The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-18
A Willy OLE CLIO MAN
uow HE STOPPED THE YOUNG MAN
AND GOT A QUARTER.
xs.,sining q Few Secrets of the Trade.
why Some Well Dressed Men Are So
,,oited While Others Are Never APP
nroached-Trading with the "vaIIey."

For n long time the young man had
vondered why all the old clothes men i'm
town had picked him out from all the
ether Young men in the street and offered
70 buy his old clothes, hats, shoes and
shirts and give him fabulous prices for
them.
Az first the offers had flattercd him, and
no felt that indeed he must be "a well
dressed young man TO be noticed even by
as humble person as an old clothes man,
hut as the offers became more frequent
and the would be buyers more insistent
doubt took the place of pride, and he be-
Gan to suspect that it might be something
besides his immaculate make up that drew
the merchants TO him.
Henoticed that although they invariably
accosted him. they had way of totally
ignoring other young men that were quite
as well if not great deal better dressed
than he was. This discovery worried him
and hurt his pride not a little. He de-
oided that from the next one who tackled
him he would find out just why he had
done it and why he had not tackled the
other young man.
He found out. The man who prowls up
and down Broadway between Twenty
third and Twenty eighth streets every
afternoon gave him the information. After
he had finished the old stereotyped speech,
II beg pardon, sir, but have you any old
clothes or old shoes or hats to sell?'' the
young man stopped him.
AZ haven't any old clothes, or old hats,
or old shoes, or any other old things to
sell, but if you'll come around the corner
where we can be out of the way III just
give you 25 cents to find out why you
thought had them to sell and why all
your gang always think So"
The young man tipped a quarter from
one hand to the other as an evidence of
good faith, and the old clothes broker,
wondering, but fierce for the quarter, fol-
lowed him.
SNOW" demanded the young man,
when they had turned down Twenty fifth
street. "why is it that you struck me for
old clothes and let that gentleman just
ahead of me go along his way unmolestedY
He was as well dressed, wasn't her"
81 get the quarter, do /, whether / hurts
your feelings or not?" asked the merchant.
"You get the quarter, however much
you lacerate my feelings. Go ahead"
"Well, SIR said the broker confiden-
TALLY, 1.-THE reason didn't ask that other
gentleman was because he was better
QTcSScu Undu yOu I1c uOu lOOh uO lliCcT
you understand me-" he added quickly,
"but you see his clothes cost more when
he bought 'em. They are made to order
and costs him probably $50. Well get 'em
all right in time, but not from him.
"Now, while your clothes is nice and
tidy and Stylish they amt made to order
and they didn't cost you no $50 when you
bought them, and yet they didn't come
from one of them sig made to order places
"Now, we has to be good judges Of hui
man nature in this business. We has to
be able to pick out of that crowd on Broad
way the young gentlemen who likes to
look nice and stylish, but hasn't just got
the price. We takes the men who we think
have to study and worry around before
getting suit of clothes or an overcoat
Maybe they're thinking how they can get
hold of a couple of dollars when we asks
them. If they are, then we gets 'em.
"I've had 'em shake me off and walk q
block before they thinks what was say
ing Then it occurs to 'em, and they
walks back and says: You come around
to So-and-sos. Maybe I've got an old suit
you can have.
thine and again I've had that happen,
and let me tell you now / don't get the
old suit they were going to let me have
without working for it, They have an
idea I'm going to give them a few dollars
less than they pays for it, and that is
where they gets fooled. In these days OF
garments made to order for SIS or $40 they
amt no money in this business for us. F."
We'll, you never tackled me and had
me walk block and come back, did your"
the young man asked.
Maybe l never did, but we all has to
take chances. Now, you looked as If you
might come back Not that think you
were thinking about where to get 81 or
%, but you have that kind of appearance. !"
What kind Of an appearance is that
kind?''
well, replied the broker, "while you
look jaunty all right, you look as if you
didn't get that way without studying and
thinking about it. Your trousers look as
II you might have creased them yourself,
and your coat don't match them, and your
vest don't match your coat. Your collar
amt one of them 40 centers either, and
your shoes have been patched and you put
backing over 'em to hide the patch. Amt
right9"
The young man admitted that he was.
But you said you would get that other
chaps clothes somehow. How are you
going to do thatP'
Through his servant That's where
we gets 80 per cent Of our good clothes.
That man has either got valley of his
own or else there is a man in the house
where he lives. When he gets tired of the
clothes, he gives them to his valley or to
the servant in the house, and they gives
EN- to us. All those valleys for the dudes
knows were we lives, and they comes right
around and gives us their trade
Say, and they amt SO easy, either.
They all throws bluff that their bosses
told 'em not to sell under a certain price,
and they holds out sometimes for an hour
or So but notice they generally comes to
an agreement whether the boss says SO or
not.
II amt deceiving you, though, about
there being no money in the business. We
buys summer clothes in the fall, has to
store 'em all winter, and fix 'em up In the
spring, SO they re in style and keep the
moths out and we has to do the same
thing In winter. There amt no money
In 1t after it's all done. Does l get the
quarter now?'