The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-02-11
pAwNep HIS TEETH.
A. Unusual Incident witnessed by a n,
porter in n Pawn shop.


A. Unusual Incident witnessed by re-
porter in Pawn shop.
The ancient chap WHO exclaimed
"Mine honor is in pawn!' was double
discounted and beaten by the man who
entered pawnshop on South Clark
street, near Polk, last week and threw
upon the showcase set Of false teeth,
saying:
"What'll you give mo on thesep"
The obliging pawnec, which appella-
tion he should not resent, scrutinized
the teeth with the cold eyes of man
OF business. There was n good deal Of
gold filling in them-the teeth, not tho
eye.
"a dollar" he said.
20. come now. That's not fair.
Those teeth have $25 worth of gold in
them at least, to say nothing of tho
teeth themselves. Make it five and I'll
leave them"
"Oncc more for all toll you that wo
never loan more than that on teeth.
have a whole showcase full of unre-
deemed molars. any set of which you
can have for fifty cents"
30. rats! Gimme the dollar"
The money was handed the impccu-
nious and toothless one. who departed
mumbling between his denuded jaws at
the hcartlessncss of the world in gem
eral and pawnbrokers in particular.
The pawnce said:
1--WE have some trade in that sort Of
pledge. but haven't a showcase full Of
unredeemed ones, as told him. l never
knew of but two pawners who didn't
redeem their teeth. One was woman.
Queer pledgeP Well, rather, bul we
have them stranger than that. The
other day u man ran in here and sat
down in that chair at the end of the
counter. Before l could ask him what
he wanted he pulled up his trouser-leg
and began unscrewing an artificial leg.
I had only known of one other case
where such a pledge was given at q
pawn-office. That was by soldier at
the close of the war. The man who
came in here carried Il crutch i'll his
hand, and was determined to raise a
loan on his leg. got it for $2 and the
customary 10 per cent. a month. He
redeemed ii last night. On another
occasion man tried very hard to OBJ
tain loan of 1926 on glass-eye of
very peculiar shade. He had had it
made especially for him so that it would
match his other eye, but that very fact,
of course, reduced the chances of our
doing any thing with it in case he for
feited the pledge. 1t is both amusing
and affecting to observe the chagrin
and disappointment exhibited by people
who try to raise considerable loan on
articles whose value has been raised
in their estimation through long use
or loving association. Old heirlooms
which are almost priceless within
the family circle are comparatively
without value in the pawnshop. Not
long ago an old German lady came
in here with two solid brass kitchen
utensils -old-country make. l don't
know what they were for, but they
would delight the housekeeper's heart.
She expected to realize sum nearly
equal to what the articles must have
cost when new, and when l told her
that could loan nothing at all on them
she was terribly insulted. Another
woman brought in an immense collec-
ton of family photographs, which she
imagined could be 'hocked' for tidy
sum. A certain line of heirlooms. Of
course. we can find room for-those
such as might find buyer on account
of their utility and aesthetic quality
but the vast majority of things of that
sort are absolutely without exchange
value. / have seen some terrible scenes
in my time. l have seen men and
women. crazed with hunger or drink.
strip off every stitch of clothes they
could decently spare in order to obtain
money to satisfy their hunger or thirst.
I have given many dollar out of my
own pocket rather than take necessary
clothing from n person really in need,
and l have refused to take the gar
ments from n person whom l knew
would spend the money for drink. I
remember seeing IL man pawning
cradle and blankets in the front of the
store. in order to get money to drink.
while his wife, with the babe at her
breast, was in the rear trying to raise
money on some household treasures to
procure sustcnancc for herself and
child. There is q great deal of noto-
riety brought to the pawnbroker busi-
ness by disreputables and blacklegs en-
gagged in it. but it can be carried on in
a legitimate way just rs any other call
ino is. Chicn0O Times.