Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-08-19
WOMEN WHO BORROW.
Revelations Of a Monsy-Lsndsr Not
Known as q Pawnhr0ker.
The Business the Natural Outcome Of a
Craze for Show and Glitter-An
lnfatuation.

"Sit down, take q cigar, and I'll give
you . few points that will surprise q
great many readers. Woman" said q
New York pawnbroker, ''are 3 curious
lot. Their ways are past finding out.
Their ingenuity often surprises me, and
I see much to excite my pity and my
contempt in the course Of my business.
Come this way and pn show you
something" The proprietor opened his
large safe and pulling out a drawer
spread its contents before the reporter.
Sapphires, rubies, diamonds, s~olitaires,
watches, bracelets, and necklets gilt
tered in a heap with a million scintilla-
tons. "Each could tell a strange story
had it a tongue; a record of e~xtrava.
gance, folly, aye, and sometimes OF
crime, too. That drawer you see inthe
right-hand corner contains promisory
notes, overdue drafts and stocks. This
set of diamonds, which could no De
bought for lees than SO, OOO,are hypothe-
Gated by a lady, who society knows
well, to satisfy the extravaganza OF ner
darling but diSsipated son, who Is going
to the dogs fast. Yes, 1t IS pathetic,
isn't it,"
"And how is all this business ar
ranged? There must be some system
in an occupation like yours"
$50 there is.
There are Three Essentials
in this peculiar business. Absolute
privacy, through confidence between
the principals and moderate charges.
NV clients would never think for a mo-
ment of going I an ordinary pawn
broker. The risk is too great. So n
either sends or comes to US. It's rather
funny, isn't il, that / I'M a depository OF
the secrets of wives whose husbands
meet nearly every day in the week.
Just fancy, although it is not a pleasant
thought to boast about, that and my
kind could wreck the happiness Of doz-
ems Of families"
Now for your system"
"YOu want a practical illustration:
A lady is II pressing need for 500 or
S4U0 to pay OF her modlste or milliDer.
Her husband Is not aware that the debt
exists. She knows that it would be per-
feCtly useless to ask him for money.
TIE creditor cannot be put off any
longer. She consults her maid. Her
maid holds counsel with the mOdiste,
who thinks she can point out u way
how the affair can be arranged. The
moGiste mentions me. The maid calls,
and with an air of mystery fees her
way, so TO speak, to the transaction. |
see through the thing ut ICE aud sur
prise her by
Naming Her Mistress.
tut decline to talk business until the
lady herself put in an appearance. l
make it an invariable rule never to 3D.
vaIcr money except to the actual own
vrs Of the security. 1t saves much
trouble. The lady comes, and it being
her first transaction of the kind, she
naturally feels nervous, and so, after a
time, she begins to look upon such mat
tiers purely from q business view"
"Rut surprising the husband should
miss the security offered, especially lift
should be jewelry?"
THAT is provided fog by an under
standing that the jewels shall be loaned
10 the owner from time to time in case
a reception or ball is held, when, of
course, they would be Indispensable:
Such a contingency becomes special
condition of TIE arrangement, and they
are promptly returned every time. |
willing take all such risks, because | do
business with only first-class clients.
The moral nature of the affair ~ almost
a. good Il security with us as the pos.
session of the article ITSELF
"And you say this clandestine BUSH
ness is growing"
1t is the natural outcome of a craze
for show and glitter that is
Peculiar 40 All Society,
whether it he high or low. Women,
when they make up their minds to doa
certain thing are like gamblers-the in
fatuariOn grows upon them. They
merely take leafOut Of their husbands
books. The one CANDLES in stocks to
make himself rich; the other in jewels
and laCes."
"By the way, speaking of stock-gam-
bling, is much of that kind of thing
done by ladies?"
mot nearly so much as there used to
be five years ago. Ladies will occa-
sionally borrow money on shares that
they own, but not for speculative pur-
poses"
'DO you lend money to men"
az haven't a single male customer on
my books. i keep my own counsel,
take 10 clerk into my confidence, and,
in brief, manage my own business. My
Profits" | prefer to say nothing about
hat. Yes, it is paying business and a
safe one. The contents Of that safe rep
r, sent SlOO,OOO of various kinds Ofsecur-
tiles, and | will go 50 far as to say that
f nv clients were open and above
board with their husbands | should
have TO seek some other employment.
The men, however, are as much to
blame as the women, for what can you
expect when half of them are nomin-
ally strangers to their families"