The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1888-12-28
THE PAwNeRoKERs' TRADE.
One of the Lending Clerks Tells Of Strange
Things tie sees.

Things tie sees.
There are two sides 20 a pawnbroker's
counter. says the New York Hufli On one
side there Is always 60 be- found q we'll
dressed man with an AFR Of perfect cuolness
about hun aud tone iu his voice that the
experienced know II that voice SAYS -"
there is no use arguing with him TO make Il
t2.5O To the other side Of the counter there
come all kinds, classes aud conditions Of
men, women aud childreH, The only bond
Of union that touches these people Is that
they arn human and all need money. The
mis0rics Of those who 20 ut certain stated
times to tins counter are well known.
There arc 10 be found the well.todo tempo
rarily embarrassed, the once afIluout re-
dused 10 poverty by some bad turn Of the
wheel Of fortune, the wild individual who Is
always "brukc,' the poor who 20 regularly
70 pledge some little article until the weekly
pay comes In, and the impccuniuls young
man who has squandercd his weeks earn.
ings in night and must 1--we somehow until
the next payday.
an II these people are well known, but
the man on the other side of the counter is
"a stranger tn every body. II his own
brother comes Ia 20 raise little money uu
some valuable the face Of the man behnd
the counter never changes. and his answers
would be just as brief u1a emphatic and
that tone in his voice would sound just as
Interchangeable as though he had never seen
the person before. This man bchlnd the
counter il character. At no ether oucu-
patton are the popular requirements here
seen needed so much. Behind his counter nc
Is not like any other mortal alive. lie
dead To sympathy, oblivious To pity and ca
not be inaultcd
Recently a reporter met one Of these seen
ingiy hcartlcss men away from his oountc
and he appeared TO be one OF the NEST gcnil
and gentle Of men. His brevity and stoiciH
he had either left behind Ia the cash drawc
or had put a ticket on and stored until hi
return, and he willingly consented to tell
very few OF the things he sees aud cxplai
his position on the other side of the counter
"A clerk In pawnbroher's shop h
said, "is always thought 20 be hard-henri
cd, fond Of taunting the poor with whomh
deals, and Ia frequently accused Of refusin
to give n fair amount on some article
value; but such is really not the case Why
bless your heart because we handle none
and make loans people seem to think
loan it out because we don't know what
do with IL. This is a mistake. We ar
only working for our employer. and ar
often strapped ourselves. know what
is TO 90 10 some rival pawnshop and rails
money on my watch, and It is no fun. The.
say that we are hard-hcarted, but such
not the case. ! often got blue at seeings
much misery about me, and when som
young fellow comes in with the signs
dissipation about him and offers for a lOa
watch which, by the inscription is "A ri
from his mother, would, If dared, try
help linn, but | can not. have seen lit
girls with wan and pinched faces bring
the last household god that she might
something TO cat II dared would gi
her more money than the article was wort
"Thcrc Is another caller, and that IL
temporarily embarrassed man who has
in his power TO soon arrange matters
redeem his pledges. | do not waste
sympathy or slcepless nights ON him
could surprise yoa if gave you the nan
of some OF our customers. The people
see most are the sporting men who h.
made some unlucly venture and have
raise what they call a stake for the n,
day They always redeem promptly
we have them sometimes Us often as tw
week l have in my ten years oxpt
oncc behind the counter loaned money
lawyers, preachers, actors and merchan
have seen society men and broken-do
neDratos stand in adjoining boxes.
1--WE have some queer experiences
times and are placed in situations tnat
quirc all Of our coolness. About msn..
ago a fashonably-dr 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 !
a wcll-known lawyer-quite society man,
too by tho way-camo IN to examine some
goods before he bought the ticket. ] saw
the young lady turn pale and knew some
thing had gone wrong. The lawyer raised
his hat politely, and did not conceal his as
tonishment when he said: why Miss -,
what are you doing here' Can | do any
thing for youl" When he called the young
lady's name know it at once, and so would
you, and saw that had TO got the girl out
of scrapc 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 they
pledge articles, and asked hor to step into
the private Office and would show her tho
goods she had asked about. Sne was clever
an1 took up my cue at once, and said 4
thought OF buying diamond ring. IL is
sucn lovely thing and SO cheap Our
combined stroke of diplomacy saved her
showed her her own ring Shc looked al IL