The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1886-12-09
STRsggT SCAVENGERS.
HOW eiTYAsH BARRELS FuRNlsHA
LIVELIHOOD TO THOUSANDS.

Omcisl and Unofficial Ragptckers--lnva-
sion OF shansytowneby ,Ragmen-People
Who Mako Good Incomes But Live in
Squalor.
While it might be stretching point to
assume that all ragmen are mill1onalres
in disguise 1t is nevertheless true that
YOU may Gud on the books Of the saving
institutions in this city the names OF
hundreds Of them who are worth from
$1,000 to $10,oOO apiece. To one who has
made NO study OF the life and habits OF
the ragpicking fraternity, the statement
that even much larger sums are honestly
amassed in the business may seem an ex'
aggeratioE. The secret Of these accumu-
lations Is not that ragpickiug Is an excep-
tionally remunerntive occupation, but
that those who engage In It are OFTEN TO-
the last degree economical ana save
almost their entire income. And this is
enlarged BY contributions from every
member Of the family down to the 5.year-
old baby OF business, who sells papers or
matches or parhaps deyotes himself to
rescuing cigar st jumps from the gutter.
TWO CLASSES, OF .RAGPICKERS. ..r.l
Be It known that there are In New
York at least two classes OF ragplckers.
One has semi official standing, and the
other Is composed Of the independent,
irresponsible guerilles Of the streets. The
official pickers are comparatively recent
institution, and gained their status
through. the street cleaning department.
The ashbarrels and the cutters are the
chief source to which the ragpickers LOOK
FOR living and possible fortune, and
these are within the domain Of the depart
ment under Commissioner Coleman, who
hes made many changes in the old System
of street cleaning. The whole island Is
divided into districts, to each Of which Is
attached o dumping station. On the
North river side there are six OF these
adumps.n The carts of the department
collect in the course Of each day from the
thoroughfares,, the side streets, the alleys
and the courts about $500 loads OF gar
bage and ashes and dump them into the
sco1ys. ..s- F.. ....... .... ..s.0.. :.
The dump-pickers are really but a small
portion of the city scavengers and are not
held in particularly high esteem by the
more independent spirits who roam about
on their own responsibility. 1t Is not gen:
orally known that the latter district and
glean the city and suburbs almost as sys-
temacically as the street cleaning depart
ment itself At the Brooklyn bridge
about pollock any morning you WILL ma
q small army Of the manual toilers OF the
two great cities fastening to their work.
From Brooklyn, always by the footpath,
comes o great procession. OF. mechanics
portsrs and ,lsborers.. But there Is also,
current OF humanity setting towards the
City Of Churches.l Many Of these are lta4-
hns, Germans, Frenchmen and other
Foreigners, hurrying down with pick and
shoyel from the tenement house districts
on their way to daily toll in the streets
and suburbs of Brooklyn In these groups
may be seen l9tta few Italians who carry
hooks and bags instead Of picks and SHOW
els. They are the early birds among the
city scayengers, and hardly aniash barrel
or a likely gutter in all tho city OF, Brook
lyn will escape their, attention, while
some viii prosecute, their search. IN the
remoter towns Of Long Island. Before
the morning is well advanced 200 or more
of them will pass over the bridge. A
similar exodus of these emerge tic and
business-lke rag-gatherers may be noted
at the Pennsylvania and Erie ferries.
Jersey City ranks high in their estimation
as fertile field Of operations. Still other
sets Of ragmen make their way to the up
per part of Manhattan island and branch
out into the annexed distl.>.. ,.u,
>, THE REASONS FOR SYSTEM. .....
Much of the apparent system Of these
daily plgrlmages is accounted for by the
fact that some Of the ragpickers of an
ambitious turn of mind have risen to the
dignity OF junk dealers, and, laying aside
the bag and hooks themselves, have gath
cred about them considerable body OF
compatriots as dependents. They have ap-
preciated the necessity Of system in order
to increase the profits of the business,
and SO By arrangement with other junk
and rag dealers have dlstricted the city
and suburbs. Two dealers cover Jersey
City with their men. Two or three others
devote themselves particularly to Brook
lyn and Long Island. The east and west
sides and the upper wards are likewise
subdivided- Aside from this districting,
however, there Is considerable competi-
LlOlk L&lO ASVO&kkS AoSsAAhe&oop &1A AAAS~S
of the ragpickers are too shiftless to en-
ter into any combination, preferring to
work when and where they please.
An agile and Industrious ragpicker
gathers from fifty to 100 pounds of spoils q
day, and he makes from 81 to 50 and
sometimes more, according to the quality
of his rags rnd other pickings. Be is q
very incompetent ragpioker who cen not
average sl.50 PEE 'lay. His expenses are
usually very lignt and sometimes nothing
at all Unless he is foraging in very
remote district he pays no fares, but
brings his load home on his shoulders or
in some instances in a handcars. His
lunch consists of piece Of hard bread
and cold meat, which he carries wrapped
in paper at the bottom Of his bag If
business is prospering he sometimes in
dulges in the luxury of an after-lunch
glass of beer. 1t is his own fault if he
has not picked up enough cigar stumps
to enable him to finish his monday re-
past with pipe.
The dens Of the ragpickers are in bad
condition. The wretchedness and pest
Lrood;nc, ono1itioc of tbeca rOOEprips ara