolated cases and call for but the merest passing allusion.
“Among the most curious phases of ingenious impecuniosity, striving to gain a livelihood without what is called ‘working for it,’ is the case of a certain young man in New York, who, young, rather handsome and of good family, has for some time past devoted himself almost exclusively to playing the cavalier to a very old and very rich widow, whom he accompanies everywhere. Apropos, it may be remarked that this dancing attendance to dowagers who are rich is growing quite into an ‘institution’ among the would-be fashionable but not at all wealthy youth of the period. Is it a sign of the times? And perhaps it is another sign of the times that several of our men about town, technically called ‘gentlemen,’ are really card sharpers, and absolutely live upon the money they make by cheating at cards at their clubs or elsewhere. There are several ‘society men,’ so-called, who live in luxury, dine well, drink well, dress well, dissipate lavishly, who depend upon their skill in cards for the wherewithal to meet their liberal expenditures. And in the rare cases where their skill does not suffice, these men do not hesitate to cheat. In one case in a hundred they are detected. Then the matter is ‘hushed up’ for their family’s sake, but in the majority of instances their social position saves them even from suspicion, and their victim pays his money without a murmur.
“There are quite a number of Bohemians whose peculiar manner of making a living is certainly very suggestive of the growth of literature as a business in our midst. Translating is becoming quite a necessity in newspaper and business literature nowadays, and it has its tricks, like everything else. There is a man who is now fulfilling several contracts to translate works from the French, the German and the Spanish languages, who really knows no language but his native and imperfect English. He has picked up two or three phrases in the various languages he falsely pretends to understand, and these and his stock of impudence suffice to obtain his orders, for which he charges a good round sum. As soon as he has received his orders, he proceeds to fill them by jobbing out the work among a few half-starved Spanish or German or French hacks, as the case may be, who do his work for him at about one-fifth of the sum he charges for it. It can readily be seen that if there were enough of this translating to be done, this ingenious ignoramus could in time become a Crcesus; but, unfortunately for his poor hacks, the field is limited. Lately one of these hacks—the French one—‘ struck,’ and then struck out for himself, getting orders for translating direct, and the translation jobber is becoming frightened.
“Among the make-shifts of the time is levying literary blackmail. This peculiar species of blackmail is practiced extensively by certain parties in New York, after this fashion: They send proof sheets of certain biographies to the man or woman upon whom they intend to operate. These biographies, they tell the man or woman in a personal note accompanying the proof sheet, are samples of the contents of a forthcoming book which they are preparing to publish, and in which book they design to insert the biography of the ‘distinguished’ party to whom they are sent. With this note is an accompanying request that the man or woman aforesaid will be kind enough to write his or her biography in a similar style and send it to the publisher’s address. Or perhaps the proof sheets of what purports to be one’s own biography is sent, with a request to correct the unavoidable mistakes. Not a word is said about money matters, and the party to whom the proof sheets and request are sent feels materially flattered, falls into the trap, and either writes the biographical sketch desired or corrects the proof. So far so good. But lo and behold! in a little while, when the party has probably forgotten all about the matter, the biographical sketch is forwarded in proof sheet, or the proof sheet is returned in a revised form, and is accompanied by a bill for $100, $200 or $300, as the case may be. The victim’s eyes are now opened to the game played upon him, but are opened probably too late. He or she has committed himself or herself by complying with the original request, and rather than ' have trouble,’ or reveal publicly their own folly, the party pays the bill or compromises for a certain amount, and thus the publisher contrives to make a living, though the book itself is never published, for the very sufficient reason that all ‘the illustrious persons’ in the world have not yet ‘contributed the necessary points’ for their biographies—in other words, they have not all been victimized.
“Books descriptive of gentlemen’s residences, turfmen’s horses, etc., have been started on similar ‘principles,’ with more or less success.
“It is the fashion of the times to start literary bureaus. Some of them are genuine, most of them are bogus. These literary bureaus propose to do literary work for customers, to afford intellectual facilities and to command literary engagements, whereas, in fact, they do nothing but take the would-be literary man’s (or woman’s) money. Then there are bogus bureaus of correspondence and professional correspondents and letter writers. Then there are persons, generally women, who deal with ‘ladies of neglected education’ and proffer to teach them how to correct, or at least how to hide, their deficiencies. Some of these are genuine and useful in their way; others are frauds and'shams; but all alike are curious, and really deserve more space and consideration than can be allotted to them in the limits of this article.
“But probably the greatest shams in this line are practiced under the guise of ‘dramatic agents,’ so called. Now a good dramatic agent is a most desirable and valuable being. None appreciate his services better than those who employ him. He is in his place indispensable. It may safely be said that more ‘stars’ have succeeded through their ‘agents’ than through their own merits. But in proportion to the value of a really ‘good’ and genuine agent is the worthlessness of a poor one, and the poor ones and the shams are greatly in the majority. These bogus agents have nothing but a limited acquaintance with the lower class of newspaper men, who have just enough ability to write a ‘puff’ and have unlimited ‘cheek.’ The last quality stands them in the best stead. Supplied with this they call upon the female aspirant for dramatic honors, flatter her and tell her she needs but a proper newspaper man to become famous; tell her that they are ‘the proper newspaper men;’ speak of their mighty and mysterious ‘influence with the press;’ guarantee to ‘bring her out’(they would guarantee anything else if desired). And being forthwith engaged by the would-be star, they contrive to get in a few paragraphs in the minor papers, take her money, and this is absolutely all—all save waiting till the newspapers come out after the début of their principal (if so be by lavish expenditure of money, and without any real assistance from her agent, she has a début), and then they boldly claim the credit of every favorable criticism which appears, although they have had, and could on the face of things have had no connection with it; and they also do not hesitate to assert, in reference to any unfriendly criticism that may be published, that they did their best to avert it, and that, were it not for their ‘influence’ the attack would have been infinitely more bitter than it may happen to be.
“One would imagine that the principal would see through such a sham as this; but as a mere matter of fact it may be confidently stated that at least $50,000 are paid out every theatrical season to bogus and worthless agents, some of whom are newspaper Bohemians, some played-out actors, and some without the ability to be either.
“Society in its varied and complex phases affords a field for those who live by their wits, and the field is well cultivated in every direction. Matrimonial advertising is quite a feature in this department of human ingenuity, and although the greater part of the matrimonial advertisements in the papers are inserted either as a joke or for improper purposes, yet quite a percentage of them ‘mean business.’ There was formerly a regular ‘matrimonial bureau’ in this city, which did a thriving business. There was another institution of a similar kind far up-town.
“Of a precisely opposite line of business to this are the divorce detectives, male and female, who of late years have become quite numerous, and whose numbers and pecuniary prosperity afford a suggestive commentary on the ills and mistakes incidental to modern marriage. Many of these people do all they can to upset marriages already made, doing so in the interest of one or other, sometimes of both, of the unhappy wedded pair. They scruple at nothing. They sneak, spy, lie and swear to a lie, nor will they hesitate to put temptation in the way of those against whom they are employed —in short, a divorce detective of the bad class does not scruple to do all he or she can to procure ‘sufficient grounds for divorce’ on the part of those he or she is commissioned to detect. There are estimated to be about thirty men and some fifty women in the city of New York who are almost constantly engaged in working up divorce cases, procuring or manufacturing evidence, etc. Of these some ten or twenty are credited with having accumulated considerable money, and of all the number there is said to be only five or six who are thoroughly to be relied on as honest. Several of these detectives have on several occasions taken pay from both sides in a divorce suit, have pretended to watch a husband in the interest of a wife, or to spy upon a wife in the interest of a husband, and have, of course, lied to and cheated both. As a rule it may safely be laid down that professional divorce detectives are about the meanest of all the people who live by their wits, though they are undoubtedly among the sharpest.
“In concluding this article, a number of make-shifts may be glanced at en passant, which are already familiar to the public, or which, though trivial in their nature, are curious. There is the bogus ‘agent for charitable societies,’ for instance, and ‘the professional philanthropist’—the men and women who are supported, with their families, by the mistaken carelessness and lavishness of the charitable public; the ‘shyster lawyer’ who ‘solicits’ his own clients, and who fleeces them when he has got them; the parties who compound those elixirs which make all who use them ‘beautiful for ever;’ the men who make money by issuing bogus diplomas for doctors, and the charlatans who practice medicine under these diplomas; the quacks who ‘cure all diseases,’ who have ‘a magic touch;’ the people who pander to the vanity of other people by preparing ‘coats-of-arms’ and ‘heraldic insignia’ for grocers and butchers; the people who hire ‘wedding presents’ for the occasion—who borrow diamonds and plate to display at parties; the people who lend and hire dress coats; the enterprising publishers of petty papers, who manufacture late at night or on Sundays bogus ‘sensations’ in order to sell bogus extras; the ingenious parties who go round the streets and the ball-rooms, etc., picking up old cigar stumps, which they revamp into ‘the best and most fragrant Havanas;’ the ‘hangers on’ at the market stalls, who pick up the ‘scraps’ and resell them again to poorer wretches who live upon them, after a fashion; the thrifty people who sell ‘bill-board tickets’ to the theatre at half price (quite a recognized occupation, by the by), and the curiously-disposed persons who have a penchant for ‘sitting-up’ with sick people, or ‘watching’ insane patients or drunken men ‘for a consideration.’ Then there is a curious individual who makes a living by ‘suggesting’ styles of sign-boards and mottoes for tradesmen. He is really a clever fellow in this line, and as he gets from $2.50 to $15 for a ‘suggestion,’ he manages to keep quite a snug little place over his head. Some of his ‘ideas’ have really brought in a good deal of money to those who have adopted them.
“Then there is an equally clever woman, though in a very different line, who, as she phrases it herself, ‘engineers beggars.’ This remarkable female hires a number of children, sometimes an additional number of men and women, selecting with an artist’s eye all the most wretched specimens of humanity she can procure—the halt, the maimed, the lame and the blind; the dirty, the ragged, the sick and the sore. These wretches she stations singly or in squads, or distributes them around the hotels, churches, places of amusement and the like, and then takes her percentage or the greater part of the money they contrive to extract from the sympathies of the charitable. Of late years this woman’s sphere of operations has been materially circumscribed by the police. Still she makes money even now, and in old times she was really ‘getting rich.’ Every night when there was a ball at the Academy of Music or Irving Hall, or an opera, she would station her ‘wretched squad’ along Fourteenth Street and Irving Place, and, hiding herself in some convenient place, would grin as her purposely hatless and shoeless beggars received whiningly the alms of the light-hearted, home-returning revellers. But, alas! for this clever ‘engineer of beggars.’ The flush times of masked balls are over, and she can but mumble and grumble as she thinks upon the days, or rather the nights, of yore.
“This article might be expanded by reminiscences of the ‘champion free-lunchers,’ who know how to evade the eye or to mollify the wrath of the ‘barkeeper of the period,’ and by illustrations of the ‘floaters’ who are to be found all day haunting the reading-rooms or writing-rooms of hotels in which they never spend a cent, but whose seats, fires, papers, etc., they use with the utmost freedom and advantage—but cui bono? From the details already given in this article, the substantial one-half of New York have doubtless obtained a vivid idea of how the other and less substantial half manages to exist.”