The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-05
THE RAG PEDLARS.

THE RAG PEDLARS.
These may be divided into three classes those who 20
round the city with cart and BELLS then the country
pedlars, who take extensive field for their opera
tious and who have larger capital for their business.
and lastly those who pedde china ornaments for rags
old clothes The country pedlars have two
and horses and extend their expeditions hun
dred miles from the city They set out with load of tin
ware and, stopping at farmers houses they exchange
them for the rags. of which tho careful saving house
wife always has heap ready in anticipation of their visit
Some buy the rags and when they have full load return
with it to this city or Philadelphia where they dispose of
it to the paper makers, Wholesale rag merchants New
Jersey their favorite State there are
number Of them living in Newark. Their horses cost
from twenty five to hundred and fifty dollars and
their carts varously estimated from twenty to
seventy five dollars.
Tho city pedlars, or, they are sometimes called
bellmen from the bells which always attached to
their carts may be subdvded into casses-those who
own horses and those who draw their carts These
men, in addition to rags buy old metal Of all kinds
and in fact anything on which they make profit,
from old to old pair of overalls They buy
principally from housekeepers and make large per cent
age their purchases sometimes As much IS two
three hundred per cent 1t is amusing to tho hard
bargains they make and tho manseuvreing way in whicn
hey transact their business you to believe them
the price they pay for the rags old metal il running
hem This process Of destruction goes every day but
strange say, the pedar thriyes and becomes wealthy
upon it, These peders generally the posses.ors Of
junkshop.
The pedars who exchange china for rags arc
not numerous tho benen, who have to q great
ent monopolized their business within the last eight or
ten years.
THE DOGS OF THE CHIFF DINNERS.
There very few of New York readers who have
not seem at time another, rag pcker's dog
ployed company with his owner in drawing the and
which contains the rags They literally beasts
of burthen and their labor is Of the hardest kind From
avs in the morning till four tive in the afternoon
they are yoksd these CARTS and astonishing what
fatigue they can endure. When the load is too heavy
two are always employed and these, with boy man,
win make the of nearly half the city in quest Of rags
or bones The chonniers dog is fed the refuse
and oal of slaughter houses but this is not sparinsy
distributed evident from the general plump appear
ance of the animal The dogs are almost invariably
reared by their owners and have to undergo of
training before they placed under cart new dog,
when yoked for time exhibits all the obstnacy Of
q mule, and it takes two three days and sometimes
week before lie be thoroughly trained When lie
gets the harness be will plunge and bolt in his
deavors to get out Of it. Frequent applications Of
the whip always succeed in tanning him. and in few days
ho learns to endure the yoke 1t diic alt task, how
ever entirely subdue the instincts Of animal and
occasionally when he group of dogs enjoying them
selves in the most unesraned liberty he will persist in
forgetting his condition and attempt to join them.
After month two of hard work he becomes
quite sober and serious resigns himself to his fate and
passes by all other dogs with the soical ndie
ronce
The dogs employed BY the rag pckers the
ma,tG, Newfoundland, and other breeds. There
also considerable number Of among them; but
they are not strong well adapted the work a
either Of those breeds have named The constant
muscle to an astonishing degree. Many instances
arc related Of their sa.acty, and certainly
al that Is told OF them be true they appear possess
that quality in ordinary degree. We were informed
that some will if their owners not punctual the hour
al which their days work commences go the and
bark until they have reused them from their urnber
We heard another story of dog which, instead of going
his kennel to after the labors Of the day would
betake himself to the Streets after Iii. had gone
bed, and pick up whatever rags he could find. In the
morning, says informant, he would have large
heap collected. This invaluable dog but this
story Is too like some have read in Baron Munchau-
sens wonderful adventures to be true. 1t must there
FORE be received with allowance for incline
to think that the rag pickers occasionally fond Of
aggerstion.