The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-11-24
FATTEN ON POVERTY.
Sad Scenes at the Sign of the
Three Balls.
The PawHbroker's Shop "A ReSourc. ,r
People in Need of nIoney-A Isusl-
ness That Prospers Ia Hard
Times.


How much you want for dat,
watch?r he asked.
| handed him a little silver yyatol.
that l paid twenty dollars for writ.
Annie Woods in the New York E.
corder. had no notion Of pawniuo +,
but was curious 20 know what laiI-...
could get ON il, If /, like 50 man. ..,..
ers in this sad city, stood face tu f...,.
with want.
"Oh, don't know how you do tI....
things here ] said, for ! have. u,.,..-
pawned anything before"
We'll, / gif you two thalcr und u
halluf"
Mercy on u.s. ] could not hern.,
claiming. Il couldn't part with n f..r
that
left the place and turned irr. ,r..
next one, for there are plcnt1.uf rI....
down there. There atc some 81. ,..
Bowery. and on Grand street but tr.
are as thick as beehives down OH I,.-..
row and Chatham square. A. .nt,.-.I
the door woman ia bIacl, passed r....
She walked up 10 the pawnbI,. SER .....r
up "A beautiful diamond ring. araa.....
how much he would give her on at ,....
husband lies dead ! heard 4.r ...
and ! haven't enough 10 bury L.n.
L thought detected a tyiu..Ic D.. r..
eye. for he kEew she would have. g..
take less money rather ,hau kr,u ,...
stone, and il was beauty
That stones not worth much Said
the palynbroller. 'You couldn't ....
more than 50 for il, and that all .r.-
worth"
The poor woman was nearly dis
tracted with grief ans could stand r..
strain no longer. My hu- band Maid
Sl25 for that ring and gave 81 ta r..
when we were engaged. uuu.H
starve rather than part with II. .f f,
were for myself, but he must ...
buried"
Poor thing! she was douhtlr.- ar,
among many unfortunate who .....r..
wrecked in the last financial storm
could bear this pitiful .Ig.r DAD.
longer, and went ON 10 the nest .U..u
Here / found lot Of women. s..tI..I
sorts Of things. one Of them U4uu.|s
pretty pair Of shoes worth 81 COR s., t.r
80 cents.
There was a pretty girl there VIVA
her seal,kin cape. She had it uu. 800.
the broker turned her around ta.,.-
anime the fur
How much do you want" was tl-
first uttcrance.
''oh, ! don't know, how much SSH
you give"
well how much do you want
Il think ! ought % get 50 for 70
my father paid 500"
I'm give you So and she took 81
While / stood watching. Iaar
peeped in rather shecpishly. saw ta..
crowd OF women. and wen. out u.
had a large grip in has hand. and
wondered what he was after. -1 ] fa..
lowed him. / didn't have to rp fa-.
for, as / expected, he turned into an
other pawnshop. opened Ai- grip ami
took out one thing after another
say, uncle. whatll You give me f.r
this coat?-'
The pawnbroller took it. laid t
down. turned il inside ont and frItuf
II. then sand IL was ont OF stvlc and Boo.
would give 81 for il.
Holy smoke" cried the man who
was down on his luck. Why. ! palI
500 for that Prince Albert"
1t makes no differ. dot coat va-
only wort one thaler 10 me" Aud h,
stuck to il.
Then the man offered his watch. D.
was a perfect beauty. Its work, ygcr..
jewelcd all through. and IL was solid
gold. II must have cost $50. but Doe
got a loan of $50.
Now here's a ring" said the hard
mp man. which once belonged 10 E9--
coe Conlling. lie gave IL to my fa-
ther. / guess the governor would
feel pretty rocky # lac llney, I was ru-
ing 10 hang this up. How much for
it?"
Tree thaler und a half"
''Oh, well, III keep il then. for -thr
governors sake" Ard he picked uphl-
treasure and went out
After he was gone ] vcutured toa-s
the pawnbrolIer how much interest Doe
charged?
Tree per cent. n mont
While 1 was questioning him uum-
an came in and took ont a pauutfrzrr
and roll of bills lie produced "a larg.
diamond earring and they began o.
dicller about the interest Their talk
was in German, but / managed o.. r.-
member that 'alf monat,.u" meant
eleven months. and CLEANED thai she
had borrowed S95. She therefore paid
5@lG5 interest. II she had kept ira
year she would have paid SaLgn. NOR,
than one third of what she borrowed.
Hard? Yes; but all the same the
nawnahop is the only resource of poor
people out Of work and out of money.
Never, they tell me, not iu recent
,ears, at least, have the pawabrplcr~
lone such rushing bu~ine-, a~ for
he last few months. They are OBJ.
banks of the unfortunate They tide
'ver many "A bitter period of strr>. iu
he lives of those in sight Of hose door
he hungry wolf always fingers.
No wonder pawnbroLers never close
IOVxu