Arizona citizen., 1877-07-07

other large cities, even ill the United
 States. There Is no comparison be
 tween them and those of European 1 cities, and theIr miserable crowds of poverty-sIricken wretches pawning the
 very clothes of their backs for dime
 or two. It will be noticed by the
 most casual observer that here at the [ pawlbroking establishments and those
 at which miscellaneous goods are
 bought, very superior class of arti-
 cles is to be found. Their watches I and jewelry, handsome revolyers, mu-
 slcal instruments, shot-guns and fine
 clothes. The articles are evidently the
 debris of suddenly fallen fortunes
 rather than the last concessions of a
 long struggle with poverty. There
 was formerly only one class of estab- ! lishments Tn San Francisco at which
 the financial wind could be raised at a
 moments notice, and the peculiar f character of the population in early
 days rendered the process one of delib-
 eration and caution on the part of the gentleman whose duty or pleasure 1t was to furnish the wind. In those days the gentleman who had lost at
 faro the coin with which he had calcu-
 lated paying his board-bill did not walk into a store like Uncle Harris
 and lay his watch and chain on a glass lease, but rapped at an iron door. In answer 10 his rap a slide would be Iopeaed, and the head of the pawn
 broker would appear. The visitor would state hIs errand and pass in his ichronometer and in due time the amount loaned on It would be passed IOuL Uncle HarrIs Was the first to : abolish thIs uncomfortable way of do- ling business and established the kind lOt business that Is now III favor. Un- lcle Harris Is the most popular pawn broker Ill the city. With q view of Ielucidaling how the business is now IcUnducted, one of our reporters when in Ihe city called upon Uncle Harris and had the following interesting in- terview with him:
 Reporteg-Ihere is quite a differ ence in the style and quality of the goods sold here, as compared with those in the Eastern States, is there InOt?
 Uncle Harris-Yes. There does not seem to be the same amount of grind- Ing poverty Tn San Francisco People do not sell their clothes anu trInkets as they do in other places from absolute idesutulOn. They sell them one day 10 put up a margin on stocks; or be- cause they have been on jambOree and got temporarily broke, and the next day they are ready to buy the things back again. The consequence of this is that we buy quantity of tirst-claSS clothes, mostly nearly new and some not worn more than a day o! two. The watches, too, are exception ally fine They are bought when the. men who sell them are flush, and sold for anything they will bring Reproductive you never deceived in the quality ot the watches and jew elry you buy?
 Harris-Neyer now. Science has added Us as well as other people, and we have so many tests and appliances that deception Is impossible. Ii isl very different from the old times. Il remember one case in early times when they stole pawnbrOker'S only Ie this acid-filled the bottle upl with water and rung in a lot of brass on him for gold before he discovered the fraud
 Reporler-You sell goods at very low prices-how do you manage that T Are the goods really cheap? | Harris-Certainly they are. People, sell me watch, or a pistol, or a set of jewelry, or a suit of clothes, hoping ] f,, | back again at a slight advance. FOrl l instance, man the other day sold me gold Howard watch and chain. It, had, I know, cost him $250. 1 gave him S7j for it, and sold it for $9O.
 Reporler-Why did you sell 1t so cheap as that?
 Harris-Well, we have one prlncipleI Tn our business. When we give over $50 for anything, we sell it at an ad- vance of fifteen per cent. When itI costs us under $50, We sell il at an ad- vance of twenty per cent, and il Is al- ways worth it you may depend. RepOrteT-lsn't there any danger of your getting hold Of and selling stolen goods?
 Harriis-No, we take precautions .agalnst that, and besides the thieves have their dealers. Our books are 2 .Open 10 the police at all times, and we take care to inform them of the pur- chase of any more than ordinarily val uable articles
 Reporter-This different phase of the business Tn San Francisco accounts for the open manner in winch the busi- ness is conducted.
 Harrs-What do you mean by open manner?
 Reporter-Well, there is no conceal ment or affectation Of privacy about it.
 Harris - No, why should there :? People here are down today and up to- morrow. It is not because they are actually poor that most of them come to me: but because they just happen to want money and they know they can get more of me than they can of anybody else.
 Reporter-I should think that ladies very often had need of your assistance. Are not they a little backward about coming Co your store:
 Harris-Some of them are. 1 have. { the wives of some of our most distin- , guished citizens among my customers. ! They send down a note 10 me and 1 go up to their houses and look at theIr diamonds or whatever they have Co 1 sell, and the negotiation Is finished I there.
 Reporter-Do you have many lacy customers. a
 Harris-Oh, yes. What with eX- V ravagance and private stock specula- ] tions and one thing and another good d many ladies get temporarily short of |