Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-25
OFFICE 400 STATE STREET.
Price FOilr Cen:S.

floors, while on insecure benches from one to four cobblers will be see Il stitching patching soleing and heeling dilapidated shoes Here, scarcely minutes walk from the busiest part of the metropolis, in the lowest quarter and in the most unpretentious manner, is conducted business the proportions of which one would never suspect.
 The old shoe trade is confined almost ex- clu ively to Baxter street, although here and there in Sixth and Seventh avenue are places where better grades of this class of second hand articles are sold. Both mems old boots and shoes and womens shoes are dealt in From ; cents to $ pair is paid for mems shoes Boots worth a little less, because the sale of them is not so large. For mems shoes from ; to g. cents pair is paid So long the uppers not completely spoiled the shoes can be utilized. Shoes that most Seople would suppose were entire ly 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, the price is increased about 50 cents on the average. A palr of shoes for which 25 cents vas paid .are sold when repaired, for 15 cents The profit to the dealer is from 10 to B per cent. The dealers pay their cobblers, rule, 90 cents pair for reconstructing shoes, and, in addi- tion to this, they count the cost of leather in their expenses and thus it will be seen that their profit is not heavy. One of the shop men was asked how long the shoes would last "We don't like to sell shoes in wet weather" he replied. "The soles are liable to float off and leave the uppers without any bottoms. Maybe they will wear for one day, and maybe they will last for month. We guarantee no goods because the profits are so small. The cobbers cant afford to put in many pegs, and can't afford to put in much leather" The reporter picked up & pair of shoes, and he was not long in reach ing the conclusion that, like glass, they must be handled with care. The business is not restricted to the retail trade. but includes the wholesale A great many cases of the shoes are shipped to Baltimore, Washington, Boston and other cities on the orders of sec ond hand clothes dealers. The profits in the wholesale trade range from to 10 per cent under those in the retail
 The patrons of the places are from the poorer classes. The busiest days in the retail trade Saturday and Sunday, more partic- ularly the latter. The shops open, some of them, as early as , o'clock in the morning, and many of them do not close until mid night The rent of the basement is from $25 to $GO month. This is the greatest ex- pense to the proprietor, and little wonder is it that he pulls his customer in by main force to make up for this heavy drain. Up in Sixth and Seventh avenues, where better business is done, from $ to $4 a pair is paid for shoes. Only the best shoes, not much worn, will be bought and the trade is entire ly different. The Baxter street dealers sell their finer shoes to the men on the avenues. The largest stock of Baxter street shop is 1,000 pairs, and often it is much less No ticing repaired shoes with stretched-out elas tics the reporter asked why new elastics were 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, tho trousers covered the tops and it made little difference.
 The question will naturally be asked where all the shoes come from. The Italians those scavengers of the streets, fish old shoes out of the ash barrels by. the hundreds. They know their value we'll they do the worth of rags, bones and bottles. They ry the shoes to their quarters, scrape the ashes off them and take them to Baxter street. The junk rag dealers buy or ask gift of old shoes in their wanderings, and they take them to Baxter street. The boot blacks at the hotels and other places seize upon old shoes prizes. Some of the pawn shops and old clothes stands buy old shoes, but only when they are in good condition. It is only at the shops that the shoes which need to be reconstructed are bought Mode rate fortunes have been made in the old shoe trade in Baxter street. Men have gone into 1t and advanced to the trade in goods or retired altogether. Many of the present dealers own their places of business and sesm to prosper, as least as well as the old clothes men.