Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1885-12-23
THE "oLD CLOS MAN.
Destination of Discarded Apparel of
the Rich.

The curious pedestrian along South
street passing the sole clo'o stores will
| frequently wonder where a market is
found for the tawdry finery, once the
pride of some fair creature of the
weaker sex, now beraggled, perhaps
moth-eaten, discarded by the original
proud poSSeSsor, and now exposed in
the hope of attracting the eye of some
one so bad off as to desire even them.
The mems attire, which hangs side by
side with the princess robe, the Langtry
skirt or the Alexandra petticoat, has
J passed through like ViciSsitudes, but the
rayageS Of time are not 50 perceptlble
at first sight in the coaTSer fabric. To
the daylight visitor purchaser seems a
rarity, though every paSser-by IS col
| Jared by a dozen eager vendors. Hence
the wonder that many of these dealers
| in ''the pride of other days. amass
/ large fortunes.
In search of knowledge a reporter
started out recently, supplied with the
cards of half Il dozen merchants.
] Somewhat of a dilletante, he selected
/ the most aesthetic paSteboard. 1t had
l "a beautiful iyoTy-burnished surface,
was rounded at the corners and gilt
edged. 1t called for any quantity of
old boots, for which the advertiser
offered from cents to s. pair, The
address was in the neighborhOod of Fifth
and Lombard streets.
Outside the entrance to a dark cellar
I on either side was 4 pile of boots and
I shoes. repaired and shining, awaiting
3 . .1uri- au.I nor
the entrance that the dilletante young
man heSitated and pulled out the paste
board TO Teassure himself of his where
aboutS. He had made no mistake. The
five broken wooden steps forming the
descent into the black hole led down to a
negro youth who was grinning gleeful-
" and showing his worries at the bot
tom.
The venturesOme stranger tripped
and almost kicked out the only whole
pane remaining in the alleged glass
door, which the darkey opened. The
visitor heedleSSly entering, struck his
head against the rafterS and temporarl-
ly developed bump which seemed to
I regulate, or rather not TO regulate, the
use of strong language. The interior
of the cellar is a strange sight even with
out contrast to the expectations raised
By the FURNISHED card. 1t was about
ten feet in breadth. and extended back
about eighty feet. The Iatters sup
porting the floor of tine dwelling above
came so low that & moderately tall per-
son could notstand erect. Lighted only
by such struggling rays rs effect entrance
through a window consisting of two
panes. one above and one below the
level of the road, and through the glass
door. the greater part of 1t Is IN almost
total darkness. In the front are two
ShOemakerS' seats, sets of tools, and a
heap of mended boots. On the left.
extending all the way back, are piled
along the wall hundreds of pairs of
old boots and shoes, in all stages Of de-
cay, all pretty far worn down, all mud
dy. and most of them mildewed. The
other side is taken up with old shoes in
similar condition, and hundreds Of sets
of old lasts.
''How far gone may a pair OF shoes
be that you cannot repair asked the
reporter.
''Oh, if dere wasn't muffin lef' but
de anllers." said the darkey grinning,
''we could take two or tree Odder ole
pair dat was no good an make one new
pair. Sometimes we make one good
pair outen five old pair dat don't cost
mOre'n a nickel apiece"
Several of these artistic Mosaics, pol
iShed up, looked worth the price asked,
which ranges from 80 cents 10 g. The
renovated footwear finds a ready sale,
and the artistic cobbler can always find
; market in selling to other dealers.
Five minutes walk from this gloomy
cellar brought the inquirer into South
,treet where he was pounced upon by a
Sozen meI with dark compilations, black
.yes, square foreheads, hooked noses
md black boards. whose jabbering
promised TO outrival that which is pop
.larly supposed TO be characteristic Of
iandemoIium.
They were sold clos merchants. =
rhe Searcher after knowledge surrend-
ped himself to the most persistent and
uttered his emporium.
After the dealer had recovered from
ais discontinue at the persistent ques-
tioning about his business he said that
most of the clothing sold in second
hand stores were the unredeemed pledges
purchased from pawnbrokers, to which
must be added the stock taken in re-
sponse to confidential cards and circu-
lars sent to persons who would be likely
TO have available cast off clothing. The
negotiations are conducted privately.
Some dealers select the best of the ar
ticles and ship them TO New York,
whence a good deal is shipped through
out the country. A force of repairers
is kept to patch where necessary and in
most cases only the inferior articles are
retained for the Philadelphia market,
for which they are prepared by scour-
ing, cleaning or repairing, as is found
necessary. The largest number of pur-
chasers are found amongst the colOred
population and the poorer white people
who live in the poorer sections of the
city, and it is on Saturday night that
tba market iS bnSiasr