The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-08-01
A DEALER IN RAGS
GIVES a FER FAcEs coSCxASISG TEE BIS
NEss IS NEw T0EK-

ms n NJ lJEh-
There are few industries in our big
town which give employment % - many
men, women and children As the rag and
paper trade. This seems a bold state
HeRt 10 make in this cily Of mammoth
factories and crowded occupations, but il
i none the les true FOR that Our Ifal-
lar citizens enjoy a monopoly ofthe trade
IN Old paper and rass. Very feS, if any,
other people are engaged il the gather
ing and storing Of this waste material
the utilizing Of which forms - vsss an
industry. The JUNK shops through which
most Of the rags and paper pass are gen
erously sTlTinkled about the city. and into
one Of these recently the writer worued
his war between shady bowers Of bun
died rags and groves of bsied paPer. The
proprietor, IN answer 70 queries by the
writer. said
81 Perhaps IL seems Ike an ex1gsera-
ton Of the truth, but more than 10000
pounds Of assorted rsss 4re gathered eve
y week BY the indEstriols rsg pickens
and sold 70 the dealers, who. IN turn. sci
them TO the mills, where they are made
into paper. The paper and rays which
are broBzht 70 Us are bought by weight.
at 80 much per pound They are then
eIrefully sorted aad made up into bales,
Clean white rass are used for making the
best quality Of white paper and are, there
fore, the most expensive. Black rags Of
coed quality are purged and made per
feetly v bite by immersion in acid baths.
Women and girls mostly are eEgaged IN
sorting the raes- Constant praci.ce in do
ing this has made them veTy skii.ful
Many Of the dirtiess and most poverty
stricken looking picksrs possess small
fortunes. and there are but few Of them
who cannot boast Of a good bank account.
slowly they are accumul4ting money
meanwhile living on next 20 nothing No
one knows anything Of their plans Until
some fine day the familiar, grizzled face
Of Antonio or Guiseppe i missed. aud in
quirv discloses the fact that be has a.
quiretl bis pile and returned TO his s1uny
Italian home, TO enjoy the fruits of his
labor.
Nest Of the common rac are made
into roofing material. while newspapers
are again converted into blank sheets 20
be use-i FOR the same pgrPose- Most q
the best rsgs, such a. cotton OF wooIen
ra-s. are seu; 70 Holyoke. Mas, there 90
be made into iue grades Of PAPER. such
= bond ledge. parchment. etc In sort
ing rsz<. pieces Of new silk or red cloth
are frequently found. Thesear lid a. is
10 BE sold 70 nscktis Manufacturers, who
convert them into stylish nex crzvats for
fashionable young men
Do You ever ind any articles Of val
ueamOng the old rags was asked.
Not very often, replied the dealer.
q The rags are pretty thoroughly over
hauled before they reach our hands The
only ind Of any great value that I ever
made among the rags vas that Of q
beautiful solitaire diamond earring which
was found tied up IN the corner ola laty's
handkerchief.
Do you think that the germs Of in
fectiOls diseases lurk IN the bales of OLD
rsgs AMI paper - qGerid the writer.
There Is but little doub- that disease
Is often conveyed IN the bales of refuse
rags and paper imported from other ard
less eleanlv countries than our oEH- I do
not think. however, that domestic rags
are often purveyors Of maladies at least,
such cases have never been brought %
my notice have been IN my present
business for more than twenty years and
have never yet Suffered from any malady
more violent than a headzche. ~. J.
Er.1ling Sur.