Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1895-12-22
S1sTTYS PANI8R0NER.
Bah Attends the Sale Of Unredeem-
ed Pledges at the Modern
Money LOaners.


NAME PAWN SHOP ON FIFTH
! ANENUE-BUYING BACK TRIM
KETs AND TREASURES ON THE
| INSTALL8IENT PLAN-BEAUTI.
FUL WOMEN, MILLIONAIRES
AND PEOPLE FROM THE OTHER
SIDE" AT TIE SALE-BAB HELPS
A POOR WOMAN-THE PATHETIC
CHRISTMAS HISTORY ATTACH
Ed TO A MOURNING VEIL-THE
TRUE XMAS SPIRIT ONLY
ABIDES WITH THOSE WHO HAVE
MADE OTHERS HAPPY-MEMOR-
les THE FESTIVAL DAY OF THE
CHRIST MOTHER AND CHILD RE
/ CALLS.
(From Our Regular Correspondent
New York, December 20, 1895.
1t was a very queer crowd-in the eX-
/ reme front were the pawnbrokers from
OH the Bowery. Among them, and
around them were fashionable women
who looked frightened because their
| sables were little too close to shabby
/ Oyercoats, and because their ears were
/ shocked by loud voices. 1t was the sale
/ OF s0cletys pawnshop-t is 10 say,
! the pawnsh0ps that society, properly
enough. is backing. The pdWnshOp
permits YOU TO get back whatever you
pawn on the installment plan and all
/ the percentage that it asks is a very
/ small one so that your hearts blood is
/ not dragged from you. and there is some
I chance for the poor. But there were so
many things not called for and there
/ had to De q sale To be in harmony,
| this sale took place in a fashionable
auction room on Fifth avenue. The
/ day before some beautiful pictures were
I sold. and the newest beauty tiirted with
the handsCmest millionaire. and there
| was % mixed 0dor of yiOlets and sable,
| while the seats were filed by people who
| at night occupy boxes at the opera.
/ The -Four Hundred usually 80 to this
auction room, but to-day il was the rep
| reseutatiyeS OF the four million who
[ were there
POVERTY AND WEALTH AT THE
SALE.
How the dealers did lean forward to
look al the diamonds They were so
eager that they were told to sit down.
! And such piciful diamonds as they werei
/ Good enough stones, but those in rings
Were set as YOU remember your moth
/ er's engagement ring was. Those in
brooches were in the deep, old-fashion-
ed way tha, didn't bring out the bright
ness OF Che stone. but which was
| thought very smart fifty years ago.
There were Old-fashioned breastpins,
such as gentlemen used to wear in their
/ scarfs. there was a founce of Spanish
/ lace-whose dress had it trimmed?
| There was o little watch with an open
| face and on the back was engraved TO
[ the One Woman from Him who was
she?
My neiehbOr on my right was a shah
/ by woman. not pleasant 10 look upon.
/ She was thin. she was tall, her features
were sharp and she had that peculiar
air that one sees among the people Of
the other side of never having been
[ satisfied Never having been warm
enough, never having had clothes
enough. and never having had quite
| enough to eat She had on a black
alpaca dress. q miserable looking black
crepe bonnet. while a shabby blue and
+ green shawl was wrapped around her
/ shoulders. She pushed her way through
I the crowd. bringing a stool with her,
showed me closer to the wall. placed
/ her stool and seated herself. Then she
| borrowed my catalogue. She turned
over several pages and heard her say
/ to herself 'Tain't come up vet She
/ continued talking, and although l did
not understand every word, / did hear
/ her say. "If I'd got here before the
/ sale c-wmelce "a -b-re'd q been trouble;
| but when you hire out for day, people
| they say,
GIMME A DAY
| but I was bent on comm here this af-
/ ,eruo-1 10 60, that.
/ Rings were sold: watches were sold;
/ there were so many wedding rings sold.
and then. there was q child's necklace
put un-a string of coral beads with a
/ tinv euamelcd clasp. ! glanced at my
peighbOr. thinking ii was that in which
/ she was interested, but no; she evident
| Is cared nothing for it, In a few min
/ u-es ] telt her touch me on the arm. /
| looked around and smiled. She said.
Lady. would yCtI be afraid TO bid on
ANYTHING" / told her l wouldn't, and
/ then She asked. IF / start, and don
/ get right. viii YOU straighten me-
promised. Then l heard her say. Il
1 had enough TO pay for the ticket. but
/ q h9ndsCm thing ike that well-there S
no tellin' what some of these fashion
able folks viii DO
Suddenly the aUcticneer said: 81 am
| not I'm the habit OF selling dry goods
! but" There was a hush. and for
once the brokers were silent. And /
knew. FIN some queer way, some mex
/ prca5la way. tha, what my neigh6or
had come for was put mp. lt was not a
| diamond ring, IL was not beautiful
/ watch: 10 was NOT long gold cham; II
was only q mourning veil For a sec
ond and e seemed like an hour, nobody
bid. Then the aUcJi0neer said, Won
somebody start tbis?' Somebody did
Tor 50 cents. In a second my nelghbor
was ON her feet AMI il was raised TO
10 cents. Her opponent called out a
dollar. She raised Il quarter He
made II q dollar and half. she raised
ir another quarter. lie MADE IL Two
! dollars. She sat down, the tears
streaming down her face. / heard her
saw. 81 amt got a penny more, an l
can't ge- it,
RAR EXTENDS a HELPING HAND.
I fitted my muff way up in the air.
| The aucuoneer saw if. and the veil was
knocked down 70 me for two dollars and
q baT. She looked at me quickly. She
saw the smile on my face. the smile
that s-ruxgied VIII tears for supremacy
and She realized the truth. Grasping
INV e-9ved hand in her hard, rough one.
sba said. I'm work il out But l