The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-08-02
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 Very Much For 1t.
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 Pills build
ings, which goes by the descriptive name
of the Old Clothes Mart. Admission to
it is obtained on payment of a 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 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 a 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 the
different vendors. The goods are packed
IN sacks or bundles deposited on the
flags, and at the open mouth or top of
each is displayed a 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 or
colorless; others are ia fairly good con-
dition, clean and seryiceable.
Old Clothes Mart is victualled by hawk
ers who haunt certain suburban districts
to purchase the cast off garments of the
more modest inha bitants-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 TAe hawkers, with astute knowl-
edge Of human nature, offer in exchange
cr0ckery, plaster figures or even flowers
in pots, experience having successfully
proved thai bust, a pair Of vases or
water bottle worth sizpence is infinitely
more tempting than a shilling, and the
buyer has the satisfaction of employing
the barrow laden with fashy, worthless
articles at profit Of so per cent.
When his original stock in trade is re-
placed by wearing apparel the hawFer
adjourns to 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 competitor forth
with distributes his bargains among the
holders of the rallied of 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
wholesale quantities for Belfast, Dublin,
Cork and other localities beyond the
channel Taking into consideration the
nature and general appearance Of the
consignments it is startling to learn
on good authority that occasionally $50
and even $40 have been paid down in
cash for one lot Credit is never given,
and payment precedes the delivery Of
the goods.
Hats, which, as rule, are the most de-
plorable objects. fetch but little, yet 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. Coats vary more in price
than any other article; some go for q
penny, some for sixpence and upward to
So. There was a legend on the mart that
one coat was actually sold for "a tenner. 3"
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 that the
noble owners are a party to the desecra-
ton. but because the Wallets whose per-
auisites they become know Of this way of
realizing money for them. The bargains
arc advauta geOu8 to all parties Some
Of the shabby, disreputable ana povaray
stricken looking railing holders at the
mart, the men who haggle desperately
over a sixpence, are well to do capital
lists. One &C them is the proprietor Of
several houses in q good quarter Of Lon
don. Others have a large balance att the
bank. and others still own considerable
property in stocks and shares. They
turn over thousands of pounds in the
course Of ayear, which is not surprising
as the mart is opened every day and Wis
tied by 600 or 200 people on week days
and by 1000 or 5000 ON Sundays. A not
able particularly is that while on week
days the stalls are free and a charge is
made for the admittance Of the public
On SUNDAYS the stallholders nay q small