The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-01-02
FATTEN ON POVERTY.
Sad Scenes at the Sign of the
Three Balls
The Pawnbroler's Shop ~ Resource OF
People In Need of Money--A BusI-
ness That Prospers In Hard
Times.

/ handed him little silver watch
that l paid twenty dollars for, writes
Annie Woods in the New York Re-
corder. ] had nonotion of pawning it,
but was curious to know what figures
could get on it, if !, like SO many 9TH
ers in this sad city, stood face to face
with want.
''Oh, / don't know how you do these
things here" said, '.for have never
pawned anything before"
we'll, ! gif you two thaler und a
halluf."
MERCY on usl" I could not help ex-
claiming. Il couldn't part with it for
that
i left the place and turned into the
next one, for there are plenty of them
down there. There are some in the
Bowery, and on Grand street, but they
are as thick as beehives down on Park
row and Chatham square, As entered
the door woman in black passed me.
She walked up to the pawnbroker, held
up a beautiful diamond ring, and asked
how much he would give her on it. She
said she had to have fifty dollars. "My
husband lies dead" l heard her say,
land haven't enough to bury him."
thought / detected a twinkle in his
eye, for he knew she would have to
take less money rather than keep the
stone, and it was beauty.
''That stones not worth much, said
the pawnbroker. "Yon couldn't get
more than SS5 for it, and that's all it's
worth"
The poor woman was nearly dis
tracted with grief and could stand the
strain no longer. MY husband paid
1925 for that ring and gave it to me
when we were engaged, | would
starve rather than part with it, if it
were for myself, but he must be
buried
Poor thingl she was doubtless one
among many unfortunates who were
wrecked in the last financial storm.
/ could bear this pitiful sight no
longer, and went on to the next shop.
Here l found q lot of women, with all
sorts of things. One of them pawned
pretty pair of shoes, worth 81 or S. for
80 cents.
There was pretty girl there with
her seal3ltin cape. She had it on, and
the bro .er turned her around to ex-
ami 4 fur
:. !. much do you want?" was his
first atterance.
"Oh, don't know, how much will
you give?'
well how much do you want?r
Il think l ought to get S25 for it.
my father paid $50"
"I'll give you 81" and she took it.
While l stood watching, man
peeped in rather sheepishly, saw the
crowd Of women, and went out. He
had large grip in his hand, and l
wondered what he was after, SO fol-
lowed him. / didn't have to go far,
for, as / expected, he turned into an
other pawnshop, opened his grip and
took out one thing after another.
Say, uncle, what'll you give me for
this ccat?'
The pawnbroker took it, laid it
down, turned it inside out and felt Of
y. then said it was out OF style and he
would give 81 for it.
''Holy smole!" cried the man who
was down on his luck. "Why, paid
$50 for that Prince Albert"
sit makes no differ, dot coat vas
only wort one thaler to me-" And he
stuck to it.
Then the man offered his watch. 1t
was perfect beauty. Its works were
jeweled all through, and it was solid
gold. 1t must have cost $3.50, but he
got a loan Of $50.
Nov here's ring" said the hard
up man, (which once belonged to Ros-
coe Conkling. He gave it to my fa-
ther. ! guess the governor would
feel pretty rocky If he knew / was 60
ing to hang this up. How much for
it?"
'sTree thaler und half"
"0h, well, I'll keep it then, for the
governors sake" And he picked up his
treasure and went out.
After he was gone I ventured to ask
the pawnbroker how much interest he
charged?
Tree per cent. mont"
While Twas questioning him wom-
an came in and took out pawnticket
and a roll Of bills He produced large
diamond earring and they began to
dicker about the interest. Their talk
was in German, but | managed to re-
member that ''alf monatenn meant
eleven months, and CLEANED that she
had borrowed s95. She therefore paid
s31.65 interest. If she had kept it
year she would have paid sS4.2O, more
than one third Of what, she borrowed.
Hard? Yes; but all the same the
pawnshop is the only resource of poor
people out Of work and out of money.
Never, they tell me, not in recent
years, at least, have the pawnbrokers
done such rushing business as for
the last few months. They are the
banks Of the unfortunate. They tide
over many bitter period of stress in
the lives of those in sight Of whose door
the hungry wolf always fingers
No wonder pawnbrokers never close
down.
A Hare Tropical Flower.