The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-06-17
A DEALER IN RAGS
Gives - Few Facts Concerning the Buai-
meas In Now York.


There arc few industries in our big town
which give employment 10 so many men.
women and children rs the rag and papf
trade This seems "A bold statement TO make
in this city Of mammoth factories and
crowded occupations but it is none the less
true for that. Our Italian citizens enjoy a
monopoly OF the trade in old paper and
rags Very few If any other people are en-
gagged in the gathering and sorting of this
waste material. the utilizing Of which forms
so vast an industry The junk shops through
which most of the rags and paper pass are
generously Sprinked about the city and into
one Of these recently the writer wOrned his
way between shady bowers of bundled rags
and groves Of baicd paper The proprietor,
in answer 90 queries piled by the writer said:
Perhaps j; seems like an cXaCceration OF
the truth, but more than 100000 pounds of
assorted rags are gathered every week by
The industrious rrg pickers and sold 10 the
dealers, who, IN turn. sell them 90 the mills,
whore they are made into paper. The paper
and rags which are brought TO US are bought
by The weight at 50 much per pound They
arr then carefully sorted and made up into
bales Clean white rags are used for making
the best quality of white paper, and are,
therefore, the most expensive Black rags of
good quality are purged and made perfectly
white 10y immersion in acid baths Women
and girls m SLY are engaged in sorting the
,ags Constant practice in doing this has
made them very skiHful Many of the
dirticst and most poverty stricken looking
pickerS possess small fortunes, and there are
but few of them who cannot boast of "A good
q.
ing money meanwhile living on next 30
nothing No one knows anything of their
plans until some fine day the familiar griz-
lied face of Antonio or Giuseppe is missed,
and inquiry dis loses the fact that he has ac-
ouircd his plc and returned to his sunny
Italian home 20 enjoy the fruits Of his labor
Most of the common rags are made into
roofing material, while newspapers are again
converted into blank sheets To be used for the
same purpose Most of the best rags, such
cotton or wooden rags, are sent TO Holyoke,
Mass, there 10 he made into fine grades Of
paper, -uch rs bond, ledger, parchment etc.
i'm sorting rags, piece, Of new siiE or red
cloth are frequently found. These are laid
aside TO De sold TO neck tie manufacturers,
who convert them into stylish now cravats
Tor fashionable young men,"
DO goa ever ind any articles Of value
among the old rags" was asked.
Not very ofton.' replied the dealer The
rags are pretty thoroughly overhauled be
fore they reach our hands The only find
Of any great value that | ever made was that
of q beautiful solitaire diamond ear ring
which was found tied up in the corner Of a
ladv's haudkerchiefn
"Do sou thinl,th that the germs Of infectious
diseases lurk in the bales of old rags and
pauorr queried the writer.
There J.. bat little doubt that disease is
often conveyed in the b;les Of refuse rags
and paper imported from other and less
Clearly countries than our OWL / DO not
think. however. that domestic rags are often
purveyors of maladies; al least, such cases
have never been brought to my notice
have been in my present business for more
than twenty years, and have never yet suf-
fered from any malady more violent than
headache New York Evening Sun.