The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-08-11
rHE rRApE IN oLp cLornEs.
Some OF the Secrets of tho Business
Revealed.

Some OF the Secrets of tho Business
Revealed.
There are good many ways of making
living in a big city, and not the least
curious way is the gathering up of cast-off
clothing. II has been estimated that man
can buy complete suit of clothes, a hat
and pair of shoes for So, and that he will
look more like gentleman in them than If
he had paid SIS or $40 for ready-ma
suit in any of the big retail clothing houses.
His coat will probably bear the stamp of a
fashionable tailor and his hat and shoes are
likely to have been broken in for him by
6rst-water swell. In Baxter, Mulberry,
Bayard and some parts of Canal street. New
York, secondhand clothing stores are
numerous. They have their regular Gus
toners just the same as any other business
house, and it is o common thing for the
proprietor to take customers measure and
inform him just as soon as suit of clothes
comes in that will fit him. These stores
are stocked in various ways, but the surest
and most popular manner is sending out
men to buy up the cast-of apparel One
|, enterprising Hebrew in Mulberry street has
three sons and two daughters prowling
about the streets all the time, while he and
his wife take care of the home trade. His
store is always we'll filed, and it must be
very peculiar shaped man indeed who can.
not find fit among his stock. A little
thriving looking store in Bayard street is
owned by short, stout Irishman, with
blunt, happy-go-luoky manner that greatly
helps his business. The patrons of all these
places are not men given to style or fine
manners, and they would far rather deal
with some one who will occasionally swear
at them than one who is always bowling and
smiling. This particular Irishman, to use
his own phrase, "just jumped into the
business" He is glass blower by trade,
but an injury to his eyes, seven years ago,
robbed him of this means Of support. He
tried to canvass for various articles and
failed, and so began to think that If he
,ould only start into something that would
enable him to pay out money instead of
collecting it, he might succeed. So he
bought common bag and with $40 in his
pocket he started out. He made mis-
take the first two or three days by combining
his labors to the poor districts. He bought
good many clothes, but they were worth
very little, and he bad difficulty in selling
them to dealers. Then no started in tho
fashionable districts and did much better.
1t was funny" he said, "to see how
anxious the rich people were to get the
highest price for anything they didn't want.
They'd haggle over o penny. Some days
I'd only get hold of pair of trousers or 80,
but they were usually good pair and net
ted very fair profit. Then, again, I'd
nearly fill my bag, and on these occasions
if didn't clear $40 I'd think I was being
cheated. had q very funny adventure
once in one of the toniest houses on Fifth
avenue. One of the maids called me in,
and leading me upstairs, showed me several
suits of clothing hanging up in a closet.
She said her master had told her to get rid
Of them because they were in the way. ]
examined them, and l tell you / was sur
prisod. They were all as good as new, and
were nade OF Inc finest goods. OF course
stuck up my nose at them and said l
couldn't possibly give much for such old
things as those. There were three full
suits, besides two or three odd pairs of
trousers. / finally bought the whole busi-
ness for SIS, and told the girl If her master
had any more old things he didn't want to
Let me know. gave her my card and went
away feeling pretty happy. I sold the
clothes for $40 and got stuck, for they
were worth $75 even to an old clothes
dealer. EARLY the next morning heard
terrible humping on my door, and when l
opened it there stood the Irish girl, o per-
iect picture of dismay. 1t seems that the
master wanted her to hang the clothes up
somewhere else, for he wished TO use the
closet they occupied for another purpose.
He had threatened to have her arrested on q
charge of theft II she did not recover them.
OF course was sorry for him and guided
her around to the man had sold them to.
! offered to return him tho $40 he had paid
for them, but he swore that he had sold all
Of them TO q man no had mover seen before,
It was lie, doubtless, but was powerless.
( sort of patched up the difficulty by giving
the girl $40 and sending her away. She
didn't lose her situation nor was she arrest
cd, but she had TO work six months for
nothing"
I know oil the men that l buy my stock
of, and every ono of them hunts for il in
good neighborhoods. You see, NIL Of us
fellows have q regular run Of customers. ]
made money enough in three years to star,
this store, and I am making money right
along This is because / can fit man Out
with first-class suit of fashionable clothing
for about $40 or SIS. I can sell him hat
made by first maker, and nearly as
good as new, for s and then if he wants to
wear nobby pair Of shoes that are not much
the worse for wear, can direct him up tho
street where he can find what he wants for
o triling cost. When the man Is rugged out
he can go up in the Fifth Avenue Hotel and
pAss for a millionaire"