Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-06-05
RAGS AND RAG PICKERS.
WHERE WORN RUHHERs. OLD TINS.
RAGS AND WHAT NOT co.

visit to = Warehouse Heaped with Pick
lngs of All Kinds--sorters and Their
Deftness-A Pile OF Old Hui bers and
Arctica
Twas IN my golden age of childhood
that there lived. If. indeed. she does not
yet. a bent and withered woman. wrinkled
as China crepe and merry as lark 5 song.
Methinks tbs as far back as the third time
the pussy willows purred for me when
first heard her shrill. CHEEKY call, "Raks,
raksl From then till ] was quite blk
gerl. missey. old Mary was a welcome
arrival upon the domestic scene. | was
reminded of old Mary the other day by
seeing woman walking briskly under
heavy sack of rags 1t was sunny / was
stroIling insensibly and followed her She
entered warehouse heaped with pickings
of all kinds: after hesitating moment
did the same Things seemed novel. so
when the proprietor looked at me In rather
q surprised manner. explained Id like to
add to my slim stock of information re-
garding rags and rag pickers. Whereat
the clerk inquired interestedly. Are you
the woman who writes9" and rag peddler
who had just dropped In leaned up against
the wall and gazed at me fxedly, and with
wear IN viewing a freak in the dime
museum.
''0h. it's great business" heremarked
II mean the proprietor-as he glanced
over some letters before conducting me
over the establishment. IF it weren't for
rags there would be no paper. you would
have no Bible, no romance. no--love let
tiers, he added in quite courtly manner.
OF all the queer places. that warehousel
clambered over the foot hills of rags.
separated by valleys rich with old iron.
zinc sheets, lead piping. brass wire. and
my eye rested upon Arctic mountains IN
the background. perhaps | should say
mountains of arctics 1t seemed touched
rndey upon professional pride when
asked If that immense bulk and the many
bales for shipping were brought in by rag
pckers. ! was informed that rag pickers
are those that go about the streets and
alleys or beg rags. which they usually sell
to small merchants Then there are rag
peddlers who own wagons and 60 about
among houses buying what they wish;
merchants buying from both these classes.
and himself. buying mostly from them.
asked the proprietor what under the
canopy he does with all this truck. and
was told he had contracts with large fac
tories all over the country Old metals
are returned to foundries; paper and rags
to paper mills, and also ropes. which are
used for MANILA paper; vinegar and oil
barrels to be reilled; bits of leather and
old boots to soap factories. where the
grease is extracted for soap for my elegant
ladies white hands; old bones to sugar
reineries, where. calcined. they purify
sugar and syrup. or bones may be shipped
for fertilizing Old bottles are returned
TO brewers. ETC.. new cloth rags from
tailors back to cloth factories. and rubber
gums" as the Anglomaniacs term them
to the factory in Massachusetts.
That pile of rubbers and arctics reach
ing to the ceiling did look odd. There
were tiny baby arctics and large scows
stranded side by side: those exasperating
run down at the heel rubbers which peo
pie had lost in the street and plenty which
had sprung leak and been abandoned.
You've walked from many directions.
through many paths, upon feet shod in
righteousness and those taking hold on
hell. haven't you? They present good
illustration of reincarnation doctrines,
they will be rid of the useless parts and
the impurity and their best parts sent to
the factory, whence they will shortly is
sue again. shining and new.
| always used to deprecate throwing
arctics, ETC.. into the alleys. but now
shall do all in my power to assist these
rag pickers to plentiful spring crop.
They receive four Cents pound for them;
besides. quite number Of boys and girls
get employment in cutting off the rubber.
It's queer, baling them. Hundreds of
them are flung into huge box lined with
burlap Then a man ON each side pumps
on q windlass-this may not be clear
enough. but that's what 1t looks like. When
the box was opened, saw the rubbers
had been pressed out of all semblance.
The proprietor took me to another ware
house where the rags were being sorted.
long room was bordered with deep
boxes. In shape and size like tables, with
bottoms Of sleeves for the dirt to sift
through On either side stood women
rapidly sorting them, and unerringly
6inging the rags into various barrels
round about They wore calico gowns
reaching to their feet, and kerchiefs on
their heads, to protect themselves from
the dust. They didn't seem to be paying
any attention to whether rags were linen,
wooden, mixed, what not. | asked one of
them how she tefs. by the feeling
We scarcely ever stop to tear It. We get
so that we can tell anything by touching
IL, even with our eyes shut.
Easy learnt7 Well. for those as has
the knack Some girls pick it up In a
couple of weeks, some never can learn 1t.
Oh. it isn't disagreeable work when you're
used to it. Most rags Is pretty clean.
Some. she pointed to bin 1t gave new
meaning to mems righteousness being
Like filthy rags. "A. E. P" In Pioneer
Press