The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-06-19
SOME OF NEW YORK'S QUEER
INDUSTRIES.

INDUSTRIES.
M. Quad writes about some of New
Iork's queer retail stores as follows i'll
the Detroit Free Press:
The pawnbrokers' windows in any city
are objects of interest, but in New York
more than anywhere else. The exhibit
ton in every such window, from Harlem
to the Battery, is mainly composed of
| watches and rcvolvers. 1t would seem
as if these were almost the only articles
ever put in pawn. The display begins
with an old fashioned bull's-eye' watch
marked down to $780, and closes
with navy revolver ''for sale at a bar
gain" There is every sort of watch ever
made, and every kind Of revolver ever
invented. and if the window is large
enough there is a side show of dirks, dag
gers and bowie knives. To judge from
these displays, one would imagine that
New York was Il city of shooters and
SlaShers.
1t does poor man heap of good to
tramp up and down the Bowery and
Chatham street and see what splendid
bargains are offered under the shadow of
those gilt balls. Hanging i'll a conspicu-
Gus place in well-tiiled window you will
discover a diamond pin with center
stone as big as :; tilbert. and on the card
is written: "A little -color-only $50.
Gracious. but how it makes a mans hair
climb up to read the figures, and to think
of bursting i'll on an evening party with
that pin throwing out ten thousand SELL
tillations minute. "Off-color" is pref
ty good, but call glass" would be more
appropriate. The next window will re-
veal ''this solid sevcn-pearl ring only
eight dollarsr' A young man with that
ring on his finger would "mash' coun-
try town in just fifteen minutes, and tif-
teen minutes after that he might discover
that the seven pearls were worth cent
apiece and the ring only well washed.
Many of the regular jewellers are also up
to tricks. Cant be told from real dia-
monds--only three dollars is the lc-
gend borne by hundreds of cards on
which are displayed sets of ear drops,
and ''worn by Il lord at Saratoga for a
genuine stone,'' is the story told of many
diamond ring.
One of the sights of Chatham street
are the dealers in second hand clothing
and furniture, and there is one place in
particular where almost every article one
can think of or ask for will be promptly
handed out. On the same counter were
swords, pistols, sickles, coffee mills, jack
knives, lamps, nutmeg graters, button
hooks, candle moulds, grindstones egg
heaters, riding whips, dog chains, horse
collars hymn books, lamp wicks. paper
collars, knitting needles, fire Tenders, and
fifty other different articles.
The second hand clothicrs let no chance
pass to drive a bargain. They look at
every man with an eye to buy OF to SELL
| got off the elevated railroad one day at
Chatham square and walked down the
street just behind a gentleman from
Pennsylvania, who counts his dollars by
the million. lie had on as fine suit of
clothes as money can buy. and his gen.
eral bearing was that of perfect gen.
tleman. Yet, as he passed one of these
clothing stores, the man at the door
pointed to an old dress coat which had
been patched and dyed, and boldly re-
marked:
81 want TO call your attention to this
coat. which is bargain at four dollars"
The millionaire halted and gave the
fellow one awful look, but it didn't affect
him Il bit, for as | came up he gave me
dead away on a pair of checkered pants
at "only two dollars" and long enough
in the legs for man eight feet high.
The second hand furniture dealers have
even more cheek. They let no one pass
\ man with satchel in each hand, Just
ready to start for his home thousand
miles away, is earnestly invited to step
inside and examine this parlor suite at
only forty dollars | was tackled so
often in this way that | finally went in
| one day to see what the furniture really
was. and what further the dealer would
say.
Most people would take this for new
furniture" he conlidentially whispered
rs he pointed to sofa and six chairs.
upholstered in green and sadly Worn.
''but won't try to deceive Il man like
YOU. To tell the truth, they were sent
down here from Fifth avenue parlor to
be sold on the quiet. Sad case that. IIus-
band died suddenly-propcrty all incum-
obliged to sell of her furniture, and SO
FORTH
Is that sou
"'Pon my sacr Il honor. How much
do you suppose gave her for this suite?"
"Seven dollars
The look he gave me | shall ever re-
|
his throat and continued:
"Ies-ah. I'm a joker myself. But,
seriously, gave sic for this very suite,
which | am now offering at even forty.
am not hard hearted enough for this
business, and I'm going to quit it. When
| got there she cried and took ON so that
| gave so more than | ought to. | shall
lose 50 by the operation, and it serves
me right. Now, what do you say?'
said | lived in the Sandwich Islands.
was short of funds and had neither wife
nor home; but he lowered the price tc
$50, then to $50, and ran half block
after me to say that he could take $ooj il
Id agree to keep it 4 profound secret as
long as lived.