Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1897-05-19
PROFITABLE SWEEPlNGS.
Making Use of Odds and Ends-Ships'
Perquisites for Sailors.

Making Use of Odds and Ends-ships'
Perquisites for Sailors.
I claim to be the proprietor Of the
very cheapest shop in London, and
without me some of the poorest of the
poor would have to go to even shorter
of the necessaries of life than they do
at present. The majority of my things
are of first-class quality, and l retail
them at often less than half the price
of the most inferior stuff on the mar
ket, and make handsome profit, too.
How do l manage it?
1 am what you might term a river
marine store dealer. Everyday upon
the falling tide I proceed down the
river with my smell barge and boat
and make my way to any ship or craft
which has just discharged or is dis
charging her cargo. The sweepings OF
the ship are what 1 trade in.
When a ship arrives at it's destina-
tion, no matter what cargo she has,
the owner of the cargo engages extra
men to help the sailors get it out
While this work is in progress part
OF the cargo-more especially If it is
in bags-is sure to get spilled about
the hold and deck. When the ship has
finished discharging her cargo the sail
ors sweep her out to make ready for
the next cargo, and the results of the
sweepings are their perquisites.
The vessels which like to buy from
most are those which contain corn and
those which have a general cargo of
dry goods. AS regards the returns
they both pay very we'll, but there is
far more chance of finding something
in the latter cargo which will give me
a better assortment. For instance,
bought bag of sweepings once which
contained lump sugar, haricot beans,
maze, split peas, nuts of nearly every
description, candies, nails, two bottles
of ink and a packet of writing paper.
Some years ago / was offered a cask
containing something unknown that
had been picked up at sea. l gave five
shillings for the lot and took it away.
l noted the name on the cask, and
during the same evening asked friend
if he knew anybody who would buy
the contents of the cask. He never
said one word as to the nature of the
stuff to me, but must have gone
straight to the police station, for with
dozen policemen at my place, demand
ing to know where the cask of dyna
mite was which l had offered for sale!
At the time these policemen arrived
there were over forty pounds lying in
front of the fire to dry!
Quite the reverse from this, howev-
err, was cask bought from barge
man for half crown. 1t contained
what | thought to be lot of dirty
pieces of marble, and was picked up
on the beach near Dungeness. l placed
it in the store and thought no more
about it until some three months later,
when my son told me he had sold it
for 6 80 to gentleman who had come
to fetch some oil l had previously
sold him. 1 afterward ascertained
that it was a cask of the best india
rubber in a raw state, and it's value
was about twice what the gentleman
gave for it. But | was very we'll salts
fed, considering l disposed Of it at the
rate of 23,S00 per cent, returnable in
three months.
Tea and coffee are sometimes not
very clean, but there is not always
any injurious dirt mixed up with them.
l sell nothing that is not pure, and
have printed card hanging in the
shop to that effect.
Most of the maze, barley and other
grain l sell as mixed corn for poultry
food; but the beans and the best part
of the wheat pass through sitting
machine, containing thirty sieves Of
various sizes. The wheat is then sent
to the mill and ground, after which I
turn it into bread. This l can sell at
profit at half the usual price.
No; l do not think my peculiar trade
encourages pilfering. The profits do
not allow of that. At the present time
I am open to buy anything under the
sun-from the loose cement which falls
out of the bags to the pieces of straw
which are always to be seen lying
about after carefully packed cargo
Answers.