The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-16
QUAINT RELICS IN a LOFT.
PawnshOp Pledges of Many Years
Ago Brought to Light.

NEW YORK. April 1J.-Quaint relics OF
old New York were brought to light yes
terday in the opening Of the big wooden
boxes in Reeber's second hand lumber
yard, at the foot OF East 10th Street.
They told many a story OF days long gone
by, when Henry Hart. the father Of the
Third Avenue Railroad. was pawnbroker
down in Chatham Street.
When he gave up money loaning to be-
come the president OF the horse railway
that in later years developed into great
electric system Mr. Hart packed up all the
unredeemed pledges in his shop. some
Sc 600 in number and in time they we're
stored in the car house at SiXty-siEth
Street up in the cock loft, back Of the
old clock" There they lay for years while
Henry Hart ran his railway from an office
in the same building. When the road
was wrcsted from the Old mans grasp in
Wall Street this spring he took away his
safe and his desk but left the seventy
nine boxes full Of pawnbroker's pledges
IN the loft.
The new owners OF the road the other
day sent word to Mr.. Hart that they
wanted the things cleared out. The Old
man was greatly troubled AS to what TO do
with his treasures, but his relatives pur-
old employees As he had loaned $4,000 on
these pledges. Mr. Hart thought that he
ought to get at least half that for them.
bU- the best bargain they could make was
20 sell the whole lot for 500 to the second
hand house. Mr. Hart. one OF his family
told me did not receive a cent from the
sale
One by one the boxes are opened mp ard
odd discoveries are madc-o.d towing
pieces llint!uck and muzzic loading per-
cussiun guns by the score. some 50 rusty
that they fell apart like Rip Van Nink.e'5
famous piece; mems and women's weIirs
apparel Of Anticipated fashion. csmeIs hair
shawls masked ball costumes. Wellington
boots. carlctbags tighthtting doeskin trou-
scrs. English cloth coats. brass wind in
strumeut.. childrens dresses. pistols, Gag
gers. swords. furs clocks tools. looking
glasses. paintings. and thousands Of other
articles. a yeritable picture Of life before
the var
Much Of the property from the pawnship
has disappeared. In 1886. the year of the
Third Avenue strike, when guards slept in
the car house, many Of the old mans
treasures were taken away. oil paintings
were cut from their frames. among them
a valuable picture OF ST. Cecilia. aud from
time to time vandals who have known Of
the treasures OF the loft have rummaged
about in the place and taken away many
articles Of value. When the things were
first stored in the pawnshop, after the
business was closed. there were about one
hundred and fifty boxes. one by one they
have disappeared.
Each article has pinned to it the pawn
ticket and the dates Of these tickets run
from 1871 to 1881. One box contained some
fifty theatrical costumes and a complete
outfit FOR the performance Of Richard
III" The ticket bore the date 1871. In
one Of the boxes was collection Of fancy
silk waistcoats. one bearing the inscription
in the lining Presented to Mr.. Des Rock
ers August 3, 1871 by the Hanover
Nereiu."
A crowd Of curious ones hung about the
lumber yard all day watching the unpack-
ing of the boxes In their minds eye they
were carried back to the delightful old
stage days Of New York.