The herald., 1895-03-17
SOr1E STRAY.
INFORMATION REGARDING
THE JUNK TEN
Like the Proprietor of Bons Bower the Junk
Dealers Their the Dust Heaps
Where All Junk Comes from


I take care of the bar and rod iron and run
it over again. Puddlers take the cast iron
fragments melt them over again and turn
them into something that will sell as new.
The basis of the price is pig iron at all
times. When that rules high scrap iron
is worth more money. When it is low
little boys are more and more disappoint-
ed with the heaps they have saved in the
cellar or at the side::of the barn.
Railroads are the greatest producers OF
scrap. They have a constant accuumla-
ton OF bits of metal of one kind and an
other, and they send circulars around now
and then to the dealers stating that they
have certain stated amount of certain
stated qualities OF scrap, and inviting
bids. The dealers send in their bids, and
the hest bidder gets the lot.
But they look 1t over first And so well
are they trained that they can tell to a
nicely Just how much OF value has been
lost in the heaps for which they are max
ing offerings.
Then the successful bidder calls on the
rolling mill men and the iron workers
and tenders whatever he wants to sell.
Often, if the lot be large and the market
not very active he will handle Il thousand
ton lot at % cents a ton commission. 1t
amounts in case like that, to a simple
commission business.
The dealers themselves send out circu
lars over the country frC m time to time,
quoting prices and soliciting business.
In the old days rolling mills could not
use pig iron. They had to depend upon
scrap. And when a heavy snow fell, the
price of scrap would rise amazingly. But
now, not only can the mills use pig, but
the yards themselves have such excellent
order that the snow cannot affect their
stocks.
For there is something creditable in the
order to be found in a yard of the scrap
iInrr In s,ft t,Op Stf,n,
shears are used and all the wrought iron
is cut up into bits, so as TO be ready for
the furnace. The cast iron is broken into
fragments with sledges in the hands of
muscular men. And everything is as
sorted and corded up in the most system
ATTIC manner.
But everything is there These estab-
lishments buy everything in the shape OF
metal that can be sold again, and at Il
profit. In one place are the fragments of
wrought iron, with a front wall of perfect
alignment, and a mass of many dollars
worth over there behind it. And there is
east iron in another place, and what was
once hoop iron in another, and plate iron
OF every degree of thickness, and stacks
Of rods of varying sizes and lengths, with
bars disposed in order.
And there are, in other and more Sc
cure places, metals of greater value. as the
copper and brass that comamand higher
inquire anu are less generous III Tue oller-
ing; lead both in damaged pipe and in
the ingot ready for casting, and any
quantity of rubber of various kinds. All
this means the asserting in Il hundred
smaller establishments, and the bringing
together here in the wagons of dealers
who in turn have bought them OF boys,
black smiths and score OF other little
dealers.
Bottles are differ mt. AS long a the
maker of bottle is in business and cs
the same shape vessel, his bottles are
sure of a ready sale. Saloon-keepers will
sell you two bottle of beer for quarter
and tell YOU to return the bottles. You
always agree to do SO and never do it. He
didn't expect you to- But there are
others, and they bring the bottles hack
And the saloon-keeper saves them ar
turns them in as a credit
And the bottles you do not bring back
usually find their way in spite OF you.
Some fall into the hands of boys, some
are "swiped' from the window SILL more
or less full of beer, which has been put
there to cool: some are thrown at noisy
cats in the night by boarders on the up