The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1885-01-09
RAGS AND WASTE.
Wealth in the Gutter---Picking Up
Riches in the Street.
A Business Despised or Men That
Turns or Five Millions a Year
Rags and Their
Value.
tChicago Herald1

notwithstanding some drawbacks and oc-
casional periods Of stagnation, tho rag busi-
ness Of the United States, particularly of the
west, appears to be fourishing, and has
reached wo;clerful proportions both as to
quantities handled and in value. The
miserable creature with bag or basket in
hand collecting what can be found in the
alleyway does not seem much in the worlds
concerns but 10 the wholesale dealer the
ragged, bent old collector is a much more
important item in the business community
than many might suspect. In these days Of
vast figures we are not apt to be very much
surprised when We hear of a wholesale dry
goods or hardware firm doing a business
aggregating sl,0oo,0o0 a year, but that a
mere dealer in rags and wastes could under
any circumstances reach that figure does
seem little startling.
There Is one firm OF rag and waste dealers
in this city doing n business amounting to
Sl,O0O,OOO year, and the business is con-
stantly increasing. There is another firm of
paper manufacturers in this city whose busi-
ness, exclusive of what il supplies TO its own
mills in Wisconsin, exceeds $500, 900 annu-
ally. There are several houses dealing ex-
clusively in rags whose business ranges from
100000 to 5000 year, while there are
several smaller ones whose custom Is by no
means contemplate, but, on the contrary, in
most cases quite up TO the average volume
reached by the more assuming retail
dry goods, hardware, Loot and SHOE
clothing and grocery stores, and great
many OF which think they are doing remark
ably well il they have business of from
s25 600 TO $4,000 a year. There is not q rag
dealer in the city, and there are thirty-six OF
them, according to the directory, that does
not control business of from IS 900 to
Sl0,0O year, and a noteworthy peculia rity
OF the trade, they claim, is that there is
hardly ever, If ever, any one in it who fails
or compels q compromise with cheated cred
itors, although they have to pay cash for
their goods every time, carry a stock rang.
ing from 81 900 10 500, 900 or more, and sell
on two, three. four and six months's credit.
1t Is estimated the total amount of this
business done in this city exceeds S5, ,0O0, 600
annually, even at the unusually low figures
at which some grades OF rags are held in the
market at 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, ac-
cording TO which the number employed in
the business in the whole country is set at
2,2O6 including both sexes. Some of these
employees in the city are men anu women OF
families Their lot is a hard one The most
these people can make at any time, either in
side or outside, male or female, as admitted
by dealer, is from 20 to 90. 90 and a each
saar
at this low wages, when man and his wife |
work together steadily for long, long time,
they sometimes save UP something and 20 |
into business for Themselves" Instead Of |
2,2O6, 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 100000.
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 tbs out
slider has been accustomed to regard the
business There are no statistics of any kind
as to the actual quantity or value, either
gathered or consumed in the United States,
but 1t Is estimated by the trade that each
one OF the so, 900 or more composing the
population throws away twenty pounds of
clothing on an average every year, exclu-
siye OF what Is made In various work
shops and establishments, such as
clothing, tailoring, shirt-making, un-
derwear- making, corsetmaking, dress
making, sail-making. book-binding, and
numerous Others. The quantity obtained
from this source is not SO accurately esti-
mated as the other, but is thought to lie at
least 800 900 pounds. This figure is, in
measure, confirmed by the extent Of thess
industries -shoddy, rag carpet and mattress
which woolen rags, a consider
able element Of the stuff obtained this way,
are largely used. This would give grand
,otal Of 1,30o, 900 pounds A third of
his is classed by the doalers as woolen rags;
he rest as common paper stock. But a
hird would seem much too large proper
ion, and 200 QUO, 900 pounds seems to be the
most reasonable figure according TO the light
1t hanI
According to the lest information the
'alue OF the common stock Il, 100, ,00o, 900
,ound9 Is Ia cents per pound, a total Of
;l9, $50 900, ana Of the wooden stock (200, ,O0O,-
700 pounds) 3A cents, amounting to $780,
00-a grand total Of S2j, $50 900 In addi-
ion to this there We're reported from Europe
Turing the fiscal year en- ling June, 30, ,235,-
10000 pounds common stock, valued al
Z, ,633, ,647, and 1,3I6Os3 pounds wooden stock,
Talued at s564,69i This brings up
he estimated total annual supply
md consumption Of this commodity to the
normous figure Of 1,536, ,3l6,cs3 pounds,
eaching nearly $32, ,0Oo,0O0 in value. OF
bis quantity nearly all but the wooden stock
oes to the paper makers. Woolen rags are
hiefy used by the shoddy, rag carpet and
aattress makers, the best grades going to
be two former and the cheaper grades to
he latter, who make what Is known as
wool" mattresses out of them. This win
robably be news to great many, as fully
inc out Of every ten who buy and use
wool" mattresses do 80 under the impression
nat they are really made from wool Every
no OF them is made from cheap woolen
ags.