The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-20
N)VEL Ed IN CHARITY
BENEFETYNG THE Po0R UNDER
THE GUISE OF BUS
MESS
METHODS OF RUMMAGE SALES
Amusing Incidents in a Worl1 Of
FhiIanthropN Which Blesses Him
That Gives and Him
That ReceiVeS.

The combination of business with char
Ity has long been an object dear to the
hearts CT the philanthropic. Efforts TO
effect this combination in such a way as
to produce ON the minds of the bene-
ficiaries the idea that they are not
objects of charity have been frequent
and systematically viSorous in the pres
ent generation, at times producing most
portentous fads and fashions. Of these
about the newest, and not the least
sensational. is the rumnage sale, says
the New York Tribune
The rummage sale is a device of Eu-
ropean origin. In England it has b en-
In vogue 50 long that the jokes accrEing
from it arc becoming easily iatelligiale
TO the average reader of the comic week
lies. On this side, the -Dorcas commit
tees of New York are awakening to its
advantages as a wind raiser for char
ity. and within the last week tlree rum
mage sales have been held IN Brooklyn.
The lab0liHg classes in England are
said to be gradually. but surely, assinlf-
lating the fa'se idea that "rummage"
in this connection is a corruption of
''rummy," which is one of their colo
quialisms for odd or queer In point of
fact, ''rummage's is not a corruption of
anything. but an expressive word to de-
scribe the process by which persons of
the fair sex who have not had the adj
vantage of Office training find the things
they have carefully put away IN the top
drawer of dressing table. The applica-
ton of the word to a sale indicates the
method by which the materials are col
lected, not the methods of the sale it
self.
q. The committee which purposes to hold
a rummage sale for the benefit OF any
charitable or religious object notifies
mlstresses of households and mothers
of families, who thereupon proceed to
rummage for articles which they regard
as useless or, by reason of their anti
Quated fashion, no longer available for
decoration. Carrots and half forgotten
trunks are l0Ot~d, and sometimes a diff
ference of opinion arises as to whether
this or that coat or pair of pantaloons
is really ripe for charity. But on th4
whole, most of the things handed over
to the committee are such IS never would
be missed, and the kind women anti men
who contribute them learn the luxury
of doing goCd without much incon-
venience to themselves. They may even
derive a distinct satisfaction from the
voidance of old Christmas presents and
other articles of the kind which have
outlived their welcome without taking I'D
any less room than they did when that
welcome was in its prime. Thus the rum
mage sale blesseth him that gives.
At one of last weeks rummage sales in
Brooklyn it was interesting TO watch the
crowd anticipating the blessing of them
that take without feeling either the worst
sting of charity or the regret of part
ing with appreciate sums OF money. The
sale was held in an unoccupied store in
a particularly depressing quarter of the
borough, where the garish day is pretty
effectualy excluded by the elevated rail-
road structure. The secluded character
of the scene was a point in it's favor for
rummage sale purposes. Long before
the hour appointed for the opening of the
the doors there was gathered on the side
walk q crOWd-mostly of women-but
with a few babes in arms thrown in
large enough TO call for the services of
a policeman to prevent unnecessary con-
geStion of the ordinary traffic 1t is a
safe guess that most Of these women
might have been better dressed if they
had been SO inclined, for, though they
We're evidently none of them of a pros
porous class, there was a prevalent perv-
Gus bashfulness in their smiles which
seemed to indicate that they would rather
not meet their acquaintance just then
A rummaGe sale is not dress parade
between rOars Of the elevated trains
overhead little converse ton was heard
The policeman standing guard ct the door
seemed disposed to be jocose. but a fringe
CT unemployed males, including a large
sprinkEng Of colored persons, on the
curbstone, looked as if they were wait
ing for funeral to begin, or for an evic-
ton. Through the dusty plate glass WIN
dCws II was possible to get some idea
OF the bargains that would be offered
Ihese included sewing machine, a sheaf
or superannuated SusDenders a framed
photograph Of a medallion of faith. hope
and CHARITY, or three graces-sundry silk
waists OF bYgone crops, reading IamD
W hn o,,I,,
top missing, one dozen Standup collars
all ready to go to the laundry. two
stuffed and mounted heads of rare birds.
several examples of embroidery in color
ed Worstsd, a gas cooking stove suitab
Tor featherWeight housekeeping. and
lastly. one Of the largest and most vari-
Gus collections of nineteenth century hats
ever placed on exhibition
When the appointed hour struck and
the amused policeman opened the door
ore OF the n2cUiiar cEar9 cteriStics of This
orGer at sales began to be revealed Only
lew OF those nearest to the door were
allowed TO enter. A rummage sale is
not an auction. The articles are all sorted
beforehand into lots supposed likely to
suit purchasers. and each lot has a price
lher5 Is no leWing. You select tie LOT
You most covet secure the attention of
one Of the selling committee and make
UP Your mind whether YOU will nav t%e
price or not. For obvious reasons cor
nected with the peculiar conditions of
the sale. visitors who come merely to
look around, without any intention Of
GuNln%, are not encouraged. Another ne
Cuilal1ty Of the affair is that there must
De a reserved back door through which
purchasers may carry oa their acqusi-
tons, for one Respondent man on the
curhstone said that he had been watching,
ir vain
Rummage sales afford many lessons in
Inc philosophy Of human life and desires
There Is. probably. the soundest reason
IN the arrangement by which the door Of
entry 2nd he door of egress are distinct
and not within sight of each other ,t1
erwise there might be much uproarors
Fuying Of purchasers. A widow with a
Eaby for whom she could barely provide
food and warmth has been known TO st
tend one Of these opportunities. and after
waiting long and patiently with her baby
on her arm. to have returned trium0ha nj
in the posst ssion of two faded silk lamp
shades, both of them too large for her
one kerosene lamp and neither bic
enough for the baby. In Colorado. where
women voted for the first time at . ma
tonal election November. they must
also have rUmnage sales. for n won,9 n
or fashion IL that state who had ADAM
doEed q green ball dress to charity met
IT coming out Of the polling place as she
was entering. The rummage purchaser
must have COMPOUNDED bail ard baIIn+
As means OF raising money for church
or charity. tie rummage sale is powerful
St Paul j. to have one Of these sales
this week. It is being arranged by the
Y. NJ c. A.. and opens in the Sherman
building at Sixth and WabasLa streets
tomorrow night.