The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-08
THE DESTINY OF CLOTHES
The Second Hand Dealer Can len
Seine Curisus Tales.
-rus and Downs of n Wardrobe ifter
n i. Disposed OF by iss First
Onncr-Fiae Prosperous Buyer oi
Worn Fincry Has Niany Customers
Among These Posing as Being Hich

Clothes become vastly more interesting
when one begins to speculate upon 'heH
ultimate destiny and the number and
manner Of the incarratons through winch
they will pass before they reach the lTra-
ma of complete wornoutness. With. the
possibility that a French imported gown
may end its career as the best dress of
Klodike belle or an Eskimo princess
it becomes a sentimental thing, and one
handles it with respect and consideration.
Then. there is the element of chance
which plays an intensely interesting part
in the disposal of old clothes and starts
the seller TO wondering when and where
he will again meet up" as they say in
Virginia, with the garments which he is
selling. A woman sold velvet cape which
was almost new. but which was decidedly
unbecoming SAYS the New York Trfb
une" In her ignorance of old clothes
lore ard the part that chance so o.ten
plays in it. she supposed she had seen
that cape for the last time. Three months
later, in the dim light of spring twilight,
her carriage was stopped momentarily at
crossing. In the walk near by, the pat
tern of the lace on a wrap carried by
well-dressed woman caught her eye and
seemed to insist upon recognition. Why
did she keep looking at that lace and
what did it remind her of? 1t was the
cape she lad sold three months before.
and from the city's thousands it had drifted
back across her path.
The small dealer buys at pawnbrokers'
sales and of the poorer people those sad
and iaded clothes that one sees hanging
Imply in the windows or rolled in tight
bundles: but the more successful one ha.,
his regular clientele, like any other pro-
fessional man. He receives a note asking
him TO call at some fixed hour and his eli
ent will be careful that the coast is clear
for him. Indeed, the selling of clothes is
q much more common practice among the
people CT the city than one would at first
suppose, There is many well-dressed
woman who spends generous sums for hci
gowns and wears them only a few times.
discarding them while they are practically
new. In many cases they are entirely In
appropriate 10 give TO the poor or to ser
wants. and she disposcs of them TO the
dealer. with little glow of delight in the
money she acquired. But she is careful TO
bind him to secrecy. and would probably
deny it to her best friend were she accus.
ed. though one scarcely knows why.
Though she is hard and unfeeling in her
dealings with her dressmaker. she in turn
meets her Waterloo when she faces the
old clothes man. His ways are naughty.
and his offers leave a generous margin
for profit.
1t was one of the successful dealers, with
regular customers, who recently showed
woman large Hudson Bay sable cape and
small ermine collar. both in excellent
condition. which he had Just purchased for
q little over 500. The wearer was weary
Of them, was going abroad, and probably
persuaded herself that il was a stroke OF
real economy to get rid OF them a hais
price, and thus avoid storage charges and
have that much cash toward new ones.
The same dealer had Just paid $50 for two
the origina, cost of which had been about
$3.50. and they were already sold at an ad-
vance Of SIS.
II is much more easy to understand row |
such gowns happen TO be sold in rich 1
and luxurious city than to see who would |
be likely TO buy them. II does not at !
first occur to one as possible that a wo- |
man who could spend as mueA as $50 for |
two gowns would be likely to buy second !
hand ones. But it seems to be true. and |
one old clothes man says that his custo- |
mers are composed of different classes
the poor and respectable. as well as the |
less poor and less respectable
Reused from the contemplation OF a |
rose pink faille evening gown in one of |
the cases. with a big black velvet bow on |
the bodice. customer heard a low voice /
ask for ANY shoes. No. ~" and turned |
to see stout, fresh-faced woman, SO neat |
and well dressed that one would never |
have dreamed before initiation that she |
would buy secondhand clothing. And the |