Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-09-04
IN THE PAWN SHOP.
a LITTLE GIRLS MISSION AND HOW
SHE PERFORMED 1T.

l
His Unfortunate customers--"Timonds
Are way Town"--"Doin' Of It Agin..'
Heavy Interest Charged.
In the afternoon Of one OF the coolest days
last week little mite Of a girl pulled and
wheezed laboriously up one Of the east side
streets She was remarkable for the artistic
way in which her face was soied and for q
big red shawl that was wound about her.
One end Of it swept the sidewalk several feet
behind. A big basket was on her right arm,
and that it was much too heavy for her was
proved by the way she hitched it up at fire.
quent intervals. A dirty little boy on the
opposite side of the street stopped rubbing
his ears long enough to shout:
care you dom Of it aginF'
The little girl laughed as broadly as her
frozen face would permit, and nodded at the
basket on her arm. In course of time she
had pulled her way up to dingy building
ornamented with three gilt balls above the
heavy door, She placed her back against
the door, and, by pushing with all her might,
forced it open and slipped behind it. Then
she was in a small, square space, and was
| very uncomfortable in little knot Of very
poor persons
ALL MANNER OF BUNDLES.
There was short counter, on one end of
which stood q little desk, with a tall, ground
glass back that obscured the business done
upon it from the persons in the store. Just
| in front of the other end was a little inclos-
ure like q sentry box, that was for the use of
customers who were ashamed OF being there.
! A range of shelves behind the counter, that
reached from the floor to the ceiling, was
loaded with all manner of circular bundles
that bore upon their exposed ends little
squares Of brown paper. But by far the
most prominent thing in the place was a
| gigantic safe that stood with gaping doors
near the desk.
A tall, heavily built man, with eyeglasses
and Hebraic cast of features stood behind
the Jnnter wrangling with a good natured
Irish woman In the mans shirt bosom and
on several of his fingers glittered big dia-
monds. On the counter between him and the
woman was pair of girls shoes but slightly
worn, white skirt and a sheet.
"Come, now; be good natured,n she was
saying as the little girl entered, land give
me 50. Shure, I'll be afther taking them out
again on Saturday. Ne man has steady
work now"
81 by me dose new for two dollar. lose
money of git you Won dollar, but you vas
goot customer, und so tont gare"
Then he swept the articles out of sight,
wrote a few words on ticket, and passed it
to the woman, together with silver 81.
"Vell!n
The remark was addressed to weak old
man with a mass of unkempt gray hair feat
ing about his face. He tremblingly drew
from his pocket a well worn silver watch and
q thin silver chain and placed them in the
clerks hand. The latter ficked open the
cases, stuck jewelers. glass in his eye, and,
after a ruinutafs iDsnectiou said.
1.-TWO dollar
The old man bowed.
The door opened, letting in rush of cold
air and slim young man, who darted into
the little box and raped imperiously upon
the counter. The clerk hurried to attend to
him, for the proceedings smacked of dia-
mond transaction This is what it proved to
be. The diamond was large one, set in a
ring, and the young man was heard 70 say
$50, as though he expected to get it. But
among the many rules that govern this bust
ness is one that says the first request must
never be granted. This rule was strictly adj
, hered to on this occasion.
: 'Timonds are way town, said the clerk
! Sand they are bound to go up again, as
you very well know" was the sharp reply
s'but if they were down lower than they ever
were before that stone would bring S75 any
, where
81 gif you $40"
. snake it S45 and let me get out of here"
The clerk made it S45, and the young man
. hurried out.
y OF DAILY OCCURRENCE
Then little dumping of woman pro
duced from the voluminous folds of a quill
a big gilt volume, and laid it, together with
the quilt, upon the counter. The clerl
glanced at them in q cursory way, and asked
"Von tollarl'
l. ''Two, ave it's plaisin' to ye," was the milo
3 reply.
: : ''Twelve shillingT
. "An right, sir"
|, Then the little girl forged slowly up, and
u with an effort, raised the basket and set it Oh
;. the counter. The clerk lifted the lid ant
II pulled out a pair of fat irons and wei
!. worn dress.
n me mudder says will We give seyenty-fv
centsrn
u Sporty CENTS" said the clerk.
"Me mudder says she'll take them out sur
- on Saturday, and will We please do It'll"
y "Forty cents"
X, The little girl raised herself on her toes an
began snufling.
AZ "Feefty cents"
y The little girl burst out into wild wall
&c "Feefty-five cents and no more"
u "All right, sir" piped the little girl, grow
ing suddenly calm.
:. Then, having 'done it again" she took be
ee empty basket on her arm, wound the shaw
- about her and walked out.
!. These are a few samples of the scenes tina
=, y daily occur in the pawn shops. There are S
, many of these places in the city that it is
!. wonder to many how they are supported
!, can be safely said that the liquor stores an
- the pawn shops live through one another to
~ great extent, and much of the money tina
passes over the counter of the pawn shoI
finds its way into the till Of the liquor store
that, in their turn, impoverish so many an
d. force them to the pawnshops for help Til
al pawnbrokers charge 25 per cent. year o
the money they lend, or per cent. mont
he on fraction thereof. This is a Leivy inte
lie est to pay, especially where there is really L
st risk 1t is true that goodly portion of tt
ed articles pledged are never redeemed, bl
to these, after a certain lapse of time, are sol
tie at action or by private sale and much prot
cd Is reaped from them.-New York Sun.
nd