Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-11-10
PAWNBROKERS.
From the New York Herald.

| F~~~@-"-
set. Somebody has said that 'the love OF
money is the root of all evil" 1fthat be so,
surely pawnbrokers, as rule, must have
uot only the root but a very flourishing tree,
which shades and covers their entire prcnl-
ses: for if any scv OF men and wonderland
many Of New York's pawnbrokers are OF the
| sentIer sey-are fond Of money they are
| that sell
The law gives TO licensed pawnbrokers
certain privileges. Under specified regula-
| items and rules they are permitted to loan
money upon pledges, but those rules and
rules and regulations, made in the interest
of the poor, are very little understood by
any one, and the sequence is that rapaclty,
| instead Of charity, is the governing prlnci-
pie With one anG all Of these modern Shy
| locks
1t is great mistake 10 suppose that none
bus the very poor utilize pawn shops. The
watches Of young ladies whose fathers are
| in good society often rest fer weeks there.
Ii is convenient al times for young gentle
men who need All extra $50 to raise it by
disposiug 10 their "uncIe," for a few weeks,
! Their ring, their oyGrcoat, their watch, their
booka--and they do il.
| II j. narrated Of we'll known newspaper
man or this city that for q series of months,
when The periodical he was conducting was
on n tender footing, lie deposited every
| SaturGa: night, at {. we'll known pawn
| brokers', :. valuable gold chronometer, with
lis chain and other iXings, as security for
| the loan nf$150. The watch was held in
pawn until Tuesday OF the following week,
when certain weekly paying advertisements
| were brought in. The money from these
| enabled him 10 redee!u his watch, which he
| bad The pleasure If wearing during the
| balance cf the week, until the regularly re-
! CURING pay day came about, when the
| wa;c:, trick was CT necessity repeated. Now,
| il wtuil De absurd to say that the shop Of
| the tnro: ColGe; balls was not 4 great con-
vcnisucc and aid and comfort to that man
| and to a number of people III his employ,
with families VINO were dependent upon
| theaj /: 80 that y pawnbroier, properly con-
sidercsi. may be a useful member OF society.
| A pawnhrckar who conducts his business on
| legal principles IS cf uDquesiinned relief 10
| ,au't.art,cs Of men ir oIdiuary distress. But
| tr,s ,,awuhroler as y rule deals with the
| VERY, very roor, and in their last extremity.
| Thcy grow with the growth Of The city's
| poverty. they strengthen with III. strength
Of hc city;s misfortune.
| In New York especially pawnbroEers are
| he greatest aids and atcitors that thieves
| can have. A man snatches diamond ring
| C:oIn the ear OF I: .7oman. H2 can't sci! 1t,
| h.. cam; CONVERT IL into c'Gt!inE, he can't
| turn il into hi iandiGT,! for he rent: but
| he can go to the reares! i'2"ntrcker's and
| get near lis yaiuc. 4 ioG!;'ad JERKS y watch
aud chain :on the pocket II fellow pas
| s.nu2l in street car. It's 81 80 use to him
| as q watch: he cau't wear il. It's Of no use
| to him a.; money he can't turn Ii into
v!ctuais or drink, but he can run TO a pawn
broker ana get Il substantial sum upon it.
| i servant, Gu;naciDg her mistress bureau,
discovers - roll Of expensive lace, hit Of
| tiuery, u lrinkes, ring, chatc!ane, an
| expensive fan, anything. What good are
| these article; 10 her as IN individual? She
| dare not utilize them ~ wearing apparel
| she would be afraid 10 give them as presents
| to her friends there is no way for her TO
| sell them 10 fellow servants or to strangers;
so, ygc:, il i'9t FOR The pawnshop, she might
| "a we'll have remained ali honest wolnaD.
| In the nawnsho3 she can get u reasonable
| advance, i being fair supposition that she
can ret moro than her mistress could; for
with an instant's glance the pawnbrolSer
detects the woman isut the owner OF the
articles and iuferring that She is thief, he
SAYS TO himself, "A liberal advance upon
this viii I've 4 very cheap purchase.
1
blinds and conveniences for the use of
thieves and burglars. This the police uu-
derstand thoroughly, and they have no hes
itamc; il going boldly 10 the proprietor OF
this or the other pawnshop and demanding
that watch No 16, ,407 be instantly deliver
ed to tiicr, and that q revolver of q certain
make, with peculiar ornamentation, be Civ.
Ell ,,p. or that rolls Of silk, stamped so and
so. be delivered. The records OF the police
are marvellous exhibitions of the rascali-
ties o; some Of the pawnbrokers OF the city.
4 tour through the musty rooms and lofts
of naHnbrcker's place reveals many and
MANY an odd deposit. Watches of every
pattern and value, tiinkets Of every sort,
diamonds and ruhics and pearls and emer-
aids are in the safes. Weapons of all kinds,
canes and pistols, knives and swords and
| daoeers modern revolvers and Revolution
ary muskets, Spanish stilettos and Ameri-
can bowie knives; delicate poinards and
Scotch broadswords. the fashions of centu-
r;es in powps and frocks and costumes
books. ancient and modern and IN every
tongue: every conceivable article played
with BIZ children, toyed with by women.
utilized by men; carpets, photographs,
thermometers, pressed autumn leaves, bas-
ksts, canes, backgammon boards are pack
ed or stacked away, according to their na-
turo ard their value. Every now aud then
these pawnbrokers have sale. They are
privileged at the expiration of q certain
time to publicly offer at sale the unredeem
ed pledges.
1t would be very easy matter to tell the story
of family's downfall, dating from the death OF
the bread winner the father, and the struggle Of
the wife and mother to keep the heads of hei
children and herself above tho water of desth 10y
, boarding house experiments. She first pawn:
their Jewels, then their pictures; tho piano ha: