The morning call., 1893-10-02
PAWNING A WATCH
An Experience in Second
Hand Stores.
ALL :. THE IRONS FETCHED.
Marie Evelyn: Experiments to See
What the: Hand Me-DOwf Estab-
Iishments Are Like.

What are the experiences of woman
driven by want to pawn her watch or. sell
her coat?
In the hard times we are just emerging
from. have heard of more than one re-
fined lady who has been forced to this last
resource, in order to raise a little ready
money. It was to find out the sort Of
trea tment that woman inexperienced in
the business would be- likely to meet with.
that l put on an old catico gown and a
frayed jacket the other evening, and went
down carrying a watch valued at $50 and
coat very slightly the worse for wear.
Outside pawnbroker's store on Kearny
street pause and hesitate. The thorough
fare is very crowded. and the. place brill
liantly lighted. it seems impossible that a
beginner would first try her. luck so pub
licly. and wander On down Montgomery
avenue to Pacific street.
There are pawnshops and hand-me-dow
stores every few steps here. One in par
ticular attracts me. 1t is little more than
shanty. with an open front, where everv
kind of rubbish. from dirty bedding to
sha bby overalis can be dimly seen by the
light If oil lamps. A stout, frowsy woman
sits lstless1v on an old seachest at the
back part of the store. -.
"What you want sell?" she questions.
with a keen glance. as | enter and ask
whether she buys secondhand clothes.
"a coat?" She takes the one L hand her
and examines it superciliously,. tnrning it
inside cut and testing the sleeves, the
pockats and all the buttonboles. -. =
"What you want?" she asks. returning
the garment with gesture that says more
more plaihlv than words what a worthless
rti oil oh nh i iS f..
however. by the reflection that it is a part
of her business to underrate a customers
goods. =:
"What will you give?' / questioned; !
SIZE shrues her shoulders impatiently.
81 did say 'What you ask p :;
81 would rather ynn made an offer. /
reply, anxious to gather some idea the
sum she is willing to pay. Evidently.this
is not the way her patrons do business, for
she stares at me stoidly and repeats,
"What you ask ?" :.
"Six dollars" I venture. remem bering
that the coat cost more than double that
amount not long ago. -. = !:
Zach! Meiu Gott in himmol!" The
woman ra ses her hands toward the dirty
ceiling, a S though calling heaven to wi t.
ness the mad injustice of such proppsal.
''Six dollar, dat coat" she repeats. taxi
ing it from me. ''You see dis rent dere."
She has turned both the sleeves side out
ard shows slight breaks in the silk lining.
"If I buy dis coat make ail*dose new.
my time fur der stitching. Ach! dis is
not worth one dollair." and she throws it
back at me, almost as If we had been play
ing game If pi'ch and toss. -
Luckily l catch the despised garment
| fore il falls on the dirty floor. although
by this time it has so sunk in inv esfima-
tinn tn at it rpunireS An effort OF will to be-
lieve it is worth anything at ALL. IF i gif
you one dollar, make not ten cents. !"
she says slowly, eyein me to see the effect
| of her words.
at would be impossible to sell it for
| less than So" reply, trying to assume: an
| air of firmness and confidence l am far
| from feeling. "Good-night, madam. They
will give me more in another store" and
shook the dust of her floor off the hem of
nv cotton gown. preparatory to leaving
the dingv store.
| "Vel, if you want der moneyso bad. l
might eif one dollar und two bits. Ach!
und dep do make nodings. sure" The
only reply TO this generous offer being a
firm re usa, the woman comes up to dol
| lar and half. This is also rejected. end
| she prepares to let me 90 in real earnest,
when thrae little urchins Chamber mn the
steps of the store. They come forward az
near together as the crowded jnmble If fur
niture, bedding and nnnameable odds and
| j
! about six. years old. carries four flatirons
| which he planks down On the seachest.
and remarks alt in a breath. "Mother says
| you've got to take those. and give me tn 9
/ twenty cents, same you did last time :"
| and he looks up at The woman, with eyes
that are too au1acious and cunning for his
i age.
Evidently the other two children have
| come with their friend to witness the
solemn ceremony Of pawning his mothers
irons. They all RaZe open-m outhed at the
pronrieiress of the shop. who says i'm
patiently: "Oh, do be tired IF dis trash.
You tell me der truth. Charley. your
/ mother be drinking again.
mo, she ain't." replies Charley, .hdgfting
restlessly and trying tu drive his ragged
shoe into pile of bedding that lies at his
| feet "Father's been on big drunk he
ain't done no work for more than a month.
T but mothers got nofin to drink-nor to
eat" eat, ! he ,,adt adds, as though that were an
"Vell. if it vas another child dat did
/ not know. / not would take dose: irons.
/ Twenty cents is too much, anyway" saws
| the woman, examining the utensils mi
1 nutely.
you gave 20 cents las. time: re-
monstrates Charley, whose pincfed little
face has suddenly grown very anxious.
last ttme!" retorts the woman scern-
|
was new; now dey be moldy old trash.
gif 10 cents" :.
."They'd nay more in the store across
dee street," bursts out one OF Charley
| witnesses.
"Go to der other store" replies the
woman. "Go!'
But Charley. made wise bv former ex-
Derience. shakes his head sadly. ::
They'd only say l stole 'em. Look
here, missis," he added with resigned
sigh, "I'll take 15 cents. IF you WONT
give me that, mother'll go out and pawn
'em. sick as she is" and rs the child picks
up his merchandise preparing to leave the
store the woman stops him with:
well. it is too much for der old trash.
but" and grumbling softly to herself
she takes the irons. and the bargain hav-
ing been duly ratified. Charley is grudg:
ingly handed the money.
He does not wait single instant after
receiving it, but bounds out of the store.
followed by his companions, rs If all three
were running for wager.
Yes. he do be one bright child" says
the woman, "but his parents. dey drinks
like fishes"
Goats seeming TO be in even less demand
than f1atirons. resolved to "pop" my
watch at the next store down the street. A
tall, elderly man is standing there at the
doorway. counting a few jngling coins in
the palms of his left hand. His clothes are