The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06
CHiT WITH A PAWNBROKER.
The oldest Thing Ever Onercd 10 Hin-The
Business Not All Front.


The oldest thing | ever had offered to me,
SAID IA pawnbroker. was a skeleton: and didn't
take It. ! hadn't any doubt that It was all
right. that the man that offered il owned IL
and had IA right TO sell il. | suppose he va a
medical student who wanted money just then
more than he wanted the skeleton. But ! didn't
know anything about the value of skeletons,
and how much to advance on II, aud 80 didn't
take it. But that will give you some sort ot
an idea Of the variety OF things hat the pawn
broker has offered to him
"Of course, You understand that not all
pawnbrokerst take everything there Ale men who
advance money on nothing but watches aud
jewelry and diamonds and pictures and that
sort Of thing. and who wouldn give anything
on the hand soonest satin-lined o%VerCoal that ever
was because II isn't in their line. They have no
place TO put such thing no conyenlerre> for
taking care ot them. And then there are pawi-
brokers doing IA general business who take all
sort, OF things, watches and baIUos boxing
gloves and silver spoons. VI actiCally anything
aud everything that offers, They might OCCASION
ally run across something that they wouldn
take. as ! did with the ,keleton, but not often;
there's practically nothing but what they will
take. aud practically nothing but what is offered
AT one time and another.
ION >uIne thing, the amount advanced Is
very small. huI -till I've got thing in safe
thar | never should get my money back OH II
had 10 sell them You'd suppose IL would
he easy Tor the pawnbroKer TO give on a thing
no more than he could get for /, II he had 10
sell IL. aud 80 il would be-, b,i' a. n matter Of
in I he may give more than he could get bach,
He would h. governed 10y 'ir"uuI, tan,t-. aud by
his Judgment Of the person Offering The goods,
Il might have IA customer bring IN II dla-
mond ring thai ] would lend so much on. what
.NAp il Ntn. mud that would Ina "A sale loan
the ring would he good for il II il was never
| reclaimed But mavbe the next week the SANE
customer. hard up and needing money, would
bring in a pair Of trousers; spotted and worn;
no, worth much II you had to sell them. And
very likely | would lend more on those trOu' ers
than could ever get for them, Lending that
because he's a customer and want to accom-
modate him. and ! want 10 keep him ~ "A cus,-,
toner. and because the chances are that he'll
take the trousers ont again; but II he doesn't.
why then I'm out.
The question Of whether a man who wants
n loan j. likely to redeem what he offers is often
taken into account IL il n common thing for
the pawnbrOker to look NJ The man, maybe a
stranger and lend on his judgment az the man
| as wen a. on his knowledge OF the value oi the
thing the man puts down ON the counter or
courne. he makes mistakes III this. but lie lakes
the chances, aud suppose, lie %oitener gets II
right than not. There might come In here YOU.
or anybody. needing money, with an old-tash-
| toned k~oy-winding watch that could NOT
get $40 for, and want TO borrow SIS, and very
likely I'd lend il. though know never could
ee, nv money back II the watch wasn't re-
deemed. But know, or think Know. nj 4
glance, whether he will redeem tie watch or no'
what sort Of n man he Is, and how much lie
values the watch for It's associations; and |
go according to my Judgment.
\ dOuOt, rs n general proposition, the pawn
broker sets ont to lend on things no more than he
could sell them for. there are times when instead
of making money he loses IL: what he trie~ 10 do
IL TO get a profit "a the net result.