Savannah morning news., 1885-08-25
ALWAYS CARRY A RETURN
TICKET.
A Hard Country for Tourists Who Find
Themselves Temporarily EmbArrass-
ad

A Hard Country for Tourists Who Find
Themselves Temporarily Embarrass-
ed.
From tho Nss0 York Sun.
JACKSONVILLE, FLA, Aug. 20.-Pawn-
broking, although an industry of consid-
cradle magnitude IN this CITY, especially
at the close of the winter season, is not
regulated by law. A good many North
erners, young and old, find themselves
without funds or return tickets in the
spring, and, not wishing to make known
their plight to friends whose assistance
would extricate them, they decide to
pledge a watch, diamond or other tri1e at
some collateral banking house. A good
many business men of this town who have
little surplus capital are not
aVerse to accommodating them. es-
pecially since there is no restricting
statute to interfere with the terms which
both parties TO the transaction may be
willing to agree upon. But the New
Yorker temporarily In need is somewhat
surprised when, after submitting for ex-
animation a timepieoe on which Simpson
has never hesitated to advance $50, he is
told that $40 is really the most that the
capitalist could think OF making It, How
ever, as he proceeds with the negotiation.
he discovers that the principal to be ad-
vanoed is but small fraction of the sum
to be secured by the article pledged, and
that the lender has ia fact made him a
very generous offer--from the lenders
point cf view.
A young man undergoing a deck pas-
sage on one of theSriver steamboats,. the
other evening. was asked the time of day
He tugged at his watch cham, and seemed
momentarily confused, when he brought
to light bent pin with which the chain
had been hooked inside the pocket. Then
he regarded the western sky, and said,
with smile:
81 reckon it's about an hour and half
by sun, as native would say"
In the course of a conversation thus
opened the young man asked, as he
twirled the bent pin on the swivel of his
chain:
Ever had to pawn anything down
here?"
s'Yes"
swell. so have j; and, though I've
hooked things in a good many towns,
these Jacksonville capitalists rather took
nay breath away. This afternoon | want
ed to get up the river to a place where
I've got some friends who will fit me out
with ticket for the North, and | went
along Bay street looking for pawnshop.
saw three gilt balls over a door, and went
in. A tall, gaunt. middle aged man, with a
full beard, sat at the desk and eyed me sus-
piciousiy as unscrewed my watch from
the chain and laid it before him. 1t was
Swiss hunting case gold watch. on
which had got all The way from S35 to
$50 at various licensed pawnshOps in
the North. The man took it up, glanced
at ii. and then began cycling me again.
S'How much money do you wantp he
asked. sd,o scn ,maio. 1sirre
s'SThirty dolIars.'' said, thinking l
would nut IL low enough to suit him.
''fWhat do you call tnisY he asked,
glancing again at the watch and again at
"It is q Swiss-made gold watch that
Pve carried since 1871. / gave $40 for It,
Open it and see for yourself what 1t is"
E'Ihe fellow opened 1t TO the works and,
barely glanOing at them, said: I don't be-
lIeve any OF 1t. Works Hike them wasn't
made as long ago as 1871. The watch
amt gold, and Tthink yOu was sent here
by some of these other fellers to beat me-
tSI got up' and held ont mt hand for the
watch. When ] had got possession of it,
/ said: Z saw your sign and came in to
borrow monev on this watch If you
don't want to lend you might have said 80
without being insolent. If you think 1
am cheat, send out for q policeman and
have me arrested ,os1 g-... a..r
't'Eo, WON'T he grow1ed this Ia my
own house, and can do as d--n please
in it, s'QsH rs
II got a Whit Of the mans breath and
made up my mind he was partly drunk
Attbe next place visited | found man
who treated me with entire civflity. He
tested the outer and inner cases Of the
watch and said they were good gold. but
out of stvle; looked at the works through
glass and pronounced them valuable,
and said ne would let me have 500.
asked him If he wouldn't be safe in ad-
vancing more, and ne sad: Il, .s5,.
"iOh, yes- s--safe on the principal; but
thsre is7the inteEest. We can get high
sales and the interest must he secured.
On $50 the interest will be IS for sixty
days.
at didn't take me long to figure up
that in little while, at $50 per cent. per
annum, | should owe him not only more
than the watch was worth, but the value
OF an orange grove. banana plantation,
cocoanut grove, steam sawmill. and
boarding house for Northerners: so
agreed to the 800 and was quite grateful
to him for not making it $50, and charging
me $40 wear interest. He wrote me a
CHECK on one Of the city banks.
who's going To identify meY / asked.
Put your name on the back he said,
"I did so, and he wrote under it., En-
dorsed correct and signed his name.
reminded him that he had not made out
my ticket.
Owe don't do business that way he
said. You sell me the watch for $40. and
| agree TO sell it back TO you for $25 if you
come within sixty days.
81 got the money and have no doubt I
shall get the watch when go through the
city on nv way North; for he looked like
man whose word was good.
In answer to inquir es, a man who
lends money in small amounts, said:
There are no licensed pawnbrOkers
here. This lending on watches, jewelry,
guns and the like, is thankless business
anyway, and we don't want TO do IL un-
less we can be we'll paid. A great many
or the borrowers we never hear from
again after they 60 North. We have 10
take their property at such valuation
that we can get rid Of IL witeout loss be-
fore II accumulatss on our bands"
BICYCLISTs FROM THE SOUTH.
Riding 1000 Miles Since JuIy B on Their