The herald., 1895-03-17

gather up a lot OF paper Gags, old paper,
and broken cast-iron and empty bottles,
and figure how much money it all will
bring, and they have very good tine
spending in fancy the money that will be
theirs as soon as the rag mai comes
around again. And they charge their
mo hers to let them know when on, in
vades the neighborhood, and are too mad
to eat supper if one gets past without
their having been informed.
And then comes one along and the boys
hear him, and they rush to get him and
their plumber together, and they stand in
a tremble while he turns it over disdain-
fully, and their spirits fall perccptibly as
his investigation shows one after another
the bad points, and then they hear the
knell of their hopes when he offers them
fifteen cents for what they had fondly
hoped would bring 81.
But he always buys it. If he doesn't
the first time, he will the second, for the
territory belongs to him, and no rival in
business will ever trouble him. And the
boy declares at supper that is the last time
he will ever gather up junk.
The old iron man has regular client
age, and he visits its members regularly.
Many of them are blacksmiths, and they
save up the worn out horseshoes. Nothing
makes blacksmith so mad as TO see a
patron pick up the old horseshoes and
carry them away Though the value is
small. the principle offends him.
The junk man loads his wagon about
four times day, if he be an active fellow
and have good circuit. Each time he
runs in at the yard of his patron and has
his plumber weighed. On level basis
he can make from 81 to 81 a day with his
horse and wagon. Sometimes he can
make a good deal more, by buying valu-
able articles at much less then they are
worth and selling them at a proper price.
Rt1f la h,,ci Sc Ill In,
the first place there is the license and
the consequent limit placed on his opera
tions. Then, if he does buy valua BILE
piece of property at a bargain, he likely to
have it taken away from him by some one
who proves the seller stole it. And so the
Junk man loads his wagon with trouble
as well as trumpery at times.
There was a time and a place when
there was money in junk. Just after the
Chicago fire there were simply mountains
of scrap to be had for the asking-and TAX
ing away.
\ good many men went into the bust
ness. They did not confine themselves to
Chicago scrap entirely, but bought all
around the neighboring country and sold
in carload lots in.Chicago.
But the business was the same as that
followed by the local dealers.
And there was at that time but two in
the business in wholesale way. One was
INV. Nicholson, now II the coal business,
and the other was Warren Springer-still
somewhat known in Chicago. These two
knew something about the relative values
of scrap, and they said nothing about it
TO the scrap men from whom they bought
theirp under
I'VE didn't know said one of the
smaller dealers !w spSsaking OF the d matter after
didn't tell u.s.. And the result was that
scrap which sold to the two magnates for
$40 Il ton was stored, and perhaps half of it
would command twice or three times as
much money in the market, while even
the less valuable would sell at a reasona-
bic profit IL is said that Nicholson and
his three partners, with an Investment
of $1,000 cleared $500 600 from the time of
the fire to the end of 1872. Still the Junk
men themselves did very well. Often
they were able to get material without
buying it, a thing they cannot do now,
as owners have not the same inducement
now to have their premises cleared up
after fire. And quite a number of the
men who were then in the business in
small way have prospered and are still
well known in trade. Some have gradu-
ated to other branches of business, some
are rich, and some have gone themselves
to that refuse end of life where we are
simply things, and persons no longer.
II would seem that the burning Of the
buildings at the Worlds Fair, and the
mass of iron thrown on the market would
affect the business somewhat. But it
doesn't.
1T is like dipping a bucket of water
from the lake." said one OF the largest
dealers, "or like throwing a bucketful
of water in. 1t doesn't make ripple of
difference The total business of Chicago
will amount to millions OF tons year. !"
After all the different hands the foundry
men are the last factor to be considered.
They buy all the iron. Rolling mills can