Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-10
ton in quality. as some may have learned

ton in quality, as some may have learned
to their sorrow, paying one-half cent a
pound for rags of all sorts. five cents a
hundred for cast iron. ten cents a hundred
for wrought iron, and one-quarter cent a
pound for bones. After sorting, however,
they sell to the junk men at a considerable
profit. When they have sorted their cartful
into the necessary classihcations the various
articles are separately. pile by pile, dumped
into a wheelbarrow, run on the scales of
the junk man, and paid for accordingly
Many of the colored people of the city sort
their rags and other articles themselves.
and take their sortings directly to the deal
ers. In order to get the increase ordinarily
going to the rag collector. They never get
quite as much as the rag man, however.
and 1t Is safe to say that they often get
pretty badly fooled For Junk men, al
though bland and smiling of countenance,
have an eye to business and will usually
pay You In an inverse ratio. accordingly
as ne sizes up your readiness to be soaked.
Affected by Hard Times.
The rag business has not escaped the uni
versal fate. and has been affected by the
hard times like everything else in the en-
tire category Of professions and trades
When questioned about 1t one Of the guild
became mournful and said, in tones reek-
ing with woe: Lord, boss, why they hain't
no bizness tall MOVIE days Folks CANT sell
der rags; dey has to wear 'em. 1 use ter
make mos SIS a week, an didn't coun'
Sataday no day unless 1 made $3.50. but
now thanks heaven If I makes 81 80 a
week. does Why. yesterday 1 seed a man
sell whole cart load of iron fob Just seb-
enty cents, an eff he make mob en- a nickel
on it, may de Lawd vishit me dis night
with Hghtnin' streak. Wust of 1t were
DAT as soon as he gifts his money he goes
cross de street an gifts two beers So you
see he Is out five cents foh de days wuck
Lawdy; no. boss, deb hain't no bizness now
No, indeedyi'
The calling nf i,,pt v,,an ,,,o.- -
pear to be very high one. but it takes a
shrewd business sense, and there is really
good deal OF money made out of it. Be
sides this there are some large junk firms
having branches in several of the big cities.
the management of which takes a brainy
man. and one who Is paid accordingly
Some of His Peculiarities.
The rag man himself Is a gentle soul, but
he is sometimes aggravating. He can never
be found when wanted. You may hear him
dozen times a day when you have no use
for him. but as soon as you have he will
purposely avoid your alley for weeks. Then
he will come suddenly when you are in the
midst of some all-absorbing labor You will
drop everything and rush to the back alley
at once only to find him. however. we'll on
his way toward Georgetown. In Baltimore
both white and colored men work in the
rag business, while in Philadelphia the
Italians monopolize the business but in
neither or these cities is the class of men so
uniformly good as here, where they are
said as rule to be among the most honest
and Industrious of their kind. Incidentally
another trial is that the rag man never
quite sticks to schedule prices, and has a
way of giving you about half rates by lump
Ing things. If you don't like it you have to
lump II too. He may go to church four
times on Sundays, but on week days he has
family to support and is sometimes as
peculiar as the heather Chinee." He will
give you ten-cent piece when he ought to
give you half dollar for your carefully
boarded pile. but somehow you never real
lie that he has cheated you until he is out
of reach. That makes you feel amiable, and
in the sheer goodness of your heart you
poise half brick in your hand and chiv-
alrously hurl 1t at the innocent cat sleeping
in your best misunderstanding flower
bed. You do not hit the animal, of course.
but you feel more charitable toward the rag
man.
There is no use Of kicking about the ways
of the rag man and the junk shop. though.
for they are as immovable as Gibraltar or
an avenue car when the cable gets weary
and stops to rest They will do just as they
please, your entreaties notwithstanding. and
though mel may come and men may go,
the rag man and his cart, the poet
should have said, but died before he had
time, will go on forever.