The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-07-10
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
New Light on Pawnbrokers A Bicycle
Repair Scheme-The Bandanna
as an Article of Dress.
Especial Correspondence.l

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sands Of miscellaneous articles annually
pledged in the hundreds of pawnshops
of this city and unredeemed. A pawn
broker who has made fortune out OF
the business, but who, nevertheless,
finds something to complain OF, thus
throws light on a dark subject. lie says:
"The pawnbroker's business Is not
what it once was, and at the present
time it is very slow. Goods pledged are
not redeemed as often as in years past
and these goods must be sold at auction
at the expiration of year If they are
not redeemed. We always allow on
iewelry what we think the goods would
bring if put up at auction, but frequently
it happens we are obliged to buy them
in. have known of jewelry being sold
at one of these auction sales which did
not realize even the amount loaned.
and, of course. the interest was entirely
lost AS for clothes, l have had the I'M
fortunate experience of selling what
represented advances Of $500 and reallz-
ing from the auction sale $500. Two
hundred dollars lost in this way, not to
mention the interest earned for one year,
is very heavy. These auction sales take
place on the Bowery and the clothes are
bought by dealers in Baxter street. The
jewelry goes into first class hands. All
of the large Fifth avenue houses, where
antiques are sold, and jewelry firms,
send representatives to these sales.
A New Cycling Scheme.
The numbers of plans, most Of them
legitimate, which have been devised to
lure the nimble dollar from the pockets
of devo5ees of the wheel probably run
we'll up into the thousands Every one
is familiar with the workings OF the as
sociations which for a small annual
payment insures the owner OF bicycle
against theft and replaces his wheel
with new one in case it should be
stolen and not recovered within GER
tain time, the insured meanwhile being
provided with machine for temporary
riding by the company. Now casualty
insurance concern undertakes for the
sum of 50 year to keep your bicycle IN
thorough repair, no matter IN what
manner the injury to it may have &C.
CURED. All sorts of contingent benefits
are also given.
1t has often and truly been said that
New Workers will stand more than the
people of any other city in the United
States In the feverish quest after
'metropolitanism." great many
things are tolerated which would not
be permitted for moment were it not
for the fear of being considered provln-
cial. For that reason alone they are al
lowed to continue despite the evident
lack of refinement and good taste. For
instance:
An exhibition Of neither Gmbs-not
human, but mmies-in a Broadway
shop window is attractive to some Of
the women who pass by owing to the
different classes of hosiery displayed
on them, but from the men who stop
and look at what they regard an I'M
usual sight are heard criticisms not al
ways polite. Then, again, there is on
upper Broadway store for the sale OF
surgical instruments. bandages of all
kinds and other things used by physi-
clans and surgeons which has two show
windows full Of the articles to be pur-
chased within. Public decency might
suggest that certain restrictions be
placed upon these displays, but the au-
thorities appear to be afraid to notice
them officially.
The Popular Bandanna.
A writer who is we'll posted in such
matters declares that there was never
time when the bandanna was so pOpu-
lar as an article of dress, and apart
from its present vogue for women's
wear new uses for the material have
been discovered Mems underwear, to
an extent never equaled before. has be-
come plaid and gayly colored, and the
last word in smart underclothing is the
colored bandanna. Socks are made to
match the underwear, and bandanna
handkerchiefs for mems use are seen in
all the shops that import what is new
est in mems dress. These bandannas
come from England, which started sew
eral years ago the fashion of gayly col
ored linen neckties, which has spread
now from those who make it point to
take up such new things first to those
who buy them after their popularity is
established.
Of course, bandanna pyjamas have
also arrived, and the oriental silks
which have been for long time worn
in scarfs are now sharing with the col
ored cotton goods the reputation of being
what is best and newest in men 8 under
wear. These are of dark red, blue and
green, in small eastern patterns. and
they are expensive enough to be likely
for some time yet to retain their present
exclusiveness. The well dressed man
nowadays is likely to conceal under dis
Greet and conventional outer garments
the most brilliantly colored raiment
that ever blushed unseen. Women have
still the monopoly of the bandanna for
outside wear, and while it is common
enough in shirt waists it has yet to ap-
pear in the form of mans shirt.
Grief on the New Rialto.
One of the sights of New York since
the erection of .Abbey's theater has been
the crowd of actors, soubrettes and
managers who daily congregated about
the entrances to the portion Of the build
ing devoted to offices. The fact that
musical, dramatic and booking agencies