Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-01-15
RAGS AND WASTE.
Wealth in the Gutter---Pickirg Up
Riches in the Street
Business Despfsed OF Wen That
Turns OF Five Millions "A Year
-RaSs and Their
Value.
iChicaro Heralll

Notwithstanding some drawbacks and oc-
casional periods Of stagnation, ths rag BUSH
ness OF the United States particularly of the
west, appears to be fiourishing. and has
reached wonderful proportions both as to
quantities handled and in value. The
miserable creature with bas or basket in
hand collecting what can he founi in the
alleyway does not seem much in the worlds
concerns but TO the wholesale dealer the
ragged, bent old collcSsor Is much more
important item in the business community
than many might suspect Ia these days of
vast figures we are not apt 10 lie very much
surprised when We hear OF IA wholesale dry
goods or hardware firm doing a business
aggregating sl,00),00j year, hut that
mere dealer in rags and wastes ooald under
seem little startl M
There Is one firm of Fay and waste dealers
In this city doing business amounting to
$1,000 a year, AMI the business Is CON
stantly increasing. There Is aD"tier firm Of
paper manufacturers ia this city whose bust
ness, exclusive of what it supple, to its own
mills in Wisconsin. exceeds S5o1. 900 annu-
ally. There are several hoascs dealing ex-
clusively in rags, who's bushes, ranges from
ti00, 900 to 500, O0o year. while there are
several smaller "nss whose custom is by no
means contemplate. bit. on TIE contr--v, in
most cases quite M L, IT,, average volume
reached by tie more assuming retail
dry goods. hardware cot and shoe.
clothing and grocery s!or-s. and a great
many OF which think they are doing remark
ably well IL they have a Ll:>iness % iroEi
t25 600 30 sJ0, GEO a wear There Is n, a rag
dealer in the city. aud there are thirty six Of
them, according 10 t!Ie directory, that does
not control a business II from $500 TO
SO, 0op year, ami not worthy peculia rity
OF the trade. they clam, Is that there is
hardly eyer, II ever. any one IN IL who fails
or compels compr0mi-e with cheated cred
itors. although they nave 10 pay cash for
their goods every time, carry stock rang
ing from 81 ,0dD to 100000 or more and sel
on two. three. four and six monrhs's credit
1t is estimated the total amount of this
business done in this city exceeds s., 600, eco
annually, even at the unusually low figures
at which some grades Of rags are held In the
market ut present The number Of hands
employed is not less than 5000, including
1000 set aside as the quota engaged, bag or
basket in hand, gathering up what they can
and where they can throughout the city and
its suburbs This estimate Of employees
which is doubtless correct, furnishes an ex-
cellent illustration OF the utter unreliability
of some OF the tenth census statistics, &C
ccrding 20 which the number employed in
the business in the whole country is set AT
!, 3o6 including both sexes. Some Of these
emf loyes in the city are men and women OF
families. Their lot is Il hard one. The most
these people can make at any time, either in
side or outside male or female as admit ID
by a dealer. is from So to s. ~ and 81 each
per week. Still" said dealer, even
at this low wages, when man and his wife
work together steadily FOR long. long time.
they sometimes save up something and gO
into business for Themselves Instead OF
LOO, it is thought the total number EN-
ployed in and obtaining their living from
this business. including those engaged in mill
rag departments, must be somewhere in the
neighborhood of loo, coo
The quantity and value Of the matter han
died by the rag dealing interest throughout
the United States are well nigh fabulous,
considered in the light in which thu out
slider has been accustomed 20 regard the
business There are no statistics % any kind
rs 10 the actual quantity or value. either
gathered or consumed IN the United States,
but it is estimated by the trade that each
one Of the 81, o0O, 0c0 or more composing the
population throws away twenty pounds %
clothing on All average every year. exclu-
sive Of what is made in various work
shops and establishments, such as
clothing, tailoring, Shirt-naking,
derwear- making. cOrset-makIn-, dress
making, sail-making. book-biniiug, and
numerous others The quantity obtained
from this source is not 50 accurately est
mated rs the other, bat Is thought to he at
M 4, aa.a - L
measure, confirmed by the extent Of these
industries shodiy. rag carpe; and mattress
makine-:rto which NO len rags, a consider
able element Of the stuff ,b;ainel this way,
are largely used This would give grand
total Of 1900. 900, OO0 pounds \ third OF
this Is CHASED by the dealers wooden rags;
the rest as common paper stock. But
third would seem much too large "A proper
ton. and 200 ooo. ooo pounds seem. 10 he the
most reasonable figure according to the light
at hand
According TO the lest information the
value Of the common stock Il, I00. co, 600
pounds is Is. cents per found, a total of
fls. 25o. Ooo. and Of the woolen stock t210. Ooo-
600 pounds 81. cents, amounting 10 $500
oo0-a grand total OF IS. -, coo In add
ton o. this there ware reported from Europe
during the fiscal year ending June. 81. sSS,-
600 600 rounds common stock, valued II
Is. 6s3 6s1, and I Slices pounds woolen stock.
valued at 1854 Ga THIS brings up
the estimated total annual supply
and consumption OF his commodity 10 the
euormous figure Of i,5Sd. Sl6.osS pounds,
reaching nearly So, co0. 600 in value OF
this qua nifty nearly ali but the WOODEN stock
coes TO the paper makers. Woolen rags are
chiefly used by the shcddy, rag carpet and
mattress makers, the best grsdes going &c
the two former and the cheaper grades &c
the latter. who MAKE what Is known as
~wool- mattresses out Of them. This viii
probably be news 10 q great many as fully
nine out of every ten who buy and use
~vool- mattresses do so under the impression
that they are really made from wool. Every
ooe of them is made from cheap WOODEN
rags
shocking.
Those who may have supposed that &C
oordions were going out of date may Be
checked 1, learn that ~, 0co Of them wers
IA r, tl,a ,,uth alone In ST year.