The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1874-06-23

nNE of our New York letter-writers is
~ responsible for the following in regard
to the pawnbrokers
They are queer set, and do queer bus
ness. The pawnbroker is man who lends
money on a short time on collateral secu-
rity. Are you a widow, and is your boy
sick? You take shawl to Moses, and he
advances you about one-fourth its value at
a tremendous rate of interest-25 per cent
per annum. This supply gone, your best
dress, your extra pair of shoes, your we'd
ding ring, your Bible, and finally your bed.
He takes them all, for they are all saleabe.
You get ticket for each article, and if
you come within year and redeem them,
all right if not, at the end of the year
they are sold. Inside of one of these shops
you will find a satin dress hanging ticketed
beside calico skirt, shoes, Bible, revol-
vers, musical instruments, tools clocks,
kettles, skates, every species of portable
property under heaven, side by side. But
in the big safe in the back room you would,
if you could get peep therein, see other
kinds of property. You would see dia-
monds, costly jewelry, and silver plate.
For the poor are not Shylock's only custo-
mers. Madame, on Fifth Avenue, has
spent more for dress than her pressed hus-
band can afford, and she does not ask him
for money. The obsequious dressmaker
shows her that her diamonds can be easily
removed from their settings, and bogus
stones that an expert could hardly tell
from the genuine, put in at trifing cost.
Then Moses or Simon would be glad to ad-
vance her what money she needs on the
genuine stones. This she does, paying
ruinous interest," and trying to save money
enough out Of her allowance to redeem
them. And then ruined men find these
shops convenient place to get temporary
aid on jewels with which they do not wish
to part For this class of customers there
is a private side entrance.
Speaking of removing the genuine dia-
monds and supplying their place with paste
reminds me of little incident that excited
the risibles of the fashionables only two
weeks ago. A lady on Fifth Avenue had
got into trouble. She had purchased
thousand dollar dresses, and thousand dol
lar furs, and thousand dollar things, gen.
orally till her bill footed up to a sum total
that was frightful Her husband had lost
heavily in stocks. She dared not ask him
She had diamonds to the value of $4,000
She took these rings and bracelets and
things and hied her to jewelers., who re-
set them with imitation stones that looked
just as we'll as the genuine, and on the gen
uine stones she raised money to relieve her
wants.
In the meantime tho husband had lost
money at gambling, and had "debts of
honor which must be paid" How was he
to get itP His wife's diamonds Capital
idea One morning he slipped them into
his pocket and went to a jewelers..
Scan you take stones out of jewelry and
replace them with imitation"
Certainly"
"What would these be worth-or rather
what would you advance upon them T. said
he, pulling out the sparklers.
The jeweller looked at them and looked
up.
"About $3.50"
"one hundred and fifty dollars Why,
they cost $15,OOOw
"The originals doubtless did. We have
the originals in our safe. We took them
out two weeks ago and put in these paste
ones"
The gentleman gave prolonged whistle,
and put them in his pocket and walked out
There was doubtless a scene at his house
Doubtless he demanded why madam his
wife, had pawned her jewelry, and doubt
less she wanted to know how he came to
know it. How it was settled never will be
known.
esB- A German Jew was eating a pork