The morning news., 1897-03-18
AN ODD SHOP.
Place of Business of the Queerest
PawnbrOl<er in the World.
From tha Hartford Tirres


PawnbrOlxer in the World.
From the Hartford Times.
The queerest pawnbroker in the world
lives in London. He has enough odd Things
in his little establishment to stock half a
dozen curiosity shops. Hard-up sailors
form the great bulk of his customers, and
there are not many seamen on the Lon
don boats who have not heard of Jacks
pawn broker.
"Out of the 100000 articles that are daily
pawned in London" said the obliging lit
tie man. II may safely say that the most
out-of-the-way fall to my share. Why, 1
take IN museums over the counter every
day. My pawn tickets travel as many
miles in a year as those of any twenty
pawnbrokers in the kingdom. Then, again,
my customers are scattered all over the
earth, and there aren't many people can
say that.
There is no crowd outside my shop
door on a Monday morning like there is
at other pawnbrokers' but just before a
big vessel is due to sail a little body of
seamen will come bundling in, carrying
stuffed fish, foreign china, models of ships
and similar things. Then, as soon as a
ship arrives from abroad a great many
goods are taken out, presents of fruit being
often brought to me by the owners when
they have been on long voyages
Here you are! Here's some of this
mornings pledges: Pair of torture tongs
one ear trumpet. box of shells, horn tele-
scope china god, stuffed albatross, Zulu
toothpick, one swordhsh, and a dried
Egyptian"
"A dried Egyptlan?"
fYes, that's right. It's the mummy or
Nsa.v, .1,t1 j. -
Towers of London added up. Nearly every
sailor that goes to Egypt tries to get hold
of such prize, but very few manage it.
Oh, It's worth something, too, dusty as it
looks. Don't you run away with the idea
that they're plentiful because the British
museum has whole heap of them; num-
mics are not picked up every day.
But it isn't because they want money
that a lot of sailors pawn these goods.
They just make my wearhouse a sort of
safe deposit. When the things are pawned
they put the money in the bank, and pay
the interest on their goods as long as they
remain in my possession. Look at those
vases above your head.
They" whispered my informant mys-
teriously, ARE worth a little fortune.
They represent nearly every nation in the
world, and are one Of the finest collections
In the country. Each time the owner
comes home from a voyage he adds fur
ther specimens, and pays the interest.
There's fine collection of foreign moths
on the top shelf In the corner. / have
taken care Of those for the captain of
sailing vessel for the last eight years.
Now I'll show you some queerer pledges.
Come along this passage.
Don't be afraid" said the busy lit
tie man. as we dived into a dark room
where a shabby monkey sat munching,
and a couple Of parrots hoped about
in cages; 1T isn't a private menagerje;
they are up the spout Fifteen shil-
lings that monkey is In for, ten-and-six
each the parrots, and a half-a-crown
that chamelon in the glass case Yes.
I'm about the only man that would
take in such goods. I won't have any,
thing to do with strange animals: every
one of those belong to customers. who
have dealt with me for years. There Is
no twelve-months' system about this de-
partment; II the animals are not taken
away in fortnight, IL is understood that
l shall sell them.
Captains Of merchant vessels buy I'm
most of my unredeemed pledges In the
way Of clothing. Many OF them keep a
sort Of slop-chest,' into which all these
articles are put being sold off to the sea-
men on the vessel when out az sea. Some
captains do very good business In this
way, as a great number of sailors go Off
In a hurry without sufficient kit.
But, IN any case, there are plenty OF
people always on the lookout for odds
and ends ~ long as they are cheap"