The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-11-26
HARD LUCK WATCHES.
WHAT PAWNBROKERS MEAN BY
THAT CANT PHRASE.
Jewelry That 10 Put In Pawn Not -
Iaslisvc Necessities but to
Crafty Imaginary
Wants.

Hard luck watches are becoming ma
merous in Los Angeles.
There are every day business men who
do not know what 10 meant by hard
luck watches; but the gentlemen with
corrugated features on Main street
know, and they are more satisfied than
otherwise when one of them, accom-
panied by its owner. turns up in tAsir
loan Office, where business 10 transacted
privately, if desired.
t., hard luck watch is . pretty good
article, as rule, and the man who pre-.
sento it is pretty good fellow, but for
the time being he uses it to keep him
going. The reason the loan broker likes
to gee him is because he knows that the
rate OF interest can be stuck on little
beyond the strict letter of the law, that
the hard luck owner will redeem it. and
if he does not, that he will be able to
make several hundred per cent on it,
sale.
There are more young men, and mid
| dleaged men, too. for that matter,
around Los Angeles today who nave
hard luck watches than one would inn
agine.
The young man with q nasal twang,
who passes upon the value of the ar
ticle as it is brought into the convenient
loan Offices, has a more intimate &C.
quaintance with the boys about town
than the habitual churoh-goer would
think.
There is a sort of fascination about
putting up articles OF value for tempo
rary convenience. rather than borrow
from friends. and one thinks that it will
De so easy to redeem them.
1t 10 not always 80 easy as it seems,
and this is one reason why the windows
of the pawn shops are 80 bedecked with
things that have more value to their I'M
lucky owners than they or the broker
can ever get for them.
street that yesterday had, by actual
count, $50 watches OF all styles and vals
ues, displayed in the window. There
was not one of thoae watches which
does not represent some story OF real or
imagined want. The curious thing
about it is that probably half Of them
were 'spouted" for more or less imag-
mary wants. The owners really were
not actually in need OF the money, bus
got it to I'll some within.
Naturally the ordinary run of men
look with sort OF horror on meeting
the genial people who would let them
have So or 81 on $25 article of jewelry,
but from the pawnbrokers themselves
this horror appears to be moro apparent
| than real.
Only day or two ago a Young man
who had loaned his friend S., all no had,
snG wanted few dollars with which to
while away an afternoon, went into one
Of the Main street shops and presented
a fine gold chain for loan. He could
have gone to any of his numerous
friends and obtained the money, but
hated to do it. There was long nosed
individual at the counter, W no fixed him
with a deadly eye, and saw at q glance
that he was not one who was in real
want. He carefully weighed the chain
and announced what he would give ON
it, and it was 90 outragoously small that
the borrower attempted to stay the pro.
ceedings. When the bargain was finally
| driven he had given the young merchant
So more than he had first named, and
had fallen so per cent in what be had
originally said he would charge for the
use OF the money.
When che trade was completed, he
! was engaged in conversation and acs
knowledSed shat one Of the largest
! sources OF income OF the pawnbrokere in
Los Angeles AZ from the young fell
lows about tnwn who would pawn and
repawn their watches and other arti-
cles of value in order to have . good
time. In the majority of instances they
redeemed the pledges. but good many
OF them never came back.
He showed the couple who were in
bic place gold watch which belonged
to a man whom nearly everyone in the
city would recognize il his name was
mentioned, and said that the timopisce
was then in hia place Tor the tenth time.
Its owner was an inveterste poker
! player, and when he went broke, as he
generally did. he would come around
and get loan. He had never failed to
redeem the watch, but the loanbroker.
with TN unholy twinkle. said he would
be obliged to sell it aome time.
There is acarcely pawnshop on Main
or Spring street which has not from a
dozen to fifty hard luck watches, whick
were put in by the owners when they
had no need to do 80. and have bsen left
in because. while the boys have not
wanted the necessities of life, they have
been disappointed IN winning them out
! again,