Wichita eagle., 1888-07-12
pAWNBROKERS CLERKS.
NOT so uNSYMPATHETic AND
HEARTkESS AS THEY SEEM.


Patrons Who Do Not Care to Be
Recognized.
There are two sides to pawnbroker's
counter. On one side there is always to be
found a well dressed man with an air Of per-
feet GOODNESS about him and a tone in his
voice that the experienced know. II that
voice says s'S2,a there is no use arguing with
him to make it $3.50. To the other side Of the
counter there come all kinds, classes and con-
ditions of men, women and children. The
only bond of union that touches these people
is that they are human and all need money
The miseries of those who go at certain
stated times to this counter are well known.
There are to be found the well-to-do temper
arily embarrassed, the once afHuent reduced
to poverty by some bad turn of the wheel OF
fortune, the wild individual who is always
"broke," the poor who so regularly to pledge
some little article until the weekly pay comes
in, and the impecunious young man who has
souandered his weeks earnings in night
and must live somehow until the next pay
day.
All of these people are well known, but the
man on the other side of the counter is a
stranger to everybody. If his own brother
comes in to raise little money on some val
liable, the face Of the man behind the counter
never changes, and his answers would be
Just as brief and emphatic and that tone in
his voice would sound just as Interchangeable
as though he had never seen the person be-
fore. This man behind the counter is a char
acter. AT no other occupation are the pc
culiar requirements here seen needed SO much.
Behind his counter be is like no other mortal
alive. He is dead to sympathy, oblivious to
pity and cannot be insulted.
GENIAL AND GENTLE.
The other day a reporter met one of these
seemingly heartless men away from his
counter and he appeared to be one of the
most genial and gentle Of men. His brevity
and stoicism he had either left behind in the
cash drawer or had put ticket on and
stored until his return, and he willingly con-
sented to tell a very few of the things he
sees and explain his position on the other
side of the counter.
''A clerk in pawnbroker's shop" he said,
''is always thought to be hard hearted, fond
of haunting the poor with whom he deals,
and is frequently accused of refusing to give
a fair amount on some article of value; but
such is really not the case. Why, bless your
heart! because we handle money and mako
loans people seem TO think we loan it out be.
cause we don't know what to do with it.
This is a mistake We are only working for
our employer and are often strapped our
selves. l know what it is to go to some rival
pawnshop and raise money on my watch, and
it is no fun. They say that we are hard
hearted, but such Is not the case. / often get
blue at seeing so much misery about me, and
when some young fellow comes in with the
signs Of dissipation about him and offers for
loan a watch which, by the inscription, is
gift from his mother, would, if l dared,
try to help him, but l cannot. i have seen
little girls with wan and pinched faces bring
in the last household god that she might get
something to eat. If dared l would give
her more money than the article was worth.
'There is another caller, and that is the
temporarily embarrassed man who has it in
his power to soon arrange matters and re-
deem his pledges. do not waste any SYM
pathy or sleepless nights on him. I could
surprise you if gave the names Of some of
our customers. The people we see most of are
the sporting men who have made some I'M
lucky venture and have to raise what they
call stake for the next day. They always
redeem promptly, but we have them some
times as often as twice week. have'in my
ten years experience behind the counter
loaned money to lawyers, preachers, actors
and merchants. / have seen society men and
broken down inebriates stand in adjoining
boxes.
SOME QUEER EXPERIENCES.
eve have some queer experiences at times
and are placed in situations that require all
of our GOODNESS. About month ago a fash
ionably dressed young woman came in to
pay the interest due that day on diamond
ring which she had pawned year before.
calculated The interest and she was about
to hand me the money when well known
lawyer-quite society man, too, by the way
came in to examine some goods before he
bought the ticket. l saw the young lady
turn pale and knew something had gone
wrong. The lawyer raised his hat politely,
and did not conceal his establishment when he
said, Why, Miss -, what are you doing
herea Can do anything for your When
he called the young lady's name 1 knew it at
once and so would you, and l saw that had
to get the girl out of scrape somehow, so
just called her Familiarity by her name, which
had heard the lawyer use for the first time,
for people rarely give their real names when
tutS Plc0kS "a ItACss 1AA o-shS0 hci " pt- =
into the private Office and l would show her
the goods she had asked about. She was
clever and took up my cue at once, and said:
4 thought of buying a diamond ring. 1t IS
such q lovely thing, and so cheap Our
combined stroke Of diplomacy saved her. 1
showed her her own ring She looked at it,
admired it, and said she would call the next
day and get it. / put it to one side and the
next day she came and paid the interest.
There is not day passes but l see some
people meet in the shop who would have
given almost anything if they could have
prevented it. Yes, we have some very funny
things offered. l remember once that cow
boy brought in scalp-a relic, he called it
but we declined the loan. 1t has got so now
that almost everybody carries some article
Of value in case be runs short"
During the last few years the number Of
pawnbroking establishments has greatly in
creased in number, and it is paying bust
ness The rates Of interest are simply enor-
nous. 1t is very rarely that anything like
decent value is given for an article pledged.
1t seems to be an unwrirten law that one
fourth of the actual value OF any pledge
is all that any one viii offer, and IN
cases where the pledge is not redeemed tbs
pawnhrokers sell the article for its value and
obtain o handsome ret1rn.-New York