The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-10-27
A HISTORIC MARKET.
OLD CLOTHES IN LONDON ALL DRIFT
TO a FAMOUS PLACE.

TO a FAMOUS PLACE.
Old Clothes Mart In Houndsditeh Attracts
Hundreds OF thousands Of People who
Want to Wear Expensive Apparel, but
Can't Pay Very Much For It.
Down In the unsavory and i'll favored
quarter OF Houndsditch. behind the area
Of the city where countless gold is made
and turned over. there is an inclosed
space, part Of the go called Phil's build
ings, which goes by the descriptive name
Of the Old Clothes Mart. Admission to
~ IS obtained on payment Of penny as
entrance fee. collected by man stand
ing at the barrier that divides the street
from the emporiums beyond. The gen.
eral aspect is far from inviting, and
first cursory glance seems II, reveal only
collection Of ragsspd decrefitude. Th1
floor is nothing xefe than the pavement.
The roof is the sky. and in rain or sum
shine the heaps of clothes are exposed
without protection to the changes Of the,
capricious London climate. On slushy
days they present larnentabIe appear
ance.
There are no benches or stalls. as in
other markets, only lines of wooden rail
ing running along the Enclosure marked
out in lengths and apportioned to the
different venders. The goods are packed
In sacks OF, bundles deposited oss the
flags, and at the open mouth or top Of
each is displayed sample OF its con-
tents, which is also temptingly laid
across the rail, whence depend the legs
Of trousers, the sleeves of dresses, the
frills Of petticoats. the soles Of boots or
the handles of sticks and umbrellas. The
goods vary considerably in quality and
aspect. Some are moldy, tattered OF
colorless; others are in fairly good con-
dition, clean and sefviceable. z
Old Clothes Mart is victualIed by hawk
ers who haunt certain suburban districts
to purchase the cast off garments Of the
more modest inhabitants-those who do
not hesitate to discuss the conditions Of
the business in. person at their front
doors. The dealings are not carried on
in cash Ire hawlEers, with astute lznowl-
edge of human nature, offer in exchange
orockery, plaster figures or even flowers
In pots, experience having successfully
proved that bust, q pair OF vases or a
water bottle worth sixpence is infinitely
more tempting than a shilling, and the
buyer has the satisfaction of emptying
the barrow laden with fashy, worthless
articles at profit of 90 per cent.
When his original stock in trade is re-
placed by wearing apparel, the hawker
adjourns 70 the neighborhood of the
mart, where he finds a group of men
calling themselves commission buyers
who bid against each other for the whole
lot. The successful competition forth
with distributes his bargains among the
holders of the rallied off compartments
/ inside, who endeavor to retail them to
the customers who have paid the en-
trance fee. The best OF these customers
| are always Irish buyers. They carry off
4 wholesale quantities fo1 Bxffast, Dublin,
Cork and othes -lacalitie beyond the
channel. Taking into cons hon the
1 nature and general appear Jlae8 Of $he
consignments, it js startling to learn
on good autbsi1ty that Occasionally Gao
and even 40 have been pkid down In
cash foa one lot. Credit is never given,
| and payment precedes the delivery Of
the goods. @ 'ssS
Hats. which. as arule. are the most de-
| plorable objects, fetch but little. vet are
eagerly bought whatever their state.
They are sent to Paris for the sake of
the silk on them and there manufactured
into new ones. Goats vary more in price
Ehan any other article; some 20 for d
penny, some for sixpence and upward to
| e5. There was legend on the mart that
one coat was actually sold for "a tenner. =
/ Clothes that have been worn BY the
highest and richest in the land have
found their downward way to Hounds
ditch, not excepting those once belong.
ing to the Prince of Wales. not = y
noble owners are party to the desecra'
tion. but because the Wallets whose par-
| quisites they become know of this way 81
realizing money for them. The bargains
are advantageous to al parties. Some
| Of the shabby, disreputable and poverty
stricken looking railing holders at the
mart. the men who haggle desperately
over sixpence. arewell to do capital
lists. One Of them is the proprietor OF
several touses In good quarter Of Lon
don. Oshers have large balance at the
bank, and others still own considerable
| property in stocks and shares They
turn over thousands OF pounds in Che
course of ayear, which Is not surprising,
| tied by 600 or ZOO people on week days