The evening world., 1894-04-26
A WILLIE BOYS WARDROBE.
1T LOOKS GORGEOUS, but 1T
DOESN'T REPRESENT MUCH.
The Extensive Use to which Sec
ond-Hand Clothing Is Put.

"Sec that standing at the corner?'
asked a Pittsburg detective Of a Dis
patch reporter. The reporter nodded,
and the man of tips continued: He Is
what we call a secondhand man. Those
creased trousers, that Willie-boy hat,
that nice Summer coat. those buff shoes
and fancy umbrella he carries are all
articles that have been cast off by men
Of money and business. They have been
bought at the little repair shops about
town. He is a very pretty but a very
cheap Willie n the country Is full of
them"
The old sleuth went on to explain that
In many of the dark and dingy little
stores and shop, Of which there are a
thousand scattered about every large
prosperous people. c~ast-off articles are
repaired, cleaned me made to look like
new The detectives know the places
thoroughly, because they search them
prietors are honest. Woodworking people,
as a rule. but they are frequently i'm
posed on by peddlers. who go from house
to house, swapping wares of small value
for junk, old clothing, old shoes, old
hats. broken umbrellas, damaged bric-a-
brae n almost everything used in the
best residences and stables that the
owners are glad to get rid of.
A search among these little shops re-
vealed the fact that many men make an
honest living for themselves and families,
TO engage in other branches of trade
in more pretentious quarters. From the
door of a little room not over six feet
doors from Smithfeld street. hangs an
unattractive sign which reads: "Cmbrel-
las Repaired Here" on the step stands
a rack containing a great variety OF
weather-beaten umbrellas.
In this little room. the four sides OF
which are lined with glass cases anc
man, with a striped apron reaching from
his collar to his knees, is busy at his
workbench opposite the door. and Z
an umbrella as quickly as the bargain
can be made, occupies a chair at his
right. There are several thousand UNI
the wall, and a stock Of hne covering:
that would not be expected there. They
VIII recover an umbrella while yot
walt and the materials are from the
cheapest fabric to the most expensive
silks.
The covers are already made up, In as
sorted sizes, to suit the various length!
of umbrellas, and several drawers a!
large as steamer trunks are packed full
of them. Handles and frames in endles.
variety are carried in stock, and Otter
the handles are the most expensive part
A notice posted up in big letters an
nounces that the proprietor will not b'
responsible for umbrellas left for repairs
which are not called for in sixt!
days Hundreds are never called for
and these are sold to anybody. VIII
wants them. Old or broken umbrellas a
these repair shops are also purchased
made new again and resold:
The collection of umbrellas that fn'
their way Into these little shops is Yer.
odd. and the histories of some of then
are interesting. A few of the most beau
tiful handles bear monographs or in
scriptions announcing a birthday. a wed
ding the anniversary, a Christmas or o
some occasion when a beautiful presen
would be appropriate. Not a few o
them come from pawn-shops, wher
they have been soaked without getinI
vet . Ar umbrella man said yesterda,
that he bought a lot Of unredeemed UNI
bIellas from a pawnbrSker; fifteen Q o
a wealthy business man of tn
gentleman firing of the recklessnes
habits Of the boy. had ceased to provid
him with spending money over a Ger
tain amount, which was not large. TIL
young man could, however, increase tn
family bills at hat. shoe. tailoring an
d~ry-goods establishments to his heart
content.
When short of funds for a lark tn
swift. young man would beat the gam
or 500 umbrella on his own account an
A putting 1t up with his uncle" for s..
The secondhand shoekeeper can ais
tell interesting stories. These places ar
n scattered all over the city. and ther
r are ten times as many OF them as of tn
!, umbrella shops. The proprietors bu
: their stocks almost exclusively of pee