New-York tribune., 1901-01-13
RUMMAGE SALES.
THE INCREASING POPULARITY OF THIS
NEW COMBINATION OF BUSI-
Mss AND CHARITY.

tion i'm such way To produce on the minds
Of the beneficiaries the idea that they are not
objects of charity have been frequent and spas
medically vigorous in the present generation. at |
times producing most portentous fads and fash |
ions Of these about the newest. and not the
least sensational. is the rummage sale.
The rummage sale is a device Of European
origin In England il has been in vogue so long |
that the jokes accruing from it becoming |
easily intelligible TO the average reader Of the |
comic weeklies. ON this side. the DOrcas COM
mittees OF New-York are awakening to its ad- !
vantages wind raiser for charity. and with
in the last week three rummage sales have been
held in Brooklyn. The laboring classes irr Eng
land are said To be gradually. but surely. as
similating the false idea that 'rummage" in this
connection is corruption of ''rummy.'' which
is one IF their cOlOquialIsms for odd or queer
In point Of fact. ''rummage' is not a corruption
of anything. but an expressive word 10 describe
the process by which persons of the fair sex who
have had the advantage Of office training
find the things they have carefully put away
i'm the top drawer Of a dressing table The ap-
plcation If the word to sale indicates the
method by which the materials are collected, not
the methods Of the sale itself.
The committee which purposes hold a rum
mage sale for the benefit of any charitable or
religious object notifies mstresses Of households
and mothers Of families who thereupon proceed
10 rummage for articles which they regard as
useless or. by reason Of their antiquated fashion
longer available for decoration. Carrots and
half forgotten trunks are looted. and sometimes
a difference Of opinion arises TO whether this
that pair Of pantalOons is really
ripe charity But. the whole. most Of the
things handed to the committee ara such
as meyer would be missed and the kind women
and men who contribute them learn the luxury
of doing good without much Inconvenience to
themselves. They may even derive distinct
satisfaction from the voidance of old Christmas
presents and other articles IF the kind which !
have outlived their welcome without taking up
any less room than they did when that welcome
was its prime Thus the rummage sale
bs.ss,.th hIm that gives
At one Of last weeks rummage sales in Brook
lyn Il was int. resting 10 watch the crowd an
ticipatng the blessing Of them that take without
feeling either the worst sting Of charity or the
regret Of parting with appreciabIe sums Of
money The sale held in unOccupied
store in a particularly depressing quarter Of the
borough where the garish day is pretty ef- |
fectuaIly excluded 10y the elevated railroad
structure. The secluded character Of the scene
was a point in its favor for rummage sale pur-
poses Long before the hOLr appointed for the |
opening Of the doors there was gathered On the /
sidewalk a crOwd-mOstly of women-but with
few babes in arms thrown in-large enough to
call for the services Of a policeman To- prevent |
unnecessary congestion OF the ordinary traffic
IL is A safe guess that most Of these women |
might have been better dressed il they had been |
SO inclined for, though they were evidently |
none OF them OF a prosperous class. there was
prevalent nervous bashfulness in their smiles |
which seemed TO indie ate that they would rather
not meet their acqIa:ntances just then. A rum
mage sale is not a dress parade. Between roars
of the elevated trains overhead little cOnVersa-
tion MAS heard The policeman standing guard
at the door seemed disposed to be jOcOse. but a
fringe of unemployed males including large
sprinkIing OF coiOred persons On the curbst0ne.
looked as IL they waiting for funeral to
begin or for an eviction. Through the dusty
plate glass windows il possible to get some
idea Of the bargains that would be offered
These included sewing machine. a shear OF
sup-rannuated SuspendeTs a framed photograph
of A medallion Of Faith. Hope and Charity or
the Three Graces-sundry silk waists OF bygone
crops A reading lamp with the superiluous or
nament at the top missing. one dozen standup
Collars all ready To go 10 the laundry two
shifted and mounted heads Of rare birds. several
EXAMPLES of embroidery in cOlored worsted a
gas cooking stove suitable for featherweight
bot,sckeeping and lastly. one Of the largest and
most various collections of nineteenth century
hats eyer placed On exhibition.
when the appointed hour struck. and the