Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-01-22
"cRAPE oBAsIyG.y
A Queer Trade That is Made to Pay in
the Metropolis.
New York Mail and Express.

Has the reader ever met Grape
chaser? It is more than probable that
he has not The institution exists, how
ever, in this city, and a pretty unique
fellow he is, too, in his way, and de-
cidedly original
A reporter met Grape chaser the
other day for the first time to know who
and what he was. II was in local florists
shops. A rather seedy and lugubrious
individual entered. In his hand he car
ried small wire frame with wire let
tering. 1t was apparent that it was one
of those frames used by florists in pre-
pairing wreaths and the like on the occa-
sion of funerals.
The florist seemed to know the new
conner, for he saluted him Familiarity.
"Well, Jim, what is t?'' he asked.
,,"Jest few scraps" said the melan-
choly one, funerals this afternoon
day, Jim said the florist. Then he
rummaged among his flowers for few
minutes and finally handed Jim few
punches of withered flowers and ferns.
ITS the best can do he said.
Never mind" said the melancholy
one, II reckon l can make EN- dor
Then he went away as lugubrious as
when he came.
Lost some of his family? ?" the re-
porter asked.
"Gracious, no." answered the florist
with a laugh. "Jim never had any
family that I've heard of. Jim is
Grape chaser, you know
The reporter didn't know, and then
he was enlightened as to Grape chasers.
These gentlemen seem to have shown
very considerable degree of originality
in their selection of calling.
They form portion of that army Of
persons who in one way or another
make living out of the fact that men
must die. Some of the original mem
bers of the army have dropped ont Of
the ranks for good and all. The profess
sional mourner, for instance, is no longer
to be seen. He is no longer an institu-
ton respected even by the small boys in
the streets.
The Grape chaser is another sort of a
tradesman. If he was yainglorious, he
might call himself florist, although
that would be rather stretching the
matter, since lie bears about the same
relation to florist proper that a penny
Nuhb oNoilh bFdlo w DdhtI4s
The crape-chaser's mode of procedure
is simple. He reads the death columns
Of the daily papers every morning,
hangs about undertakers' establishments
in the tenement districts waiting for
accounts of deaths. He pays no atten-
ton save to those that occur in poor
families. He is at the scene of death is
over or before the scene Of death, as soon
as, or before the Grape is hung on the
door. He goes armed with frames that
are appropriate for floral pieces.
by the exercise of any wife that may
seem TO fit the occasion he manages to
secure interviews with some member of
the hereayed family. The Grape chaser
displays his frames He argaes that he
can supply floral pieces much cheaper
than any florist will, and this is true, al
though hedoes not tell why he can.
Sometimes he fails to obtain orders,
but many more times he succeeds and
In his way does more or less prohtable
business, for although he sells SO much
cheaper than florist will, the flower
houses for wreaths and the like are the
odds, ends and outcastings of the florists
stock. So his profits are fully in pro-
portion to his outlay.
This trade has its ramifcations too.
Near one of the local cemeteries there
is a man who makes business of buy
ing up rusty old frames when the graves
are cleaned from time to time and the
wrecks of floral pieces taken from
them. He cleans and repaints the
frames and then sells them for song.
The Grape chasers are his best Gus
toners. And SO this queer business is
carried on.