The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1901-10-11
ODD THINGS IN PAWN.
Eyes, Legs and Teeth Pledged to
Raise Ready Cash.

Raise Ready Cash.
'The pawnbroker business has its
humorous as well as its pathetic side"
said a money lender whose shop is not
far from the city hall. "All manner of
articles are brought 10 the pawnbroker
some of which are associated with ten
der memories, and others are almost
too ludicrous to be believed. There used
to be a bartender in a Clark street sa-
loon who had glass eye, and it was
regular thing for him to come here
once a month and pledge the artificial
optic He used to call it his bum lamp.
He left Chicago some time ago and is
now tending bar in n small town near
Milwaukee. where there is no pawn
shop. Last week we received box by
mail from him. and it contained the
artificial eye. He was in hard luck, he
wrote, and he wanted n loan of 50 on
the eye. We sent him the money by re-
turn mail. If he lives, he will redeem
the optic, because it is worth five times
the amount of the loan, although it is
worthless to us if he should fail to take
it out. l venture to say that he has
pawned the eye 20 times in the last
three years. He is one of our best Gus
toners.
"Some years ago we had n restaurant
man for a customer who would put his
cork leg in pawn every time he got into
straits. 1t was high grade artificial
| limb, and he could get SO on it at any
pawnshop in the city. The last time We
took it as pledge the owner went out
| to South Chicago to see friend, and
| while returning home he was killed by
| a locomotive. His widow refused to an
| swer our letters, in which we offered
her the limb at her own price.
| "a year ago last holiday time young
| woman came into the store one after
/ noon carrying a box. She was en-
| ployed at a museum as snake charm
er and in the box she had collection
of reptiles, which, she said, was the
| finest in the country. Her mother had
died that day in Boston. and she had
been notified by telegraph. She want
ed to attend the funeral, but did not
have the necessary money to buy some
mourning garments and purchase a
railroad ticket. Wouldn't we advance
her S25 and take the snakes as secur-
ity? The clerk who waited on her call
ed me over, and after n short talk de-
cided to help her ont During the time
she was away we had to feed and wa.
ter the snakes. She was gone less than
week, and upon her return she gave
me $50. Five of il was the interest
money. | charged her 90 per cent O
week for the loan. because we had to
care for the snakes during her absence
That wasn't much, was it?
"In all my experience the strangesi
thing ever given 30 me in pawn was q
set of false teeth. 4 man came into
the place one night just us we were
closing. He lived in Laporte. Ind, and
was robbed of his pocketbook on O
i street car. He knew nobody to go tC
for loan. and it was imperative that
he catch train for Laporte that night
believe his wife or daughter was
very sick. and he had come to Chicago
to make arrangements with hospita
to bring the sick person here. He haC
no ieweiry whateyer-not even ring
to pledge for the 81 that he needed tC
{ buy railroad ticket. | sized him III
| at once as an honest man, and he hat
, papers to show that he was Il residen
, of Laporte. While lie was talking III
took the false teeth out of his moutl
and begged me to loan him 81 on thu
set. | did So and day or two later
L when he called To redeem the teeth, Ii,
7 was the most thankful man | ever me
? i'm this business. And yet some peopl,
8 say that the pawnbroker is heartles
| man."-Chicago Inter Ocean.