The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1876-09-29

: -Ns''"esiioo Wo.O WEAK enough 10 .IeG bHcu
drag them to ruin. know of one man
now a clerk. at $4,000 year, who, fou
years ago, was making as merchant OF
his own account not less than $50, 600 pc
year. He allowed his wife carriages
horses, parties, diamonds, &C., to tile tun,
OF $2O, 600 year, and was satisfied. Times
got dull, goods went down, the ground wa
slipping out from under him, and he i'm
plored her to stop. She would not listen
u can't lose my place IN society," wal
her answer, and on she went. Finally ths
smash came, there was nothing behinc
them, the sheriff sold their house, and the
pair are now living in two rooms, anG
taking their meals at very cheap restaur
ant. She is not in society, and the husband
is very thankful therefor. He says he il
happier than he ever was in his flush times,
for there were four years that he knew
ruin was hanging oyer him, and the con-
slant worry of it nearly drove him crazy
| STREET MERCHANTS.
One of the curiosities of metropolitan
life, is tho street vender, who has his stand
| at every corner in all parts of the city.
They deal in all things from a peach to a
knife, including neck-ties, shawl-straps,
cutlery, hosiery and everything else. How
they live is mystery. am an average
man and never bought an article of them
nor did ever see any one else do it. Yet
they make enough money in year or two
| to be promoted to retail store, and some
of the heaviest merchants in the city COM
menced in this humble way. I stood for
two hoars yesterday, and watched a man
crying, Here you are, only a quarter of
a dollar" Over his arm were an hundred
or more pairs of suspenders, and though
thousands passed him, not par did see
him sell. Finally asked him how he
made living standing there and not selling
anything. 81 do SELL" was his reply. He
told me that he averaged twenty pairs a
day, that his articles cost him twelve and
half cents, giving him an hundred per
cent. "Twenty shillin' day amt much
here you are, only a quarter of dollar
but you see amt got no rent, nor license,
nor water rate, nor gas, nor nothin' to pay.
and git on" "But who buys of you?"
" Everybody. These s'penders cost you
seventy-fiye cents in store, and rich men
come along with their quarter all ready,
and take 'em without anybody seein' 'em.
I average twenty shillin' day. Hero you
are-only quarter The popularity of
these merchants is that they never announce
the article they have to sell, but merely
its price. They hold the goods SO they
can be seen, and then howl the price, each
one with some call, peculiarly his own.
One man at the corner of Maiden Lane,
has been there twenty years, with lead
pencils, which he sells at about half the
shop price, and it is said that he has made
great deal of money out of his little trade,
and could live on the Avenue, if he chose
to do it. Another man makes speciality
of ehildren's toys. Sometimes it is bal
looms -snnaati -----. ! .a,
ever the article may be, he never goes
outside of children's goods. There are
large establishments in Williams and Full
ton streets devoted to goods for tue street
yenders, and the trade is governed by reg
ular laws and rules, the same as govern
more pretentious occupations. AS rule
the goods sold by street merchants are as
good as any other, though there are large
factories devoted to making articles ex-
nressly for them. Thus at Attleboro',
Mass. there are dozen factories, employ
ing hundreds of operatives each, whose
sole business is the making of sham jewelry
for these men. The pair of sleeve buttons
which you buy of them for % cents, the
first cost of which is less than five, cannot
readily be distinguished from the best solid
gold, for which, in Broadway store, you
would pay $50. And as no one gets near
enough to them to scrutinize, what is the
oddsp I have seen street vendors sell the
most artistic jewelry for ten cents, the
genuine of which would cost $40. And
the joke is that no one can determine a
foot away, which is the true and which is
the false. Many a swell sports jeWelry
which is supposed to cost much shekeis'
which came from the humble street vendor.
Things are not always what they seem.
BUSINESS Is ts D.
Is reviving perceptibly. The purchasers
are more liberal, and confidence is restored
The indications are good, and we are al
more hopeful. rlEfAo'
1