Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-11-10

al Exchange
-" pl.os as Any of the hepu-
s.. .,a Produce Exchanges Of
,,,.-Oueer Dealers.
,,,.s close early on Satur-
si'. Inception of the Old Clothes
i' ris does no business at all
y ln an Fridays to afternoon on
gov therefore, the closing hours
f. '1 a.. generally unusually brisk
saD 9,,, On the south of Bayard
az NV ~, Rowery down, was crowded
30 'I, 'p In front of the exchange
''1 the crowd extended across
io5l'lG' :. ,ras extremely difficult to
= So CAV through the shouting.
So about its doors. Nearly
'niy'7 Them had n suit or two OF
= ,. y. thrown over his left
' -5icb be had just purchased or
,ospII There didn't seem to
y a, English spoken, and the
pr ,,-sd 10 he made up entirely of
who come TO this country in
~ q, the European steamers.
- :, he told that they represented
,Iasses. and even then it was
s3.+.;ngrish them. There were no
~ ~ even clean hands and faces.
~ ii..ss.a5 in dark clothes, and they
,.,5ts3lv of the kind which had
-r.,al owners since they passed
q. hands OF the one for whom the
.sgrisi them,
vso THE DEALERS ARE.
Jas. were the buyers, men with
.t.m,t hair and matted boards.
.,-r shifting. twinkling eyes.
!. day from Baxter street,
al seventh avenues, Avenue B,
Jersey City and all the cheaper
,rj clothing stores within a ra-
..rs-l, miles. The next class are
.,.-a-, Of the goods vended, and
III from the man who pushes a
n to the merchant who roams
"A and the villages of this state
q Jersey, offering tinware and
ans and pins and needles in eX-
slightly sOiled summer over
1 ,nOlt Of style silk hat.
Las tbrong of dirty, vicious faced
[,t7ou the pavement there seems to
|,,,h hucAering going on as in the
n ITSELF The exchange is in real
En- dizzy but large barroom. The
i and barrels are grimy with accu-
Ia dirt, and the floor is but little
|gtban tue pavement outside. Along
lOa the left are number of chairs,
!. men sitting there are the principal
. They have dirty bills folded be-
; their dirty fingers on which one oc-
,a-7catches the gleam of n diamond,
ave pockets filled with small change.
e sl excellent suit to need paper
Til payment.
typical character has two chairs
u with purchases. A man offers
1 DARK cloth suit, pretty well worn.
ID /, TO tbe light, rapidly looks it
nj counts every button and offers
ants.
MAKING A BARGAIN.
vsnier wants half a dollar, and, in
Z, rapidly turns the suit about and
Of its best points. No, forty cents.
be collector offers to throw in a pair
lln's shoes, but the dealer won't
len at any price. So they haggle,
lker bargaining with two or three at
and all talking at once. The forty
Il al length accepted, and the man
Re shoes under his arm and a little
isr sells them at the dark end of the
g for three cents.
: very little drinking going on,
every one is so hurried and alb
IN his business. The barkeeper
mem up occasionally by pounding
counter and yelling, "BeerI beerl
ser Then one of the dealers
"a bargain by offering to throw in
and thimbleful of spirits or a
tuck, dark beer is gulped down. |
isFlng and dickering never pause
inent, however, and so smart are
en after bargain of a few cents
ie Of the old clothes change hands
lfee times during an hour or so.
Oh the dealers have sacks made
eKlng in which they jam their pur-
'nd one Of these had in it a num-
leceS Of women's underwear that
they might recently have been
On the lawn or green hedge of a
VIA. But there were no women
'ld no women among the crowd, |
goods worn by the fair sex seemed |
Aned to cloth coats and shoes.
Aihg prices seemed to be ridicu- !
7ciaIiy II you had no previous &C
y WIN the second hand shops of |
Tert suits seemed to run from
eIShty cents; coats from twenty |
e"'S' trousers from ten cents to |
-'s, oad vests were a drug on the |
'uu oia hats were sometimes sold |
W TWO cents. There were dealers |
: Speciality of hats and shoes.
WIEN THE DAY Is OVER.
''s nau the best call and always |
oF'ng as much as they were !
5',n' A missing button would |
n'e cents. frayed pocket holes
= ana the more dilapidated were |
ScFutinized to see if the goods
,''llea and thus made new. The
~ even when much frayed, OBJ
\ prices for this reason.
''0A The market was over, and |
ISe' where daily meet the sharp |
dealers in the world, |
euu. Then the men walked off |
u purchases thrown over their |
a.. juggling the little money they
','e 20 make out of their sales.
b yard street and in its neigh
ue'e are a number of little shops |
= ,olha the cheap toys and shoe
y ,, %.ni'Skhrooms, etc, which make
, -,o man kit. Here he invests
!, anu by daylight the next morn
>, r,i away IN the country, bargain
.Tn nls.iess or maid for the mas
i.1 '. sun or old hat. Nothing
~. 10 him hnun