News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-06-05
TRADE In GOLD CLO'.0
Shipments to India, Japan and the South
Sea IsIands-How Secondhand suits are
MISUNDERSTANDING into ShOddy.


From the chicago 1rlDunel
The trade in old clothes in Chicago is
considerable, over $250,O00 being paid
for ssold clo'' annually. When bought
by the dealer they are ''graded;" pants
that have been oftener sat upon than
trod upon are put III one heap, and coats
that are glazy and "out at elbow" put
along with them. Suits are then made
up and repairing, when possible, set
about. Little else is done with clothes
of this description, and they are sold to
the very Door. On the other hand, GO all
wool" suits that have been little worn
and have been purchased from the better
classes, who have sold them owing to a
change of fashion or because they have
tired of them. are cleaned, pressed and
refined and sold as ''the latest, only 81. "
Evening suits, which used to be worth
less as a selling commodity, are now the
most valuable, as lately considerable
trade has sprung up in letting dress suits
ont at so much per night. Ii you are
introduced or make the necessary de-
post you may now blossom out for one
night only as one of the upper ten, claw
hammer and all complete, for the small
sum of 50. Old hats are ironed and re-
lined and in most cases sold as new, the
trade in secondhand hats being almost
nil.
The old clothes trade in this country,
however, is not nearly as brisk as it is on
the other side, as there is not the same
market. The chief market for England
is the colonies and the islands of the
South Pacific: Thousands of cases of
old clothes are every year exported from
l. IT, ~ tn,
the hill districts of India coolie has to
wear something warmer than in the low
country, and, although he cannot bear a
leg covering, he has always an old coat
on. It is ludicrous sometimes to see a
cOOlie with not stitch of clothing on ex-
cept clawhammer coat and plug hat.
The South Sea Islands have lately been
a great factor in the sold clo'" trade.
Whenever a heather there is converted
the first thing. he is taught to believe
when a thief is converted the whole tribe
generally follow suit there is often q
great dearth of old clothes.
The Jews are the chief if not the only
dealers in old clothes, and they owe q
great deal to the Christians in this re-
spect, as without the missionaries the
n6aJnGn would SILL De gong dpOud LII TIC
state of our first parents. Last year
there was some trade between Chicago,
San Francisco and japan in old clothes,
about $50. cases being shipped. Ever
since the Japs imbibed a taste for West
ern civilization they have been great in
European clothes. When the "disease"
first broke out the streets of Yokohama
more nearly resembled street where a
fancy dress ball was dispensing than any
thing else The stores of all the old
clothes dealers in Europe and America
were put under requisition to supply
Japan, and costumes of the days of the
Pilgrim Fathers were common in the
streets
Clothes that are too old and soiled, old
socks and underwear are all of use.
Along with old paper they are sent to
the mill to be made into new paper. and
old cloth can be remade into ''shoddy
In point of fact, most of ''this style for
ST. is made out of this material. Lately
chemistry has shown us how to make
the most delicious perfumes out of the
refuse of the COW house, and there is
really nothing that we throw away as
''waste" but what is turned into useful
purposes and enriches others.