The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-05
THE WNBR0KER.
SOME POINTS ABOUT AN INTER-
ESTING OCCUPATION.
Articles the 1mpecunious Most OfteD
Use to Raise the Wind-Storase
Things in Pawn-Aiding
the Detectives.

''Ihe pawnhrokcrs' business! Oh,
about as active as ever" said we'll
known Central avenue "uncle'' when
interrogated yesterday as to the status of
trade in his peculiar line. "1t is always
basy with US, but just now more so than
ever. The over-coat season is on.
What do they get on them? Well, that
depends, of course, on the quality and
amount of wear. I should place the
range ut fifty cents to $5, the amounts
running all along between those limits.
Here is o light spring affair that is in for
$3.50, while this beaver over here repre-
sents o loan of S.. The amount ad-
vanced rarely runs beyond that. OF
course, with the warm weather, the
benny becomes useless article of the
young mans wardrobe. Beside, the
pawnshop is q good place to put it away
until next winter. They are carefully
laid away and precautions taken to pre-
vent the moths getting to them-in fact,
the owner secures safe place of deposit
where his 'benny' can remain intact
until the cold weather calls it forth
again. Very many single men utilize
their uncle just for that purpose"
"What are the staple articles OF spout.
ing?"
I'VE probably get more watches than
anything else. They are of every kind
and value. Some have heavy gold cases
with fine works, on which we readily ad-
vance $50 to $50. Then there arc the
silver timekcepers, looking like heir
looms in the family, handed down from
grandfathers. On these we rarely loan
more than 81 or 81. Revolvers are an
other standby of the hooking fraternity.
We receive large numbers of these. On
the finest we advance 81 or S., while the
cheaper varieties, bulldogs and the like,
arc pledged for from fifty cents to $1.5O.
Rings arc also very frequently put up, and
are of more kinds than any other class OF
pledges. Every sort Of clothing is Of
fersd to- US, from an entire suit to a vest,
pair of unmcnt.ona5les, or even shirt.
The women are as prone as the other sex
to seek the aid of the pawn-shop, us you
may see from this collection of sacGucs,
circulars, skirts, shawls, dresses-in fact,
about every article of feminine apparel.
They never get much-say 81 or S."
= ''Name some strange articles put in"
"Well, take umbrellas, for instance;
they are very frequently fg,1ratively as
we'll as literally put up. Here are few
things that you mi eht call peculiar. In
this case woman has pledged a bolt of
calico for twenty-five cents, probably just
after having purchased it. This alarm
clock also represents twenty five cents,
while this album is in for twice as much.
On this looking-glass 81 was given.
These roller skates are in pledge for the
same amount. Three dollars were loaned
on this old finely y-colored meerschaum
pipe, and on this trunk So. This family
Bible represents 81, this sewing machine
s., and this baby's carriage seventy-iive
cents. The lowest amount advanced is
twenty-five cents on this razor. Musicians
are good customers Of ours. rs you may
see from this collection of violins, clar-
ionets, piccolos and other instruments.
The sporting fraternity are of course our
best patrons. Their diamonds find the
way regularly to our safes. A fortunate
winning or the timely discovery of an
angel enables them to redeem, but the
jewelry always comes back. We get good
interest, and sometimes the time lapses
and the stuff becomes ours. Another frc-
quent pledge is notes payable at future
dates. The holders arc not. sufficiently
we'll known in banking circles to ret
them discounted, and have to pay the
high rate such risky paper demands. Poo
pie often pledge S. and $40 gold pieces.
It is hard to tell why they do so; may be
because they don't want to break them,
or else they are relics or lucky pieces,
Opera glasses are often utilized to raise
the wind by the imrecunious, and boots
and shoes are by no means rare pledges.
Every pawnbroker's p ace is veritable
old curiosity shop"
"How do you like the businesss"
''Certainly it has its unpleasant fea
tures, as when some poor creatures want
large loan on an article of small value,
probably to keep the wolf from the door.
Then some people look down on our oc-
cupation. Of course, like every other
business, it has its black sheep, but you
will find many honorable men engaged in
it. Another thing, too, you probably
don't know. We are among the best
aide the police have, and many a thief
has been brought to justice who would
have escaped but for the honest pawn
broker You hear a good deal about the
superhuman shrewdness about \ "
York and Chicago dctectives-how S IN
after the robbery of jewelry store they
arrest Grim mails and recover the stol.n
property. The fact is, without informa-
tion furnished by the pawnbrokers the
detectives would be as blind as anybody
else. In those cities every pownbrokcr
daily sends to the chief of police de-
tailed account of the articles he has taken
in pledge. including description of the
person, his residence and other notable
points that would afford clue should
the stuff prove to have been stolen. All
a detective has to do when theft is re-
ported is to watch these lists, and nine
times out of ten he will find where the
thief has disposed of his spoils. He has
than Of conrco q 1,rattC hicr ni1,n RI work