The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-04-19
SECONDHAND UMBRELLAS.
The Supply Is Never Large, and IL
Furnished In Part by the
PawnshOps.

There are few things that cannot be
ond-hand anchors and secondhand
books; secondhand gas fixtures and
baby carriages; pianos and'iron smoke
stands; water coolers and office desks;
it would be difficult to think of any
thing that cannot be bought second
hand. One of the things that at first
might be thought to come within the
category of things not sold in this man
ner is the umbrella. Inquiry however,
revealed the fact that umbrellas are
sold secondhand; though for various
simple reasons not so commonly as
some other articles of personal wear or
use, says the New York Sun
Common an article as the umbrelli
is in use, and familiar to the eye. yet it
is far less commonly used than, say.
for instance, shoes. In this climate,
in winter at least, everybody, wears
shoes, and so would own at least one
pair. But by no means every body owns
an umbrella. There are in fact plenty
of people who never owned one, Just ds,
singular as it may seem to some per-
sons, there are many people who never
owned watch. Then, as anybody can
use an umbrella, it may be that fam
lily of half dozen persons would have
only one or two or three umbrellas.
There are plenty of big umbrella fac
tories, with an aggregate output of
millions Of umbrellas yearly, but the
number of factories and of the umbrel-
las produced would have to be multi
piled if every inhakitant were te be
supplied with an umbrella.
A great many umbrellas are de-
stroyed outright; blown inside out in
windstorms anG made useless for any
purpose; it wouldn't pay to repair
them, and there is nothing left of them
worth using. People commonly have
umbrellas that can be mended, re-
paired; and people often carry an UNI
brella that is in need of repairs with
more thought of it's usefulness than of
its appearance. The umbrella is COM
monty not thrown away until it is use
less to its owner; and when it is in that
condition, unless it were a fine umbreI-
la, it would not pay secondhand
dealer to epair it. For example, it
would never do to put a single panel
of cloth in an umbrella top; it wouldn't
match the rest and it wouldn't pay to
put it in, anyway. Another reason why
there are not more umbrellas sold Sec
oud-hand is that new umbrellas are so
cheap. New umbrellas of some kind,
can be bought in these days marvellous
ly cheap; and persons who might other
wise seek secondhand umbrellas, buy
new ones; they wouldn't expect to get
them secondhand at any lower prices.
But after all there are to be found
secondhand umbrellas, just as there
are to be found secondhand hats and
shoes, though in smaller numbers.
Some of them are bought by the old
clothes men.
Another place at which secondhand
umbrellas can he bought is the pawn
brokers'; in the pawnshops whese per-
sonal property Of all sorts is taken. UNI
brellas come in with the rest of the
things offered; they are not common
offerings, like some things, but not I'M
usual. These, If not sold, go with other
unredeemed and unsold pledges to the
pawnbrokcrs auction sales; where
they are bought By secondhand deal
ers who sell that kind of goods; an ad-
dition to the comparatively limited
number bought in the usual manner.