Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-07-02
CAST-OFF FINERY.
q .NlTi - n. ~ "a n 2 10 &
Az Establishment Where Ladies' Sec.
ond-Hand Wear L Sold.
How One WOman,s Necessity May
Become Another. Woman's OPP
- Portunity-Saylish Dresses 4
detroit Free Press I

On Monroe avenue there is a neat clothing
and millinery establishment where ladies'
s~ear" is ADVERTISED Tie ausual observer
| sees nothing but an ordinary stock of cheap
new goods, very neatly arranged, and q
pretty Hebrew maiden with dissatisfied air
trying TO sell them. A pleasant-faced, gray
haired mother keeps watch within, and a
gay, stylishly dressed brother keeps ward
without, while the little convent bred girl
learns the value of dollars and cents from the
general public. Back Of the stock Of new
goods are a number Of immense wooden
chests and drawers let into the wall. These
can tale unfold. A word to the wise
mother, and she leads you into the rear Of
the store. and opens one of the chest lids
This very respectable appearing dry goods
emporium is in reality an old-clothes shop,
but OF the most approved type. The great
wooden chests are filled with the cast off
inery Of the very best society. "When
fashionable lady goes into mourning" said
the owner Of the secondhand business, "she
sends for me. How does she know mes Why,
everybody knows me. i travel all over the
country. l spend seasons at Washing
ton, Saratoga, Long Branch and New
York. / go to California for my health,
and l call on all the nice ladies.
sell them fine point lace and camers hair
shawls, and take old silk and satin dresses
in part pay. Then, when lady's husband
dies, she sells all her colored dresses to me.
Sometimes her wardrobe comes TO 81 900.
and give her my check for the money.
Here l have letters from Canada, from doc
tors wives and hotel keepers, wanting to
know if have anything TO suit them. do
a big business in Canada There is no duty
on old clothes. See how clean and nice my
goods are, my dear; will not buy from
street gypsies and low folks; | buy only from
ladies'"
And do you sell only to ladies!"
"Ah. that is different sell cheap for
cash ard money is clean The people who
buy Of me are very good people They are
many Of them play actors in the theatre They
purchase second hand dresses for costumes
| had one dress here that was beauty. 1t
was peacock blue satin, made up with velvet
brocade. 1t was trimmed with lace and
fringe--was a party rig for Detroit
bride. Then she got tired of it
and brought it TO me. l had a let
ter in my pocket from a star actress who was
playing In Toledo, and it called for peacock
blue satin. l cut little bit out Of the inside
Of the waist and sent it to her, and she sent
me $50 for the dress. gave $40 for it, but
the lady who sold it said it cost her over 500
Next week the actress was here and sent me
tickets TO the theater. went with my son.
The actress wore that dress in one scene, and
the lady who first owned it sat in the box
and looked at it with an opera glass. Ii
looked splendid, too"
Dress after dress had been taken out and
unfolded during the conversation. Some
were individualized by the wearer One
would he slender, tall and shapely, as if it
had clad some daughter of the gods; others
fair, fat and forty, with an appearance OF
having strained after effect.
do you have sudden calls for these ready
worn dresses"
@Weli, brides from the country, and run
away matches come in to get fitted in
hurry. There are all sizes, SO they can I'll
ways get suited. But nothing goes letter
than black silk One black silk dress looks
just like another, and if customer wears
such dress she is not likely To have its first
owner recognize it. Now, my dear, don't you
often Gee lady on the street and think TO
yourself. There is Mrs. So and So and when
you get up to her it is not her all 1t is Just
like seeing a ghost Why7 Because tho
clothes were Mrs So and So's, and
looked just ike her Women who
could never have a nice dress can buy a silk
of me for SO, that cost SIS when it was
new, and il they don't tell themselves, no.
body will ever know Sometimes have
really new dresses-m insists that have never
been worn. These command higher price.
Ii is not good business now l have been
in it right here in Detroit for forty years, but