Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-03-06
ARMY STORIES IN ENGLAND.
Chat with q London Government Con-
tra,t,r-Made Over Goods.

Chat with q London government Co"-
ira, t,r-Made Over Goods.
spent an evening with Mr.. William
Pope, one of the largest dealers in army
stores in England, and in the course OF
the interview he told me several curious
facts in connection with the business.
"Why, bless me,' said the wealthy
dealer, 'there have been times when |
could have clothed and equipped good
sized army on days notice. l once had
an old chapel full of rifles, a warehouse
full of swords, a hundred thousand he'll
NETS, and as many coats, trousers and
boots. But the rifle business, like the dis
carded rifle, is broken up now"
why is that!
ut was after the P9nix park murders.
The great market for the rifles had for
many years been Ireland. The govern
ment became alarmed, and the order was
issued to break up all the rifles, and as the
order has never been rescinded l suppose
they will go ON breaking them up until
doomsday. At any rate there are no more
rifles to be had"
"But were not these rifles very old fash
ionedF'
"Of course they were, but that was all
the better for the South African trade.
The natives liked the old flint guns with
the stocks painted red. Why, there Is an
establishment at Brandon, in Norfolk,
making flint locks to this day. 1t even
pays to take out the more modern locks
and substitute flint locks. These flint guns
snd old swords are sent out in barrels
and exchanged for palm oil, which comes
oack in the same barrels. Before the
Phoenix park murders l employed 1OO
men cleaning up and repairing govern
ment rifles, muskets and firearms OF all
sorts. / have received as many as 2O,OOO
ia month. Now the British govern
ment employs men at 60 a week to break
them all up"
"What else do you buy of the British
and continental governments besides i'm
plements Of warfareS'
"Why, bless me, my young friend, l
buy everything; tents, blankets, picks,
shovels, boots, gloves, CATERS, helmets,
saddles, harness and accouterments of all
kinds"
'Do you examine them before purchas-
ingf"
Don't examine one. It's what you
Yankees call trading out of sight and I'M
seen. You pay down your money and
you find out what you've got when you
begin to assert, according to the value.
employ 500 people at times in the various
departments Of my business, and If you
would only reduce your tariff could soon
employ thousand"
"What do you do with the old boots"'
"Well, Pm not SO much in the old boot
line. There isn't much in that unless you
make business of it. have friend who
has n factory employing 500 or 600 men,
and he literally makes old boots into new.
He buys all the army, all the police, and
in fact all the old boots he can lay his
hands on. They are taken to pieces and
the leather cleaned and redressed, and a
new boot or shoe constructed out Of the
good pieces Of leather, and all sorts Of
smaller articles made out of the best part
of the worn out pieces. He makes very
durable hob nailed boot which is known
In the trade and bought by costers, farm
laborers and railway porters. This
called TRANSMITTING"
"What becomes of the uniformss'
"Most of them go abroad. The oil Skin
capes and cork helmets go to India, the
brass helmets to the Cape, and the tunit
and pOlicemen's uniforms to South Africa
You see, as trousers are dispensed with
red jackets are rather drug, though the
natives do buy them, and lengthen them G
bit with white cotton cloth. The cast of
court suits worn by officers are rare things
to get hold of. They are renovated an(
sold, with few peacocks feathers thrown
in to the chiefs. They are always in de-
mand, and bring good prices. The pride
these natives take in their uniforms Ii
astonishing. Robert P. Porter in Inter
Ocean