Smyrna times., 1893-08-09
A HISTORIC MARKET.
OLD CLOTHES IN LONDON ALL DRIFT
TO A FAMOUS PLACE.

Old Clothes Mart In HOundsditch Attracts
Hundreds of Thousands of People Who
Want to Wear Expensive Apparel, but
Can't Pay Eery 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 so called Phil's build
ings, which goes by the descriptive name
Of the Old Clothes Mart. Admission to
it 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 q
first cursory glance seems to reveal only
a collection Of rags and decrepitude. The
floor is nothing more than the pavement.
The roof Is the sky, and in rain or sun
shine the heaps of clothes are exposed
without protection to the changes of the
capriciOus London climate On slushy
days they present q lamentable appear
ance.
There are no benches or stalls, as in
other markets, only lines of wooden rail-
ing running along the inclosure marked
out in lengths and apportiOned to tho
different venders. The goods are packed
in sacks or bundles deposited ON the
flags, and at the open mouth or top of
each is displayed q 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 OF
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 serviceable.
Old Clothes Mart is victualled by hawk
ers who haunt certain suburban districts
to purchase the cast off garments of the
more modest inhabitants-those who dc
not hesitate to discuss the conditions o1
the business i'll person at their front
doors. The dealings are not carried OF
in cash. The hawkers, with astute lnowl
edge of human nature, offer in exchange
crockery, plaster figures or even flowers
in pots, experience having successfully
proved that bust, a pair of vases or
water bottle worth sixpence is infinitely
more tempting than shilling, and tn
buyer has the satisfaction of emptyin,
the barrow laden with hashy, WORTHLESS
articles at a profit of 80 per cent.
When his original stock in trade is re
placed by wearing apparel, the hawke
adjOurns to the neighbOrhood of tn
mart, where he finds group of me-
calling themselves commission buyer
who bid against each other for the Who'll
lot. The successful competitor forth
with distributes his bargains among tn
holders of the rallied off compartment
inside, who endeavor to retail them t
the customers who have paid the er
trance fee. The best of these customer
are always Irish buyers. They carry o.
wholesale quantities for Belfast, DubliI
Cork and other localities beyond til
channel. Taking into consideration til
nature and general appearance of til
; consignments, it is startling to lear
on good authority that occasionally Sc
and even $40 have been paid down j
: cash for ORe lot. Credit is never givel
: and payment precedes the delivery
: the goods.
Hats, which, as rule, are the most d
: plOrable objects, fetch but little, yet al
. eagerly bought whatever their stat
. They are sent to Paris for the sake
/ the silk ON them and there manufacture
into new ones. Coats vary more in pri
: than any other article; some go for
!, penny, some for sixpence and upward
o 95. There was legend on the mart tn
necoat was actually sold for "a tenner
Clothes that have been worn by t,
highest and richest in the land ha
found their downward way to Hound
ditch, not excepting those once belon
ing to the Prince of Wales, not that t
u noble owners are party to the desec1
II tion. but because the Wallets whose pC
~ quisites they become know of this way
realizing money for them. The bargai
are advantageous to all parties. Sol
of the shabby, disreputable and power
IN stricken looking railing holders at t
III mart, the men who haggle desperate
Il. over n siXpence, are we'll to do capt.
e. lists. One Of them is the proprietor
al al several houses in a good quarter of LC
,e. don. Others have large balance at I
ar bank, and others still own consideral
of property in stocks and shares. Th
"a turn over thousands of pounds in I
as course of ayear, which is not surprisii
nd as the mart is opened every day and '
on tied by 900 or 700 people on week d.
M and by 1000 or 5000 on Sundays. A n
able particularly is that while ON we
days the stalls are free and charge
l, made for the admittance of the pull
on Sundays the stallholders pay sn
fee and the customers enter gratuitous
y The mart is open from II to 6. 1t
favorite lounge for the dwellers in
district, while those ON business int
flock to it from great distances.
: The old clothes mart of Hounsditc
not comprised in the list of the 100 II
- kets mentioned in the report of the C,
mittee of public control, and it L
III therefore continue to exist with impl
In ty. It has been in working order
- about so years and is an important
In its line. Its trade extends to ST
Ior md the Cape, whittier go the renova
n costumes and repaired goods. Fra
and Scotland receive their cOnsignmC
in their unregenerate state and Il
them according to their own reQu
ments.-London Cor. New York Sur