Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-12-27
QUEER OCCUPATIONS.

A Fashionable Pnvnshop-How Du-
pIicnte Wedding Presents are Dis
! posed or
In my rambles around this great me-
tTopolis l have been surprised at tho
many methods of making living.
writes New York correspondent Of
I the Detroit Tribune. Certainly if one
ha!: the world do not know how
the other half live they just as little
know how the other half make their
living. There is on Fourteenth street
a place which gets its patronage from
the very SWEETEST and most exclusive
circles of society. The place has no
sign, nothing to give it away rs
pawnbroker' shop. but such it is, not
withstanding its handsome entrance
and liveried door tender. who ushcrs
the visitors or patrons into an elegant
! ly furnished drawing-rOom. decorated
with rare bric-a- brac and choice paint
ings. The woman who keeps it, for
the proprietor is a woman. is dressed
in the latest style. and receives her
customer as il guest. 1t is not until
after the usual exchange of morning
solutions that she asks.
"What can do for madame this
morning."
Then madame displays a set of jew
elry, diamonds, perhaps, or bric.a.
brac, on which she wishes Il loan.
Sometimes note is given at the rate
of fifteen or twenty per cent. These
notes. however. seldom 20 to protest,
FOR The giverS do not care to have
these transactions known to their hus-
bands; but apart from that thew care
but little, rs it is generally understood
that a rich woman frequently exceeds
her allowance and makes it up on the
next, while the obliging broker makes
good profit from the necessities of
fashiona able women.
The duplicate gift" woman who
calls at the handsome "brOwn front"
house just after fashionable wedding.
is known to the neighbors. who sees
her ascend from carriage or a
barouche. only as a caller, but she
makes quite living in buying up the
duplicate gifts. Every one knows that
the wedding gifts of season run in
grooves, and that most brides. on look
ing over their possessions. lind large
proportion of their gifts duplicated.
The bride who wept herself i'll on find
ing that she had seven butter dishes.
every one alike. with a COW on the COW
er. had not the advantage of the bride
of to-day, who calls to her aid the
buyer of such duplicates.
One of the popular brides of last
season found among her 700 wedding
presents 10 silver-plated candlesticks,
3 bronze busts of Shakespeare. etch-
ngs of Milets "Angelus," 10 silver
hand mirrors, 3 engravlngs of ono
picture. 8 fish knives, % picket and
olive forks, 16 fans. ii jewel boxes. 8
oon-bon boxes and table crumb
knives. What did she do with themp
The exchange woman came to her aid
and took most of the duplicates off her
hands. OF course they were disposed
Of at sacrifice and the young bride
worried for weeks for fear the tranact-
on would leak out, but what could she
1op She could rot litter up her room
with duplicates. | think it would be
good idea, when one is sending out IN
ytations for Il fashionable wedding to
add to each what is desired TO present,
Or else to do away with gifts by saving
"Gifts not desired" | am sure either
method would save any amount of an
noyance to both giver and receiver.