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Show I : CUIUS "LIB" 1 cm SKIPERS B ' Various Kinds of Business Arc Conducted in Nooks and j Corridors, r i I'll ( ( . Curious lines of business, unsoqn by i' 1 i iho stranger and sightseer in cities, are ,( conducted in many of the skyscrapers, ' writes Robert Barron. Tboy occupy tho nooks iu the corridors and corners un- !er l.hc stairways. , ! They aro not oven classified in tho ! directory of the building Sonic ot j them have telephones, but thoy aio 1 not in the telcphono directory. 11 jou have occasion to communieato witii If one vou call up the building nnd ask to be switched to the room whoro tho IJ business is carried oil. The switch-1 switch-1 , I. board man understands, nud you get the connection, .. . . i Th is a sample of one of the Jituo 1 concerns. It is always busy and rolios ') almost solely upon the occupants or I tho skyscraper for an existonee. f, ' A space is made into circumscribed t ' . quarters by a combination partition ol !, class and "wood Within aro a dozen ' ; chairs. At first gltincc the customer I , k supposes that tho place is a shoeblack ', shop. While ho is getting a shiuo tho ? business of the place grows. It is seen ; that tho shop has. a steady patronage, jp j On a large, well lettered bullotin is in- i i "Shines to regular customers, $1 a J , X month. Comnuttation rates, fifty shines. $2. Straw hats electrically cleaned, -'o li cents; derbv hats cleaned, 15 conts. f' -i Hats rebound and made to look like ' Jj new, from 25 to 50 cents. lints and if? shoes sent for on order and delivered, ! id 5 cents extra on above prices, jf, . "Umbrellas for hire by the day. I ! J week or month at reasonable rates. AH ! f I of the dailies and tho latest periodicals. jf" Advertisements telephoned to all news- ! 1 paper offices. Subway aud ele'atcd ' railroad tickets for sulo. ( "Reserved seats obtained at. all thc- ; nters. Free information concerning railroad and steamship fares; motor t cars ordered bv phone, baggage sent i if for on order for all trains aud steam . ' This is a good deal on a small capi- I .( tal. liven so, it docs not cover all. On j the newstands arc candy, shoe laces. 1 cigarettes, coat hangers, straps aud i . . many other articles needed by a. trav- I ', cler who mav have overlookod at. home ijj some of the' little things necessary for J ' comfort. I iV A telephone booth is convenient. A 1 !i sign conspicuouslv displayed informs ' A the customers that iu tho basement ho i can get a shave or n bath and bo mani- J cured while he waits, i A customer who had taken in all this .'jU information whilo his shoos were being ,1 polished said to the boss of the shop: ijj "Yon haven't room for much more." I The boss, who is his own cashier, and l who gives your hat its finishing touch, ' replied that he was thinking of having A stenographer and typewriter for tho , accommodation ot! his patrons who might want, to transact business whilo - waiting and that he was arranging for t a ticker and a telegraph instrument. ' .1 All this for the benefit almost entire- jjl Iv of tho occupants of the office build- ing, and this is only one in the great aggregation of skyscrapers. It gives an idea of tho vastness of tho crowded city. One obtains in this concentrated center whilo he wails whab it would tako him half a day to got in an ordi-nar' ordi-nar' city. |