The Dickinson press., 1888-09-22
= DEALER IN RAGS


GlV'a II t"H Facts ConFcr;in:; the If..i.
in Scw York.
There ar. feW industries in our big town
which give employment to So many men,
women AMI children ;,:, the rag and pupel
trade. This seams IL bold statement to make
IN this city "f mammoth factories and
crowded occupations, l,ilt it is none the less
tr,u. for that. Our Italian citizens enjoy Il
monopoly of the trade in old paper and
rags. Very few if amy other people are Gu
gagged i'll the gathering and sorting of this
vast" material, the utilizing of which forms
so "a>t an industry Tile junk shops through
which most of the rags and paper pass arc
generously sl,rinlilcd about the city, and into
one of these recently the writer worlnrl his
way hrlwern shady bowers of bundled rags
and groves of haled paper. The proprietor.
i'll answer To queries piled by the writer. said:
Perhaps it seem, like an exagycruton OF
the TRUTH hut more than 100000 pounds of
assorted rags are gathered every week by
til" industrious rag pickrrs and sold to the
dealers, who, in turn, sell them To the mills
where they are made into paper The ,a,,,ei,
and r;,g$ which are brought to us are bought
by the weight. at so much per pound. They
are then carefully sorted and made up into
bales Clean white rags are used for making
therefore, the most expensive. Black rags If
good quality are purgrd and made perfectly
white by immersion in acid baths. Women
and girls IN: silly are engaged in sorting the
rags Consta,. practice i'll doing this haa
made them very >l;illful. Many of Tic.
dirtit"'t and most poverty stricken looking
Hirkefs possess small fortunes. aud there are
but few of them who cannot boast of n good
bank account. Slowly they are arcumulut-
lls money. meanwhile living on next to
nothing. No one knows anything of their
plans until some fine day the familiar griy-
Z'd face of Antonio or Giuseppe is missed,
anu inquiry ,llsciUsts the fact that he has a,.-
quired his pile t!l returned to his sum,
Italian home to- enjoy the fruits of his labor
Most %. the common rags are made into
ro"lin:5 material. while newspapers arc again
converted INTO blank sheets to he used for the
same purpose. Most Of the best rags, sucl,
| cotton or WOODEN rags. are sent to Holvok,
| Mass, there to Inc made into fine grades o
paper such ns bond. ledger, parchment, etc
In sorting rags. pieces of new silk or rcd
cloth are frequently found. These are laid
aside to he 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 rags" was asked
Not very often, replied the dealer. 9Th,
rags are pretty thoroughly ovcrhauled he
foro they reach our hands Tie only find
of any great value That ever made was thu,
of beautiful solitaire diamond car rim.
which was found tied up in the corner of {;
la,ly's handkerchief
'Doy" think that the germs of infection,
diseases lark in the bales of old rags an,
papor:: queriel tho writer
There is but little doubt that disease i
often conveyed i'll the bales of refuse ra.
ana paper imported from other and les
cie;l!ily countries than o;lr own. | do no
think. however that domestic rags are Otter
purvrN"rs of ma!a'!ies: at least, such ease
have never been brought to my notice.
have been in my pre>"M, business for NOR
than twenty Years, and have never vet sui
ferel from amy mala,lv more violent than
/, Headache New York Evening sun.
| s:ct. Along Without Drinking.
DO Aou know, s;iida commercial travclt
i to" reporter the other day, that there Il!
+ about $1,000 commercial travellers in IL
l. United States: Surprised to hear it! Yr
/ most people are when they are told of i; u,
. it, Il fact, nevertheless. You MAY also !
surprised 10 learn that each one of the;
spends on an average 5000 y Year. maxim
Il total of $aio,ooo.oea. Ii y"u add
to this their salaries. Averaging. at 1;
i, least $1,000. You have II total expc,d
!, turc by commercial travellers of >:;;!uUuo.u On
:, a year. This is naturally spent in all lal
r ofthc country. hu, the hotels and railroa
. get the lions share of it, During the last l,
years there has bee; Il great change i'll II
character OF the Commercial Traveller Ii
, old Bohemian t,.a, has almost disappcnr
J, from the road. and drinking men are mu,
). moro rarely met with than formerly
short time ago it was almost impossible
get Il merchant over to Your hotel to take
look al Your samples without first gettil
:. linn 10 leave his store cn the pretext OF +,
:. ting; u '>u.lH.' That is all changed now; {;
:. customers don't lock for it. and the drumn,
!. seldom gives it Il thought. New York VI
and Express.
y II women will frequently wash the hair