The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-08
SCENES IN 4 PAWN SHOP.
What Loads Of Fun, and What Scenes
Of Misery. in an
Hour.

a Most Rare Place for the Clos
Observer Of Human
Nature.
Boon for Those "rroublad with tho Shorts
ARTICLES on Which Money Can
BE Raised.
One hour in ! pavnshopl What scene
Of misery; what loads OF fun!
Permission nae been granted me Il
stand in q corner and watch the customer
rs they came in, transacted their bushes
and departed. n was prepared to b,
shocked and entertained by turns. ] wa,
not disappointed. The pawnshop is stu,
ated on Park Row and is we'll known t.
those who are. in the vernacular. more OF
less troubled with the shorts.'' You can
'hock' anything there from an umbrella
TO a full flush Of diamonds. says a writer
in the New York World, from a gold pen
to q waistcoat, from erandfather's clock to
. watch with as tricky a spring as the pres
ont one.
The frat customer that approached the
oounter was a man VIII had evidently been
70 gotten by his relatives and left out in
the weather all night. He carried a bric-a-
bracky-lookine umbrella that had become
very tired Of life and was sadly in need Of
reiuvenation. He slammed it upon the
counter and said:
Give me the limit on that. ! hate to
part with it, but l suppose it's got TO go!''
The keen-eyed clerk peered at him and
chuckled.
II suppose it almost breaks your heart"
said he. Suppose our establishment
should burn down. You'd better think.
twice before You leave that valuable piece
OF property here. How much do you want
on III"
"Couple Of dollars III do this time" n
Make it IS cents and I'll go you" said
the clerk. as he opened the umbrella and
gazed through an o,idce in il at the ceiling.
twenty-five nothin'" said the man,
disRustedly. did You happen to catch on
to the fact that that's q gold head on the
center-pole Of the circus-tent?'
II took that fact in at a glance" an
swered the clerk. land I also enveloped the
fact that without the gold-flled head your
cirous-tent wouldn't be permitted inside
tho I ont door,"
MAKE it q dol
Next gentleman said the clerk, turn
Ing to another customer who had just
entered.
'.Tl take a quarter,'' said the %"cirous
tent man, but be sure that you put it
away in q safe place. for / value it very
highly, and'-ths quarter and the ticket
were passed over to him-sand it may fall
apart before you get it downstairs" He
disappeared through the doorway accom-
panied by a plethorio gufaw.
The newcomer unbuttoned his coat and
Invested himself Of his watch and chain.
He also removed from his finger a diamond
ring.
How much7" came the stereotyped ques-
tion from the clerk.
"a humid ed dollars"
The clerk disappeared behind q screen,
procured a bottle Of acid and tested the
maRnifying glass to his eve and scanned
the stone in the ring closely. He returned
with the articles.
MAKE it 1852" he half asked, half as
sorted.
"Why, man, they're worth $4oo if they're
hundred and
Name? Where live?' asked the clerk,
interrupting him. He filled out a ticket,
tore off the coupon, attached the latter to
the chain, watch and ring, placed them
carelessly on the desk at the rear, counted
ont 800 and handed it, with the ticket, to
the customer.
What percentage do you loan on goods?'
I asked during q lull in trade.
"Twenty-tiye to SO per cent on diamonds,
watches and SO forth. On 'perishable
goods, clothing and such, about TWENTY-FIVE
per cent or less. We make it a business, of
course, to put out as little as possible on
the latter. and SO much az We can stand on
the former. Clothing is not always re-
deemed and We have to sell it for what we
can get on it. Jewelry and other valuables
of a like nature are nearly always redeemed
or the tickets renewed every year, and so,
of course. the more we loan on the articles
the greater our percentage. We always
keep we'll within the limit, however, to
guard against slip ups in that direction.
What is our rate? Three per cent a month
for the first six months and two per csn5 a
month for the last six. II the articles are
left with US for the whole year we get 80
per cent on the amount loaned. When the
yea is up, if the article hasn't been re-
deemed or the ticket renewed we send it to
our auctioneer's and he sells it for as much
above what we oaned on it as he can get.
Do we ever get atuck2 Rarely. We don't
take many chances."
"What can I do for you, MADAME" He
addressed a woman heavily yelled, who had
entered and who withdrew to one of the
pIlfdh6 UOAoS OE compartments DEOVlU6u
for those who desi 9 to transact their bust
ness in comparative secrecy.
"these earrings she faltered as she
trembled nervousl,. II must pledge them
nnd-and-I really nm unaccustomed to
such a business, and I must trust myself in
your hands and"
"How much do you want on them?'
II must have $50 at least and-the fact ia
I should have $75, as that Ia the amount [
took-that il, that is the amount I must re-
placs--I mean uss." She burst out crying
at this point.
1.-THE fact is I overdrew my account at
home, and l must replace it before my
hush" She could or would go no fur
ther, and her last words were lost in sobs.
II can't possibly give you more than $50
on these earrings, madam"
IF / leave ny watch to make up the diff
ference can l get it back in u month or sop
she asked, pleadingly.
She was informed that she could redeem
It at her convenience, but when the clerk
had sized it up she WAS informed that she
could obtain only SIS on it. A small dia-
mond ring was thrown in the balance, but
the scales did not yet satisfy tho clotk.
The woman, who WAS neatly attired, looked
at her wsdding-ring. Her lip quivered and
her fingers twitohed. The ring WAS finally
handed over and Sp75 was paid into her
trembling hand.
your name and address, please" said
the clerk. kindly.
Muat I tell that?' she sobbed.
ANY name and address will do. 80 TINT