The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-07-27
"A HISTORIC MARKET.
OLD CLOTHES IN LONDON ALL DRIFT
TO A FAMOUS PLACE.


! Can't Pay Very Much For 1t.
Down in the unsavory and ill 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 aame
of The Old Clothes Mart. Admission to
it is obtained on payment of penny as
entrance fee, collected by u man stand
ing at the barrier that divides the seaact
from the emporiums beyond. The gen
eral aspect is far from inviting. and a
first cursory glance seems to reveal only
collection of rags and decrcpitude. 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 lamentable appear
ance.
There are no benches or stalls, as i'll
other markets, only lines of wooden rail
ing running along the Enclosure marked
out in lengths and apportioned to the
different vendors. The goods are packed
In sacks or bundles deposited on the
flags, and ut 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, battered or
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 nhabitants-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. The hawkers, with astute knowl-
edge of human nature, offer in exchange
crockery, plaster figures OF even flowers
in pots, experience having successfully
proved that n bust, pair of vases or n
water bottle worth sixpence is infinitely
more tempting than a shilling, and the
buyer has the satisfaction of emptying
the barrow laden with fiashy, worthless
articles at profit of 80 per cent.
When his original stock in trade is re-
placed by wearing apparel, the hawlser
adJourns to the neighborhood of the
mart, where he finds a group of men
calling themselves commission BUYERS
who bid against each other for tho whole
lot. The successful competitor forth
with distributes his bargains among the
holders OF the rallied off compartments
inside, who cndeavor to retail them to
the customers who have paid the ell
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
conslSnments, It is startling to learn
on good authority that occasionally ESQ
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-
ploiablc objects, fetch hut little, yet are
eagerly bought whatever their state
They are sent 10 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 a
penny, some for >ixpencc and upward 10
80. There was a legend OH the mart that
onocoat was actually sold for "a tcnncr."
Clothes that have been worn by iho
highest and richest in the land have
found their downward way to Hounds
ditch, not excepting those onco belong
ing to the Prince of Wales, not that the
noble owners are party to the desccra-
ton, but because the Wallets whose per-
qulsites they become know of this way of
realizing money for them The bargains
are advantageous to all parties. Some
of the shabby, disreputable and poverty
stricken looking railing holders at the
mart, the men who hagglo desperately
over sixponce, are we'll to do capital-
lists. One OF them is the proprietor of
several houses in good quarter of Lon
DON Others have large balance at the
bank, and others still own considerable
property in stocks and shares. They
turn over thousands of pounds i'm tho
course of aycar, which is not surprising.
Is the mart Is opened every day and Wis
1ted by 600 or 200 people OH week DAYS
and by 1000 or 5000 on Sundays. A not
able particularly is that while on week
days the stalls are free and charge is
made for the admittanco of tho public
on Sundays the stockholders pay small
fec and the customers enter gratuitously.
The mart is open from IL to 6. 1t is n
favorite lounge for the dwcllers i'll the
district, while those on business intent
flock to it from great distances
The old clothes mart of Houns1itch is
not comprised i'll the list of the 100 mar
kets mentioned in the report of the com
mittee of Dnbljc control and IL NAV