Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-11
A DEALER IN RAGS
Gives . Few Facts Concerning the BUSH
ness in New York.

Gives . Few Facts Concerning the BUSH
ness in New York.
There are few industries in our big town
which give employment to SO many men,
women and children as the rag and paper
trade. This seems bold statement to make
in this city of mammoth factories and
crowded occupations, but it is none the less
true for that. Our Italian citizens enjoy q
monopoly of the trade in old paper and
rags. Very few if any other people are en-
gagged in the gathering and sorting of this
waste material, the utilizing OF which forms
30 vast an industry. The junk shops through
which most Of the rags and paper pass are
generously sprinkled about the city, and into
one Of these recently the writer wormed his
way between shady bowers of bundled rags
and groves Of baled paper. The proprietor.
In answer to queries piled by the writer, said:
perhaps it seems like an exaggeration of
the truth. but more than 900 pounds of
assorted rags are gathered every week by
the industrious rag pickers and sold to the
dealers, who, in turn, sell them to the mills,
where they are made into paper. The paper
and ragr which are brought to US are bought
by the weight, At 80 much per pound They
are then carefully sorted and made up into
the best quality of white paper, and are,
therefore, the most expensive Black rags of
good quality are purged and made perfectly
white by immersion in acid baths Women
and girls m1stly are engaged in sorting the
rags. Constant practice in doing this has
made them very skinful Many of the
dirtiest and most poverty stricken looking
ptckers possess small fortunes, and there ars
htlff ov Of vvb h., 1f
bank account. Slowly they are accumulat-
Ing money, meanwhile living on next to
nothing. No one knows anything of their
plans until some fine day the familiar griz-
sled face Of Antonio or Giuseppe is missed,
and inquiry disclo.es the fact that he has &C
quired his pile and returned to his sunny
Italian home to enjoy the fruits OF his labor
Most OF the common rags are made into
roofing material, while newspapers are again
converted into blank sheets to be used for the
same purpose. Most Of the best rags, such
cotton or wooden rags, are sent to Holyoke,
Mass, there to be made into fine grades of
paper, such as bond, ledger. parchment, ETC.
an sorting rags, pieces Of new silk or red
cloth are frequently found. These are laid
aside to be sold to neck tie manufacturers,
who convert them into stylish new cravats
for fashionable young men,"
DO you ever find any articles Of value
among the old ragsr' was asked
Not very often" replied the dealer. 'The
rags are pretty thoroughly overloaded be-
fore they reach our hands. The only find
Of any great value that ever made was that
Of beautiful solitaire diamond ear ring
which was found tied up in the corner of a
lady's handkerchief"
do you think that the germs of infectious
diseases Turk in the bales Of old rags and
papsrr Queried the writer.
There is but little doubt that disease is
often conveyed in the bales Of refuse rags
and paper imported from other and less
cieaniy countries than our own I do not
think. however, that domestic rags are often
psrvsyors Of maladies; at least, such cases
have never been brought to my notice 1
have been in my present business for moro
than twenty year,, and have never vet suf-
fered from any malady more violent than Q
New York Evening Sun.