, 1874-10-11
{1NL15s
The Rag Trade in Chicago Rcvolu-
tionizcd Aboilt Six Fears
Age.
4 Business which Averages $4,000
Daily, and Employs 200 Men.
The Differing Values Of Various
Kinds OF Rags.
How Il Rny-HIa1i Was Frozen
Out Of a Church.

How Il Ray-aIa1i Was Frozen
Out Of Il Church.
Not 2 very eniciug subject, this ot rags,--pld
rags too,-ana YET, if looked at from a noncyed
standpoint, it is OF the deepest interest to few
+ OF our cit;zans who have managed to acquire
| wealtn from such AL unpso.aising source al old
rags. The rag business hes, in fact, become ouc
of grest importance, and deserves little more
attention than has usually been given to it: and,
when people are aware to what immense sums
| the bills for rags will amount. they NAV have q
little moro rcgc1d for their old clothes, and con-
| alder thcm too va luable to be thrown into the
alley, or put into tho stove to be reduced to
| aHhes.
Some years since. the rug department. was con-
fned mostly to Jews. vino die not call at reo-
| pla's housea Lu: went along the strccs, carryiu.
d bag, and crying. "Itags! Old iron." Thoy
also walked down tua alleys and into the yarda,
| picking ~ any stray pieces Of co!h, iron, cop
FER lead, zinc, britannia, OF brass, they coald
find there. 4 few OF the most thrifty house
wives, who mako tho most OF everything, savaa
| these articles when they wore Of no further uee
/! in the housenald ecopp:ny. aud, wheu ono OF
those men passed bp. ca1e. to him aud sold
| thcn in e1ohapge for snoaeF, a. these men pull
cash for all they bought. Tho great majority OF
cltlzens paid NJ atteption to tee rags. not deem
| ing them OF any account, except some VINO usel
| for carpets THOSE tha; were WORTH working
up in that way, and burning or throwing the
rest away, to be picked up BY so.ne men or
| woncn who ,ere looking out after all this ref
| ,,sa-
About sir years since this trade vas
| ENTIRELY ngyoLUrIoSizso
! ip t:+is city by three brothers, vAa ca.ce from
| oce Of tho Now England States. These broth
ers had been In the habit of travelling With tleir
wa;iol's, loaded with plain, stamped, and japan
nc4 tuwaza, which they exchanged for Tags,
| ir1H, etc. 10 their expeditions through the
cc1n:rv they visited the Western States and
| pfrtion Of Canada, stopping q. every houso they
p..sdad. Taking Illinois iu one Of tllAir rontet.
tl.ey came to Chicago, end looking over the
cty, they saw what field It afforded for tAeir
tlEia1ss, aud resolved to mai.a it the centre Of
their operations. Accordingly they settled here
| s.cd commenced tkci: trading on tho same rlan
/ :.s il Is conductel ip the New England S:ates,-
that il. selling tinwa1e in exchange for rags-
Those wLo had hitherto engaged in the rag
! business had, for some reasoE. tallen INTO bad
rcoute and, where these Eastern men called at
tho houses aud Inquired it the luhah:t:ats
| wanted any t.uwa,e, ior Which the: wou;,i take
rags. ola iron, copper. leal, zinc, pr4lEu2Ia. ~
| brass. they wero sometimes treatcd With con-
Tempt and tho doos vaa ruilcly sliut upon thona.
At s.l:s ti1nc too. tbs citizens wcse uot
tuned to t.n-read!ers, and were no. willing to
take their waros iu exchange for rags. bit H.
! sisted OIL having n,ouey.
But, IN SPITE Of tho many dtllic::l.:es and dis
~ ~,
| these met have placed their hualneas On q re-
e:catable footing.
There Is great difference i'll
TIE WORTH OF nAos.
Those LIN. ara composed entirely OF wcpl are
>a:u:bic, inasnncl IL thcy can be icr:et: 10
pieces. a:.l brought into condition to he Il, a:u
1;.cd il Tho manufacture Of Goth which is kaoEu
Dy tho name Of ''Shod1y." Cotton rags are
valuable fur tho 1nnn1spcturc OF paper. All
knls of writing -papor, lr9m fooscap aud loyal
zap down 10 the uaiutio=t na:e-paper upon which
the fashionable young laiy writes her sweet
bats-uou1. arc made from cotton rags. What
all ideal Her most romantic. high-lown seuti-
ments copvc:cd to her adoIiug lQyey in solnc-
boiy's old rnCs; while that lover maj. perchance,
visit her dsesaed III sone othes a.sns old
clothes!
Rags composed Of botl cotton aud wool ere
nearly worthless, as they caunot be manufac-
| tured INTO el.no; shoddv or paper. Newspapers
and white paper arc as valuable az rass, ard
command AZ high price while colorod paper
is Of very little value.
These brothers taught tho people the value Of
their rags aud how to aasors tham according to
their wvrth and they taEe considerable pride
in tile fact that no maj il tEcir employ has yet
false weights, or for cheating Of any kind.
They will not keep man who docs
not come up to their standard OF polite
naes, honesty, and sobriesy. In conducting their
business III this houarsDlo Ipanuor, they havo
won tho confidence OF the citizens, who patron
izo thena largely, buying thsir hnware III ex-
change for what rags they have collected, and,
"hsn these do not amount to a sum sufficient
to pay for the tiuware they wish to take. they
make up the deficiency in money.
1t will be readily perceived that this business,
when properly conducted, is
4 LUCRATIVE one,
as these peidters make first profit on the tin
ware they eel and then profit Oh the rngs or
o;hec material they take in exchange for their
goods. This mode Of trading is great conven-
iouce to ho,:se Tives, as by this means they dis
pose 70 advantage ct what they consider worthless
rubbish, while it saves a journey to the store,
quently s2ves y lady the trouble OF dressing 70
appear Oh 1he street just 1t u juncturo shor she
can least afford tue time. to have these nccessa-
~ articles brought to the door,. A. these Ped
of the Inhabitants are supplied with their tin
ware in this way, and very few articles OF this
s1nd OF goods arc now bought at stores.
They give the men in their employ 10 commits
sion, but pay them salaries according to their
worth and ability. They tiud Englishtnen, newly
arrived from the mother country, to be worth
the most i'll their business They have proved
them to be the most industrious, honeat, and
nlust attontire to their business, while they are
the most polite Of all classes i; aud they will not
hire man who ie lacking po!iteness, as they
consider it quality essential to SUCCESS III any
kiud Of business.
Young America. take motel It is not iude-
pendence Of manner, free aud equal style,
or manly bravado, that will secure employment
but, other things being equal, man that is
COURTEOUS 10 OTHERS
will be preferred to one Who is not. This ia true
OF ali Kinds OF business which depends upon
the patronage OF others: Our large dry-goods
stores, for instance, will be found to be patror-
lied proportion to tie po|iteness OF tho sales
men; aud successful merchant will discharge
clerk who has been guilty Of r,ldeneas to q
customer. Inciyilty in bualnees~life is crime,
and is treated AZ criminal o1ense.
Industry, sobrlety. and attention to business