Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-10-11
AtSOl COleman's Cigar Palace
New York Tims..

New York Times.
Rows Of shoes stand at the head of
basement stairs on the lower side OF
Baxter street, at the way from Chat
ham to Canal street, from early in the
morning until late at night. They
are patched and pieced, aud the soles
and heels on them are new, but their
appearance tells of long and hard
wear. THERE'S not an unworn shoe
to be seen along the entire street.
They are all second hald, and in the
worst possible condition at that, for
the most part. Peeriug down into the
gloomy Easements hundreds Of other
pairs will be seen on the floors, while
on Insecure benches from one to four
cobblers will be seen stitching, patch
ing, soling and heeling dilapidated
shoes. Here, scarcely a minutes
walk from the busiest part of the
metropolis, in the lowest quarter and
in the most unpretentious manner,
is conducted a business, the pro-
portion Of which one would never
suspect.
The old shoe trade is confined al.
most exclusively to Baxter street,
although here ana there in Sixth and
Seventh avenues are places where
better grades of this class of second
hand articles are sold. Both mems
old boots and shoes and women's shoes
are dealt in. From FIVE cents to one
dollar a pair is paid for mems shoes.
Boots are worth a little less. because
the sale for them is not SO large. For
women's shoes from five to thirty five
cents a pair is paid. So long as the
upperS are not completely spoiled the
shoes can be utilized, Shoes that
most people would suppose were en-
tirely past redemption can be patched
up and made presentable After soles
and heels have been put on the shoes,
and the rents concealed by patches,
price is increased about fifty cents on
the average. A pair of shoes for which
twenty five cents was paid are sold,
when repaired, for seventy five cents.
The profit to the dealer is from ten to
thirty-fve per cent. The dealers
pay their cobblors, as a rule, thirty
cents a pair TOR reoonstructing
shoes, and in addition to this they
count the cost of leather in their ex
penses, and thus it will be seen that
| their profit is not heavy. One of the
shopmen was asked how long the
shoes would last. ave don't like to
sell shoes in wet weather" he replied.
"The soles are liable to float of and
leave the uppers without any bottoms
Maybe they will wear for one day, and
maybe they will last for one month.
We guarantee no goods, because the
profits are so small. The oObblers
can't afford TO put In many pegs, and
we can't afford to put 10 much
leather" The reporter picked up a
pair Of shoes, and he was not long in
reaching the conclusion that, like
glass, they must be handled with care.
The business is not restricted to the
retail trade. but includes the whole
sale. A great many cases Of the shoes
are shipped to Baltimore, Washing
ton, B)ston and other cities on The
ordeEs of second hand clothes dealers.
The profits in the wholesale trade
7 nge from five TO ten per cent under
those ia the retail.
The patrons Of the places are from
the poorer classes. The busiest days
n the retail trade are Saturday and
Sunday, more particularly the latter.
The shops open as early as five o'clock
n the morning, and many of them do
n t close until midnight. The rent Of
the Easements is from $25 to $50 q
III nth. This is the greatest expense
t, the proprietor, and little wonder is
i that he pulls his customer in By
main force to make up for this heavy
drain. Up in the Sixth and Seventh
avenues, where q better business is
done, from 81 10 81 a pair is paid fol
shoes. Only the best shoes, not much
worn, will be bought, and the trade il
entirely different. The Baxter street
dealers sell their finer shoes to the
men on the avenues. The largest
stock Of o Baxter street shop is 1000
pairs, and oltener it is much less.
Noticing repaired shoes with stretched
out elastics, the reporter asked why
new elastic was not put In. He was
informed that the cost was too great.
The elastic would cost 40 cents, and
that would make the price too high
besides, the trousers covered tho tops
and it made little difference.
The question willnaturally be asked
where all the shoes come from. The
Italians,those scaVengers ii the streets
dsh old ahoes out Of the ash barrels By
the hundreds, They know their value
as we'll as they do the worth Of rags.
bones and bottles. They carry the
Shoes to their quarters, scrape the
ashes off Of them and take them ia
Baxter street. The junk aud ras
dealers buy or ask a gift Of old shoes
in their ~wanderings, aud they take
them 10 Baxter street. The boot.
blacks at the hotels and other places
seize upon old shoes as prizes. Some
of the pawnshops aud old clothes
stands buy old shoes. but only when
they are in good condition It is onlJ
1t the shops that the shoes which
need TO be reconstructed are bought.
Moderate fortunes have been made in
the old shoe trade on Baxter street
Men have gone into it and advanced
TO the trade in new goods, or retired
altogether. Many ofthe present deal.
ers own their places Of business, an
sem to prosper at least as well as tn,
old clothes mer.