The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-15
YOUR "UNCLE" as HEIs.
The Pawnbroker's Shop Both Refuge
and q Snare to the DOR aud Needy.


and q Snare to the DOR aud Needy.
FROM the 81. Louis Republic,
GOOD morning, uncle! How much on
thisl Only dollarl Make it half. Noa
Well, its breakfast for two hersln said q
shabby, fashy young man as he handed O
scarfpin across the glass counter Of down
town pawnbroker shop. "Uncle" made out
the little red ticket calling for 81 and a
liberal interest, and the young man eagerly
received his breakfast for twon and was
gone.
"Unclen-and, by the way, who named a
pawnbroker "uncep Some one with a
sense OF poetic justice, evidently. Isn't he
better than any indulgent uncle when you
are in a strange town and "brokeP "Uncle"
did not care TO enter into detailed account
of his business or his methods. He Is with
out the pale and feels it. Ho is absolutely
at the mercy of the police, who are author
lied to close his shop whenever there is even
a suspicion directed against him. He is the
victim of the thief, and the 1enc9, =" and
must deliver any stolen article found In bis
possession, no matter how honestly or at
what cost he procured 1t. He charges ex-
orhitant interest, but he takes extraordinary
risks and must be maa Of capital before
no can enter the field.
But If "unclen would not talk he was not
averse to any one viewing his stock In trade
What an epitome of degradation, misery,
want, vice and poverty tho display presents
Here is a cruciix Of the Savior, Old and
likely worn by some devout soul for years.
pawned by a sacreligious heir for the price
OF a drink. A locket with a fair-hdired
cbild's portrait engraved on one side. A
Chinese curio Of ivory and gold. gold
medal awarded by congress to Arthur
Hayes for saving two lives in Lake Michi-
gan. Bibles IN profusion, sleeve buttons,
pins and lewelry Of every possible dsscrip-
tion-go to make up the most heterogene-
Gus collection possible. The drug Ia the
pawnbroker market is guitars. Whether
the mau who will buy and own a guitar Is
generally worthless and given to pnwning
all he possesses, or whether people tire of
them soon is a debatable question. Banjos
are likewise a glut. The most numerous
form of iewe!ry IS that of horsey descrip-
tion-horseshoe pins, whips, spurs, ETC., In
gold or with sets. "Unclen admitted that
the races are his best friends, and he can
tell with reasonable accuracy how the ''tal-
ent" are picking winners. Race horse fol-
lowers invest largely in diamonds when
fortune favors and, OF course, must part
with them when she scorns. But clerks and
the host of small bettors also feed
"uncle's" money drawer when the bang
tails are in town. 1t Is difficult to obtain
even fair pawnbroker price on any thing
directly after the races. The chief of police
Of Chicago states that the receipts of pawn
brokers in that city we're trebled during the
month that Garfield park first opened
Next to the sports and the FOUNDERS
"uncle's" best customers are the poor
above all the drinking poor. II didn't
want THIS" said he, as he pointed to the
oruciix, "but the fellow had pawnsd all he
had and couldn't refuse him-he begged
so hard. Yes, whisky" Trunks sachels,
furniture of every sort and the pitiabIe
little trlnkets OF trifling value attest to the
grim grip that poverty and drink have on
their former owners
In his window uncle" sets forth his
most tempting bargains. A genuine soli'
taire" OF about one and half carats goes for
the remarkably small price OF $lS. A Gre
mona violin, 1923, invites a purchaser for
So 50, and the circle Of veritabls Mattin
guitars can be bought at the rate Of IS
each. A ponderous gold locket that sug-
gests Elm street beauty is cut TO 81 IS,
while the ubiquitous horseshoe blaze Of Kohl
noors is a magnificent dnzzler az $40. Some
really exceptional bargains are obtainable,
although 'uncle" is usually an expert and
q shylock, and not given to granting bar
gains. The races have gotten in their fine
work hers IN st. Louis, aud more genuine
good bargains can be obtained now than
three months hence.
The pawn brokers window, in addition to
being Of interest on account Of the strange
articles it contains, is peculiar in that il is
the only almost universally barred window
In America. Every English small shop
keeper or jeweler has thick bars to protsot
his goods, but in this country the pawn
broker Ii seemingly the only individual who
fears ''thieves that break IN and steal.n He
is protected by an iron net and bars, where
q jeweler trusts to plate glass.
What proportion Of articles pawned Is
rsdeemedi a very small one, and therein
lies the profit OF the business. In case Of a
robbery Of jewelry or portable valuables
the police Immediately place the pawn shop
under strict surveillance. Uncle" keen
as he is, cannot always detect a thief, aud
frequently loses considerable property,
which even 5 per cent. month interest
will not balance. But the unredeemed
articles, pawned for about one fifth OF their
real value. make "uucle" a bloated capt.
talist in few years St. Louis pawnbrokers
are more lenient than their Chicago
brethren, as the latter charge the
enormous interest Of 10 per cent a month
twice as much as Is allowed by law in this
city. But ''uncle" gets rich here as well az
there. He is necessary evil, and
occasionally a most useful friend. He is a
shark aud philnnthropist, a fence" and
restorer of stolen property, the worst
enemy of the poor and again keeps back
the wolf OF hunger from their doors, a
natural enemy. "Uncle" is above ali
valuable to great many in furnishing an
early morning breakfast for two"
The REV. anna SHAW hopes that the PEG
pies party will die with its boots at an early
H.t, FhtG of