Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-08-16
TWO KINDS OF pAwNsRoKeRs.
A Member of the Fraternity Perpends Upo
the Ways Of the Piedging Public.


A Member of the Fraternity perpends Upo'
the Ways Of the fiedging Public.
ssThere are two distinct classes O
pawnbrokers in New York" said an
East Broadway member Of the frater
nifty who clearly did not belong to the
better class, as he sat behind his closed
doors few nights ago and fumigated
the old clothes he had taken in as col
lateral with the smoke Of bad Ave
cent cigar.
''They supply the needs Of two dia-
metrically different classes OF custo-
mers One class may be called the
'old skirt and petticoat army, and the
other the watch and ulster brigade.
One deals with persons who, for the
most part, hypothecate their goods to
obtain money to have fun with, and the
other with the masses who pawn
clothes TO buy food. or course each
class enters occasionally upon the do
main Of tho other, but these are the
broad distinctions.
"All pawnbrokers, whatever their
status, find their busiest time on the
day before holiday, but while we in
the more squalid portions of the city
are taking IN every conceivable kind OF
rubbish until our shelves are loaded
our brethren in other localities are
dragging valuable securities into the
light Of day and exchanging them for
cash. The reason for this may be
summed us in few words on festival
occasions persons OF aristocratic ten
denotes want TO look well, while plain,
struggling people are content 10 feed
well. II the necessity arises, the gen
tleman about town will draw upon his
dinner for his ring or sealskin coat,
and the toiler will hypothecate his own
Sunday suit of clothes or his wife's
best gown for the holiday meal. Two
days later, when the merrymaking is
over, the valuables ara likely to go
back into retirement, but the rubbish,
unfortunately, is pretty sure 10 remain
on our hands for some time.
II do not include Sunday in this
category Of holidays. We do quite
different kind OF trade on Saturday
night, when we keep the Office open
nntil IL o'clock. Sunday garments
ARE interchangeable property between
ns and our customers, and we do not
value them III the usual way. but
largely IN proportion 10 the punctu-
ality with which their owners take
them out al the end OF each week.
Thus II we have once lent woman 81
on cloak we do not want 10 decrease
the amountof any subsequent loan for
"A long timc, though the garment may
greatly fall of in value, If she Is reg1.
lar iii redeeming il on Saturday night
and putting IL up again on Monday
morning. Poor people are gen
orally good church goers, and if
the head OF family is earning any
thing at all, the ghost is apt 10 walk
on Sunday, and 50 our shelves are
usually cleaned Of Sunday goods be.
fore IL o'clock.
There are good many people who
deal with the more exclusive class Of
pawnbroisers, who adopt tho reverse
OF this rule. They put up their goods
on Saturday night, and take them out,
II they can beg or borrow sufficient
money, Oh Monday, spending Sunday
at home hilariously with some guest.
These are not God fearing persons,
aud | am glad 10 have nothing TO do
with them.
"Oh, yes; have to charge my poor
customers little more than | would
II were lending larger amounts on
better security. Tho law allows such
small interest that increase my in
come by putting iifty-six cents on a
ticket for shawl when | have only
lent the owner half dollar If she
does not like il she can leave ii, you
know. There are very sad scenes, OF
course, in the office sometimes. but
the tears must all be shed before tho
counter; we have no time for them boz
hind il."--Ncw York Sun.