New-York tribune., 1899-12-17
CHRISTMAS AT "UNCLES."
THE SEASON OF GIFTS MAKES Buoi-
NESS EVEN FOR THE PAWNSHOPS

course Christmas CdStS llS SHduVN '''''''
us lieht-before like any other great coming
event II can be seen all along the sideN"lN7
If Nev-York by signs that have become IA
miliar to dwellers in the city, because much 'he
same signs are repeated every year. But the
avoraqo prospcrous man. whose prosperity is AT
least constant enough to keep him out OF the
pawnshor would hardly guess what difference
Christmas makes at my uncles.' Ana the
came average prosperous man might be sur
nrised 10 learn what manner Of men are among
those who call at "unce's" establishments ira
dition mostly literary, has done its best to asso-
ciate the pawnbroker's trade with extreme
sgualor and extreme improvidence; as a Wa''er
OF plain fact. a great deal Of highly respectaoe
pawnine Of supcrhuitics goes on. especially on
the West Side from, say jefferson Market up
t. Forty tysecond-st
An cxpericnccd pawnbroker Of high standing
and long experience was asked whether the ap-
proach Of Christmas made much difference III
"unclc's" business, and the reply tended TO
show that the conjecture made on the strehelh
of one or two instances where preparation lor
thc festive season included visit to such es-
tablishIncnts was not wide Of the mark From
what this authority says, it appears that the
pawnshops are much moro than ordinarily busy
inst at this time. both turning out pledges and
at this season 10y those who have left them up
the spout" are such things as evening clothes
studs and all the apparatus of an appearance
en- fcte The young man who in general goes
seldom into society and through the summer
months makes his bicycle suit work hard at all
hours may have found it neccssary-or, at least
convonicnt-to put the festive clawhammer out
Of reach OF moth and rust at IA time when there
was little or no demand for its services. In
such cases a clawhammer is quite likely to get
left in scclusion longer than was expected when
il was first retired. But with the near approach
Of Christmas prospect of dinner parties and OF
scasonable dances warns the perhaps forgetiuI
owner to have that decorative effect ready on
pain of being put in a manifesty embarrassing
position.
I-nhappily, the causes OF unusual activity IN
tbe bouse Of my uncle" are not all, even
chiefly Of SO pleasing nature. The other side
of tbe. nicture is pathetc one who knows says
that there is quite as much extra pawnng just
at this time as extra redeeming. The stringency
with which the obligation Of making Christmas
presents bears upon the very poor is a thing
which those who are rather better off would
hardly imagine This is all the more commonly
the case because the very poor generally
the uarcnts or unccs-n the plain, everyday
scnec-or the auntS Of numerous children.
Through the year. perhaps. the pawnlng habit
has been fostercd 10y repeated hard necessity,
and if the close Of the year finds family so
far Oh the road t. prosperity that all it's pawn
able possessions are in sight, il very often hap
pens that the Improvement in its affairs has not
gone so far as to leave cash balance available
for Santa Caus's purposes In a case 'ikc this
many a tender hearted parent viii remember
how the three gded pills kept the wolf from
the door more than once in the year that is
gone ana viii employ the same means to bring
Santa Claus to the chimney. Besides, there
are the young men who have not pawncd their
evening clothes, because they either have none
or wear them six days a week, who have sweet
hearts and also "A few trnkcts, and would rather
be separated from the few trinkets FOR while
than miss the pleasure of winning at least
passing smile from the sweetheart
When the giving of Christmas presents is So
very nearly matter of strict obligation it is
easy t. see the origin of the standing joke about
the thrifty man who makes tour Of the pawn
shops t. buy his most costly gifts. You can
put that down a. a fiction says the man who
knows all about "unclc" In the first place. a
pawnbroker doesn't sell unrcGeemcd pledges
choaT And most paWnsh0ps where they make
business of selling jeWelry. furs ana such
things have to buy from wholesale houses to
keep their stock up to what they can carry for,
10y the law. every unrcdeemcd pledge has to De
sold al public auction. The public 90 into those
shops t. buy. ! suppose, with the idea that
everything is a bargain being unreG-emed
. pledge. A good many people think that
unredcemed pledge is sort of white elephant
on a paWnbrokers hands OF course. that is
very innocent idea. but it is one OF the ideas
shat make the business profitable. Depend
spon it. the man who goes to the pawnbrokers
to buy his Christmas presents is not at all
specially shrewd customer No that is not one