Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-10-24
THE RAG BUSINESS.
FIVE CLASSES or PEOPLE IDENTIFIED
WITH THE INDUSTRY.

WITH THE INDUSTRY.
Rag Pickers, Junk Dealers, Cleaners, Con-
tractors and Importers - Scene I'm n
Dealer $ warshouse-young Girls work
Ing In stifiing Atmosphere.
There are five groups Of classifications of
labor and handling in connection with rags
and their utilization;
]. The ragpickers, nearly all Italians, who
gather the refuse OF the street and the shops
., The dealers in rags, papers and old junk.
Of whom there are about 800 In the city.
These are In the main small dealers, and EN-
ploy individually but few hands. the major
portion Of whom are girls and boys II is
difficult 10 ascertain the entire force, but a
fair estimate will not excced $500
). The rag cleaners form the next group
They arc also small dealers, as a rule who
buy from the rag and junk shops the rudely
assorted rags and 60 over them again, divid-
ing them into wooden and cotton goods
These dealers are self employers, have from
two 60 four men IN their employ and some
younger hands. The entire force so used may
be estimated at about 900
4. The wholesale or large buyers and con-
tractors form this group. These houses em-
ploy from 80 to DO hands, OF whom three
tifths are girls, many being of tender years
There are some thirty large dealers in the
city, about ten being handlers only OF woolen
rags, bought directly from tailors, clothiers,
woolen and dry goods houses, etc. Probably
there are Zoo hands employed.
g. This group comprises the agents Of the
paper shoddy mills and the importers Of rags,
of which there are "a considerable number in
the city. The business to them is profitable
one.
A sTIFLfNu ATMOSPHERE.
On Pike street, a little east side thorough
fare near the river and down town, which Is
probably not known 10 the great majority OF
New Workers, is "A dealer In wooden rags
almost entirely. He is a busy dealer, keep
ing four large trucks constantly moving and
having "a working force Of about 100, Of
whom forty -nine are girls. The age Of at
least onehalf of these may be questioned
They do not look, as n rule, over ~ years
old, though IN reply TO questions they de-
clared themselves 10 bc IL or more
The premises are dirty in the extreme.
How can they help being 80 in such bust
nessf The two houses are occupied from
basement 10 garret. The floors are cold aud
q
dirt Of all kinds; IL is thick enough to cut
with knife Down there in the basement
ten dirty, slippery steI~ lead 10 it-there are
fourteen girls at work amid sitting atmos-
phee. The fioor is boarded, but the walls
are damp. Under tho sidewalk is a stove, aud
this is the source of all the heat in the shop.
The upper floors are a little better, but the
place is unwholesomc and filthy beyond, IL
would seem, what is unavoidable in such q
business. The wages paid are: For the
women and girls from 81 so to Is per week,
the larger portion receiving from S3 TO s3 50.
The hours of work are ten; half hour il
allowed for dinner, which the girls generally
| get at home, as they mostly live Ia the
vicinity. The wages OF the men average 81
per day, the truckInen and few others re-
ceiying more.
In this place, which is typical, the rngs are
received direct from workshops and stores Of
all kinds engaged In the manufacture Of
clothing and handling Of dress goods. They
come in bags packed closely end weighing
/ frcm 300 20 800 pounds each. ho Pike street
mans dealings range from Brooklyn u
/ Newark. The men handle and empty the
bags ON large tables with heavy frames anC
stout network of wire, having oriflces Of hall
an inch or So Over this network the rag
are moved by hand SO that the dirt, etc, fall.
/ 10 the floor In great clouds which I'LL the eyes
ears, mouth and lungs
ON THE SORTING TABLES.
The rags are sorted on these tables and
/ divided into wooden, mixed and cotton goods
each being plsced In separate barrels. Ths
colors and quality are also noted in sorting
and when again bagged are arranged there
/ by. The cotton and silk goods are sold foi
/ paper stock and the wooden and mixed to ths
woolen mills, chiefly In New England, where
they are manufactured into shoddy. Mixed
wooden and cotton goods are not In demand
| but when used the cotton Is burned out by
some process.
II was not a pleasant place, this Pike stree
warehouse, with its squalor, dirt and dust
Even less inviting were the hands employed
The men naturally were rough, sturdy
ragged; the girls and women-thc latter be
ing mostly elderly-are generally Irisl
Americans of the poorest type, with a fev
Jews among them The Italians keep out o.
the warehouses They content themselves
with the work of gathering and live Will
engaged In the open air. The dealers amonl
them are controllers Of labor-padrones Ii
fact; or they have got into the city swim
and contract 10 handle its refuse. But thl
little ones at the Pike stroet warehouse, be
grimed, ragged rough, hollow eyed, pinches
Of feature, dirty OF course, all coughing
more or less from the constant irritation o
the lungs
The cleansing shops are no more inviting
10 the eye or nostrils, but tho dust Is not a
intolerable. The rags are bought from th
junk and rag dealers, who buy direct iron
the Italians, or they are gathered direc
a fNTt.
are placed IN great pans and washed b,
stirring until the worst filth Is removed
when they are sorted and divided roughl,
by material, colors and quality, and whel
dried are again disposed Of TO the wholesal
dealers. New York Graphic.
Tn. Circus RIter,s Tune.