St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-27
SECOND HAND DEALERS.
Their Collections Of Cast-Off Garments
and Antiquated Ware.
A RAMBLE IN ODD NOOKS.
People Who Patronize the Junk Shops
in Preference to Trading at
Stores.

Of alt the queer places to be found in
aday's travel in back streets and out
of-the-way hooks, a established
pawn shop is the oldest. The strange
things that are bound to collet in an Or
binary secondhand store will, in a year
or two, make a very respectable
showing as museum of an
tiquities. The story of the second
hand store which supported a coffin
department is nearly as old as the tale
of Jonah and the whale, and rather less
probable. but certain it is that articles
hardly less out of place than casket
arc often found in the shops of Israel
itiSh tradeSIaen, even in the Flour City.
TIE GREAT BULK
of the property offered for sale or put
up at these places is either clothing,
ieWelry, watches, or weapons of one
kind or another. Some paWnbrok-
ers make specialtieS of certain
classes of goods. One we'll known
dealer on Washington avenue south
will buy almost anything in the line of
ancient or foreign apparel. He sells to
the theatrical people and for masque
balls. etc. He has regular customers
for these goods among local theatrical
people and cOStumerS, and his chief
source of supply is from recently land
ed emigrants from other counties and
broken-doWn people of good families,
who have
PRESERVED AS HEIRLOOMs
some of the ancient ''doublets and hose"
of their Wondering ancestry.
Other secondhand men make special
ties of hardware, and one place in North
Minneapolis has an immense stock Of
carpenters and maSOnS' tools, from
saws and hammers to gimlets and avis.
Stoves, pots, pans, skillets and cutlery,
tables and other culinary implements
adorn the walls and floors in reckless
profusiou. The contents of that store
would sink navy. and the sorry-ooking
goods make but a poor showing as COM
pared to the shining array of hardware
found in au ordinary store, while the
prices compare favorably with rates on
new goods. and yet people buy these
goods and think they are
GETTING GREAT BARGAINS,
and even comparison of schedules
would hardly convince them that they
had paid more than half the value Of
the property bought.
Old shoes, old shirts, old breeches,
old coats, old vests and even old socks
are seen in the windows of these indus
trious and frugal sons of Abraham,
varied occasionally with good selec-
ton of cheap reVolyers. dirk knives.
brass knuckles, paralyzers and other
instruments of offenSe and defense.
One window on West First street boasts
a large and elegant silk bandana which
reminds one of the days be-
fore BENJAMIN Harrison secured
majority of the presidential electors,
and as one looks at it the thought will
recur to the gaZer that in the early
morning light, some man who had been
going on the principle that money
talks" sneaked quietly up the street
and parted with his loved handkerchief
for SO cents to help get his
LAUNDRY OUT OF SOAK.
A Northtown window up to few
DAYS ago sported a set of elegant coffin
handles, with silver plate engraved
SAT Rest" Where they came from or
how long he had been in possession of
them is not known, but the next day
after inquiry was instituted the ghosty
''jewelry" disappeared from the win
dow.
1t is noticeable fact that the major
ity of the property displayed in the win
doWs of the pawn shops is of the same
class as the greater part of the goods re-
ported to the police as stolen.