The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-23
JUNK AS A PROFESSION.
TUE FIVE HUNDhED ORR CURIOSITY
sHOPS ~ VIEW YORK.


Scattered ali over the city, but with tue
,,.a.,.,r,., ,,or.f fne.n on the cast side "
r.. s,r,pge raposltlrtcs Of waste ana cast
away materid of every description known rs
skunk shnus." There are In New YORK p'o"'-
bly five or six hundred regular dealers IN olu
funk who have established places OF trade anu
bayc more or less ct,itai Invested IN the ousi-
ness. Ofthe principal or Leading dealers there
ara between f1uy and nftv the majority OF
these having their shope In the lower p'rt OF the
civ There are half a j 1z,n In Ann street.
nearly a score Ia Contro street and the narrower
tborourhfares Of the sixth ward AMI IN tine
Third avenue. ON the west SIDE In the Sixth
and E ghth avenues, there are several who do
Arriving business.
These Junk dealers, that "a the better class OF
them, while they purchase almost every variety
OF broken iron. the ODDS and ends OF broken
brass ornaments, rags, and paper, never pur-
chase he gatherings OF the street cninoniers,
whose early morning pr0menades wi h the hook
and bag are IN rked by the entire disappearance
OF every rag, bit OF paper. and deposit In the ash
and garbage barrels ON taeir route. The stock
the chinoniers gather they dispose Of u class
OF dealers who have shops along or near by the
river 'front.' where the facilities Tor washing are
not limited The cleansing OF the foul rags
hooked up from the cutters Is not very
pleasant task, nor IL the immediate neighbour
hood Of the shops. whore they are taken in
sayory In the nostrls OF tho rlsser-by or con-
ducive to the general good health
1t may to well In this connection TO note the
fact that of al the ragpickers of the streets
there are not over half dozen OF American
birth the natlonalties Of this industrious cl ISIS
being mostly Italian aud German. Eor their
gatherings they receive from the dealers from a
quarter TO a half cent per pound and n the
has accidentally struck bonanza IN his route
In the shape OF barrel Of cotton or luen clip.
pings, toe price Is increased 70 cent pound.
The daily e rnings OF TIE chiHOnicrs, the ref re,
are not calculated to justify expectations Of
sudden wealth.
PRIcEs CURRENT IN JUNK.
In the Junk business proper the prices at
which the dealers purchase the stock var, from
week to week IA accordance with the demand
OF the manuf icturers, often to the disappoint
ment Of the street ginlus who come mo the
shops with sections Of battered lead pipe, old
rusty iron barrel h oops. nails and types. the lat
ter industriOusly aug out Of tue waste barrels
AND swt1pings Ia front Of the printing Offices In
the Morrow thOruughfares down .own. or the
iron gatherings" there are several Grades.
Wrought iron junk. as purcha-ed uy the deal
era, is considered a. "s4perior STOCK" for
which they pay II the aver 10 rats OF Que cent
per pound. his iron, when II Iasses from The
Junk dealer to tue manufacturor Is meited. aud
market as new oar iron. Cast iron, Of which
there i much Larger qI-ntiiy Orouzht 10. and
pots, aud kettles, u nos neld In a. good fepute.
Tor al thai is paid for 1t is forty cents per hua-
dred weight.
Next comes one OF the most valuable, vet the
most useless apparently Of al the grades OF Iron
-old stove pipe, and sheet iron steve dtums-
being converted into cable wire. he cables l.
be used upon the new bridge between THIS city
bnd Brooklyn are constru Tod FROM his class Of
ron which the thriity hoa=eAeeper stores away
IA the cellar or At ic among the old clothes and
worn out boots II the f.mi.y - worthless ms
stove pipe refuse l. also converted into a yery
txCUlleut kiltN OI steel. Al pulgNANgu from
The 1unkmen oy the pl"w manuf cturers. and
picks, and other nssfui agricultural imple mems.
Were IL not iuT the junk de ilers ali thls waste
brewery household and ho.ei, rom q wagons
N the street. Oh toe piers, ana In fact every
where Nbers iron Is broken lid cast away would
De lost. One Manufacturer near the city has
pand. lie Is probably the heaviest purchaser
from the tuos merchants ia III ooaetry.
saves the lunA dealer. transformed mo the
oastinss Of ,Snpdeis AID various uarts Of ma
ebinsry. Pc Tons OF the great turiiss en.ine IN
.he EAhbiti II may ue traced back into broken
stove iess .uL the urO~en castings 10 al hum
ared different hou.rho or mech,n, =. iuiale
nents. Ine burnt non gr ,de-c.tuur sing nrs
and furnace gates, bottoms Of stoy ani fur
naces-retufns once more to u-etulnrs- auA in
crease OF value ia tae sua.c " street lamp
pots. The CrOiOu water .ipes, coat huuAs. and Il
NAV not he iuap3ropiiateb sutinlscd, INTO the
brght and SHINING blades of the cueAJ Yoc Nei
knives whicu tempt thc eve aud lure inc small
change from We POCKET Of the rural wandersr
In Chath-in street.
viewed As GOOD lNNESIAkSfe.
The junk me chant finds safe Investment In
brass. VI this, threv grades rfe known TO the
junk trace. lite first u tue ORDINARY SORT IA 4kes
what Is lermed "y.l oN" brass. TIE nr.st,
from 10 to T. cents per pound. IL l. re'uanuiac-
tured into IN ,ndthers, mantci ornament, and
other articles too numerous uetdl. IA,rt Is
qualify Of tuis metal "ui . in junk shop
phras IS styied irony brass am comprises
all brass wien cout1ins iron. screws. bolt
beads, aud door knobs are a portion Of tnis
staple. Ihe JUNK dealers pay FROM q 10 cents
Copper is considered a safe investment as
Junk. he copper bottoms ~ Old kettles are IN
demand among chemists ana AL VINO en-
eased In me prOdu ton Il various chemicals,
ana they are also much used " the tcIe.r pa
ofices IN the inanuf .cture Of ulIe yitriDi. This
grade varie- IA value from IL to Is Cents per
pound me heavier copper Drugs 80 from 10 T.
Is cents aud returns after many W. reformed
lh.o plgs oI Dsr c0pDer' al tue better for is
paseagv Through the cruciols. 1t becoL4es, 80
The Junk dealers assert b. tles ahd purer CO per
every lime II Is 50 converted.
Next 10 importance In tiHk tr ode u the article
OF Lead which Is Drought m ny BOYS 10 a great
extent Ia ali qu mt les At a time. Inc pur-
sst ana most valuable quality Of lead which
onds its wav INTO he lncOngruOus MYSTERY Of
Toe nInoO of JunkdOIn. l. that wuich forms the
lining Of tea chests 1t contains small per-
centige Of TN. The Chinese paper whicn is 50
closely attached 10 H., however causes loss ia
che melting, So that It's price l. averaged al i've
DO hvs and a balf cents per pound Ihe
great lea comp .nles furnish tue junk dealsrs
ritn immense Y .antities OTIS. his lea lie ID Is
and nickel platers. The greater portion Of the
fttrtoll pa plItes Tor DOCKS l. IMPOSED OF "A
&c Sler lead, consisting OF all SORTS 81 refuse
gatherings, pckiags, aud stsalinls. aud Is
bOuglt 10 at slx cents per pound. 1t ~ repro
Cutrd, and enter into c. minercs Ia the gulse
OF lead pipe, shot, ETC., while tne PLUMB nul
u u-eiul in the competition OF solder, addiuz 10
II The requisite proportion Of TN.
MOUNTAINS or RAGS AND PAPER.
All this junk az soon az II Is purchased Is
thrnwn upon tue floor IN the shop until tho ac-
eumula.lOn Is sufficient 10 warrant sorting. Be
SIDE The mountains VI ttis collection are aped
u great masses II rdgs ana paper STOCK, old
olp'hing STACKS II Pa ent Once reports, buh-
80 Ol pamphlets, and every cOuceiv tOle 5 RI
OF thlS sto ciea OF Ouus anu ends.
lhe ird-up customer whose Old coats ana
pans are NOT acceptable TO the pawnbTOker c IN
g. iwJ cents "A pound Tor them, II they are All
WOODEN, At the junk store, and have tho salts
thctlon ~ knowing tnat from the JUNK deAis-
theF VIII ne IN fashionable tailOr's stock
nfst class DrOadclotn. All wOolleu garments, no
matter bow greasy, worn, or sUlled, IND their
way into shoddy, while tue cast-on clotliDR
which IL Of cotton AMI wool mixed under2oes
She process Of being steamed" ana Is tnsn rs-
gard ~ a. flock" he "seamiug" process Is
thai III extracting the cotton from the fADrlc
This flock is then dyed, and Is used Ia the man
ufacture Of wall paper, and In tue heavy cloths
- nllinR."
OF the white rags OF the tunkman. for which
he Is alw4ys willing to pay three cents per
pound, ever, body knows the use aud dsstiul-
ton. Inc great heaps Of mixed rags Of every
shade u color, satinets, delanes, and cotton
cites cost the junktnan from one half a cent 10
one cent pound. or this the paper used Ia