The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-11-16

description) throws shovel of dust In
to her seive; she sifts 1t and then COM
mences sorting. First she picks out all
the straws, hay and vegetables of every
description, and throws into large
basket; this IL called soft core, and is
the most useless and profitless of all that
Is collected in the yard, being fit for
nothing but manure. Next all the wood
Is picked out; this she puts in her own
basket, 1t being her perquisite; then
comes rags of all sorts, which are duly
deposited in their receptacle; next all
the paper, books, ETC.; after that all the
leather, boots and shoes; then come
window and other glass, bottles, vials,
etc., crockery and earthenware for road
beds, all to their baskets, now come
bones, most important item; next
comes what calls for the closest search
ing,viz., metals, iron, brass, copper, etc.,
gold silver and jewelry.
You smile Many of these find their
way to the dust-yard through the care
lessness of servants. Watches, bracelets
earrings, rings, knives, forks, spoons,
etc., all these are carefully picked out
and handed to the hillman, or sub-con-
tractor, who deposits them in the Office,
in case they should be inquired after; if
not, after reasonable time, they are
sold, and she gets a share. A sharp
lookout is kept by the hillmen to see
that they don't secrete any, and woe be-
tide them If caught; If not handed over
to the law, instant dismissal is the result
and forfeit of what is due her as wages
NOT much, because in most yards they
pay nightly; but they never get
chance to return to the yard. All they
find in trinkets, etc., outside of plate or
jewelry,is theirs, and many are the curl
Gus articles to be seen in their homes,
adorning their mantle-shelves or side
boards, some quite rare ard very valua-
BILE.
The last thing she picks out is all the
coal, which is also hers to the full of her
basket, all over belonging to the sub
contractor. This done, she empties the
cinders into another basket and is ready
for another shovelful, and SO she goes
on. She gets four pence load and is
supposed to sift about three day of so
many bushels. One shilling day with
fuel ARE their earnings. They are limited
to that, and when done can go, but they
hardly ever get done before night, that
is O'Clock, when they all leave off,
whether they have sifted the quantity
or not, but those who do not, soon get
spotted and are discharged. They want
the quantity done, as the filler-in is paid
by the day, as is also the boy lone to
every six women) to carry away the full
baskets and supply them with others.
The sub-contractor gets four pence q
load-what he pays the women-from
the contractor for sitting, and has to
pay his filters, boys and others, also
finding sieves, shovels, rakes, picks, etc, i,
out of the marketable articles that are
picked out of the dust. 1t seems almost
incredible, but is the fact, that many of
these men make good living and even
competencies out of it. Now L will
show you how. Come with me into the
shed. Here is another busy scene.-
Here are men sorting and arranging the
metals, which amount to considerable
quantity in the course of week. There
another party sorting, washing and siz-
ing bottles and walls. They are all sold
to doctors and druggists. Here is anoth-
er party sorting rags. The white ones
are all picked out and carefully washed
by machine, bringing the best price as
best white rags.
Here is wooden cloth, silk, ticking
mating, ETC., all converted in money
Here, also, are the bones, which amount
to tons in the course of a week, and the
waste paper, ,bagful after bagful, amount
ing also to tons, and the old boots and
shoes-the best of which are bought by
what are called renovaters, and worked
up again, the refuse, by some peculiar
process, being converted into size. In
fact, there is nothing scarcely used in
domestic or commercial life but what
finds its way, some time or other, into
the dust yard. OF course, the greater
quantity comes from the houses of the
wealthier portion of the community,
who when moving, if anything is brok-
en- or nearly wore out or damaged, or
they are tired of it, it is thrown into the
dust bin, and from thence to the yard,
there being little chance of its being alb.
Quoted by the collector or dustmen on
the road, the man being watched by the
lookout man, hence it is that you can
get almost ANYTHING secondhand there