, 1889-07-30
THE RAG PrckEa,s INDUSTRY.


Nothing Can BE Thrown Away That Is
Not of Use to the Italians
Rag picking is daily becoming more
and more of an industry among a GER
tain class of Italians in Boston. AT
daylight every morning 200 or more
persons of both sexes, who dwell at
the North end, set out from their mis-
cradle quarters with large gunny bags
haul such ash barrels and rubbish
boxes as may be found on street side
walks and alleys. The majority of
them have their regular routes, and
they make vigorous protests when any
encroachment is made upon their ter
ritory. The men generally overhaul
the rubbish, and impose upon the wo-
men the task of Juggling the bags,
which are often IS large, when filed,
as cotton bales. Having a load as
large as a be carried, they make
their way to the shop of some favorite
junk dealer in the neighborhood of
either Causeway, Charlestown or En-
dicott streets. Having reached a junk
store, both men and women dump
the contents of their bags into the
gutter and assort the articles. Bot
ties, boots, rags, bones, junk and pa
per stock are carefully inspected. The
Italians having received their money
for their goods, start off IN another
trip. Their daily earnings rarely ex-
coed fifty cents. If they make a dol
lar it is considered unusual luck.
Liquor bottles of ordinary use are a
drug in Boston junk shops, and com
mand only a quarter or half a cent
apiece. There was a time when saloon
keepers paid the junk men two or three
cents apiece for them, and afterward
sold them to customers who purchased
liquor for five and ten cents. Now,
saloon keepers never think of charg-
ing a customer for a bottle. Lager
beer bottles are the most acceptable to
the junk dealers, as they can get a
good price for them, especially in the
summer time, from wholesale beer
bottlers. A junk dealer pays, perhaps,
two or three cents for such a bottle,
and the wholesaler gives him five or
six cents for it. The latter charges his
customers ten cents for each bottle
when delivering lager beer by the
case, and refunds the money if none
of the bottles are missing when the
a is returned. Empty ale and por-
ter bottles and champagne bottles are
always readily sold to tonic beer
bottlers. Medicine bottles are of little
value.
Old shoes and boots are carefully
examined by the Italians, and if any
are thought fit to be repaired, they are
taken to some second hand dealer,
who touches them up, and sells them
whenever an opportunity presents.
Wornout shoes are purchased by the
1tIny doc lore for n tptfn nn1 ara sold
in large quantities to customers, who
grind them up and make shoddy
pancake" leather out of them. This
shoddy business has grown rapidly of
late, and there is a good demand for
old tops and uppers from the manu-
facturers. Old rubbers are also ground
up, and the material made over into
new rubber.
After rags have been purchased, ten
or a dozen of the junk mans en-
ployes, men and women, make a sec
ond assortment of them. They are
separated by color, texture, cleanli-
ness and condition of material. The
first quality of white linen and cotton
rags is packed tightly in bales by
hand machinery, and sold to such
paper manufacturers IS may have u
demand for them. They are then put
through certain processes and made
into paper. The colored rags are also
pressed into bales, and are disposed of
to manufacturers of shoddy cloth.
The larger quantities of white paper
picked up from ash barrels and cutters
r made over into new paper. Brown
paper is made into paper board stock.
The soap grease man or the fertilizer
manufacturer buys the bones, while
the major part of the old iron, mainly
h~orseshoes, is taken by the various
forge works and foundries in and
about Boston.
The industry of the Italian rag pick
ers has given an impetus 10 the junk
business in Boston. Nothing that any
body throws away or casts off escapes
their eyes or hands. They live very
cheaply, and sleep together in separate
gangs. The women are as active,
strong and vigorous as the men,
Boston Herald.