Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-01-02
JUST JUNK
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I MHEN the South street man was
I wv asked: "What is iunk?' he con-
centrated his attention on it for a
| time, and said: Junk is anything
and everything that is supposed to
be worn out and useless, but really
isn't. it is stun that, having lived
one life, comes here and begins an
other. For instance, here are these
ships sails. They've lived their life
aboard ships, they've been all over
the oceans, and now they are to set
/ tie down on land.
what will they do?"
'Be useful as coverings for build
ers' materials, or for wagons and
their goods, or they may go to sea
again on small schooners."
what good is this old rope"
"Some of that is bought by yes
sells. Such as is too far gone for
such use goes into paper stock
"Well, now here's an old Spanish
bell, big and fine toned. Where did
you get that and what will you do
with it?"
"That is from a Porto Rican church.
It was brought in as old metal, for
the tongue was out. Still, it was
easy TO put a tongue in, and so the
| duty was saved"
"And which of our officers stole a
church bell?"
at wasn't stolen. 1t was lying in
a storehouse there where our troops
/ got to Porto Rico. 1t had hung in
the belfry of a church that had been
\ torn down, / think"
"Nhat use is this rusty old chain?'
"There are some boats that buy
nothing except secondhand material,
so those chains sell to them. When
they are too rusty they go for old
iron"
"What sort Of people buy these
4 lamps and lanterns2"
"Those are ships lanterns.
Wealthy people buy them for curios.
"What is the difference between
junk and antiques ?"
"Ah! You'll have to ask the Fifth
avenue art dealers about that.
many and many a battered bit they
get from us for song and sell for a
4 fancy figure. but you're in the
wrong shop TO learn about junk. Go
I round and see the man in Front
street. He's got the greatest collec-
tion in New York This place is half
4 ship chambers"
Junk, sir; no, sir, this isn't a junk
shop Far from it, sir" said the man
in Front street "a junk dealer is a
man who goes about in small boat
! and buys cast-off things from vessels
Junk dealers have to obtain licenses
4 and the police can search their places
at any time"
"Well, what would you call this es.
+ tablishment?"
The Front street man thought for
awhile before he replied: Il would
call il a curio emporium"
"Sol And may ask what in the
world you do with guns that are a.
/ old and as rusty as these in a curic
emporium"
Those are not so bad as they look
/ They can be cleaned up and viii Kill
just as well as they did during tn,
/ civil war"
"Who buys them?"
"All sorts of behind-the-age PEG
pie. Take one Of those guns into
the mountains of Virginia, an it vii
be modern. They're still using, flint
/ locks there. All through ooutf
America and Africa there's sale fol
such guns, and in many parts of Asia
| too. / sold 200 of them last week Il
man in the China trade His firm
has eight ships, and they're arming
the crews against the pirates thai
now infest Chinese waters"
"But some of these are rusted t.
pieces"
"Well. they either serve as curio.
or as old iron. When they're too baC
for anything else, they are melted
down and begin life over again"
"What guns are those with the Ions
barrels?"
Arab. Notice the broad butts
They seem senseless, but there's I
good reason for them. They're mad,
like that so that the weapons wonh
sink in the sand when being loaded
This weapon with the enormousl,
thick barrel is an elephant gun. j
weighs 25 pounds. and is made $,
thick in order TO lessen the force o
the recoil from the heavy charge o
powder You see that it's in perfec
condition. man rushed in with i
the day before yesterday / didn'
think anything Of it; wouldn't evel
give him two dollars. He said h
would leave it with me anyhow. Wei
that gun turned ont 10 be the yer,
weapon a Montela.r IN. - man wa