Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-08-15
HE RAG PICKER's INDUSTRY.
Nothing Can Be Thrown Away That is Not Of
Use to the Italians
Boston HeraII

Use to the Italians
Boston Herald
Rag picking s daily becoming more
and more of N industry among a certain
class Of Italians in Boston. Al dayligbt
every morning 200 or more persons Of
both sexes, who dwell at the North end
set oua from their miserable quarters
with large gunpy bags slung across their
shoulders 20 overhaul such ash barrels
aad rubbish boxes as may be found on
street sidewalks 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 women the
task of Juggling the baggs, which are
often "a large, when filled, as cotton
bales. Having a load a. large as can be
carried, they make their way to the shop
of some favorite junk dealer in the
neighborhood OF either Causewsy,
Charlestown or Endicott streets. Having
reached junk STORE, poth men and
women dropped the contents of their bags
into the gutter and assorted the articles
Bottles, boots, rags, oOnes, junk and
paper stock are carefully inspected The
Ifaiians having received the money for
their gDodE, start of on another trip
Their daily earnings rarely exceed fifty
ceuts. If they make a dollar it Is son
5idered unusual luck.
Liquor bottles of ordinary use ere
drug in Boston junk shops, ard command
only quarter or half cent apiece
There was a time when saloon keepers
paid the junk man two or three cents
apiece for them, and afterwsrd sold them
to customers purchased liquor for five or
ten cents. Now, saloons Keepers never
think of charging customer for bottle.
Larger beer bottles are the most &C.
oePtable 10 the junk dealers, as they can
get good price for them, especially in
the summer time, from wholesale beer
bottlers A junk dealer pays, perhaps,
two or three cents Tor such 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 case is returned Empty ale
ard porter bottles end champagne bottles
are always readily sold 10 tonic beer bot.
telers. Medicine bottles are of little
valne.
Old shoes and boots are carefully ex-
smIned by the Italians and if any are
thought Fl 10 be repaired, they are taken
10 some secondhand dealer, VINO touches
them up and sells them whenever an OPP
unity presents. WornOut shoes are
purchased by the junk dealers for trfs
and are sold In large quantities. to austo-
mefs, who grind them up AMI 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 rubbers from the mauufact-
urors. Ola rubbers are also ground up
and the material made over into new rub
Der.
After rags have been purchased ten or
dozen OF the junk mans Ell ployes, men
and women, make q second assortment Of
them. They are separated by ooors
texture, cleanliness and condition of
material. The first quality of white linen
aud cotton rags Is picked tightly in bales
by hand machinery, aud sold 20 such
paper msnufac urers IA may have a de-
mand for them. They are then put
through certain processes and made
into paper. The colored rags are also
pressed into bales, AMI are disposed oil TO
ulhuuI hcluIbiB VI EuOulg GlDths AAN
large quantities of white paper picked up
from ash barrels and cutters are made
over into new paper. Brown paper Is
made into paper board stock. The
soap grease man or the fertilizer manu-
facturer buys the bones, while the major
part the old iron, mainly horseshoes' i
taken by the various forge works and
foundries in aud about Boston.
The industry of the Italian reg pickers
has given an impetus to the jank business
in Boston. Nothing that anybody throws
away or casts OF escapes their eyes or
hands. They live very oheaply, and sleep
together iu separate gangs, The women
are ec.ve, strong aud vigorous az the
men Sometimes a dozen rag picEefs
viii accidentally meet at the same jana
store, ana he chatter that ensues az they
eye each o hers stock, can be heard
for quite distance. Their habit OF
empryiug the contents of their bags 10
the street aBd on the sidewalks Is source
of much complaint 10 persons who i've
near by.