Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-19
VOICES OF THE STREET
THE STROLLING WORKMEN AND
SMALL MERCHANTS.
What Becomes of Waste Things Gath.
cred by Junk Men-Peddlers
and Their Ways.

"Washngton is pre-eminently 4 city Of
strolling workmen. and the scissors grind
ers GLACIERS and umbrella members are
predominant" said Detective Sergeant Carl
Fathers to a reporter this morning
1.-The scissors grinder carries a bell and
bears foot-treadle emery wheel on his
back in accordance with ancient and hon.
orable tradition He Is in nine cases out of
ten an italian. He wears clogs. a cap and
in cases of very cold weather, like We have
been having of late, an overcoat. the
pockets of which are sure to be bulged with
something-mittens. tools or a bite of lunch
1.-THE GLACIERS, although addicted to wear
ing outlandish attire, are more apt to be
scantiiy clad. Most of the members of this
craft carry on their backs a frame the
shape of stationery rack. They walk the
streets ceaselessly, scanning every window
with their sharp eyes. No broken pane eS-
capes them. AS a matter of fact. the reg
ularly established GLACIERS who keep shop
and pay rent are beginning to feel the eff
fects of this competition.
Among the umbrella menders are large
number of persons who speak English. AS
compared with the glazier and the scissors
grinder, the bearing of the umbrella
member is jovial in the extreme.
'Locksmiths and chair-Seaters. though
less numerous than sciSsors-grinders, gla
ziers and umbrella members should be put
in the same class with the house-to-house
thinkers. An umbrella mender now and then
makes locksmithlng part of his business.
Cannot Help Trusting Him.
Even In the highly skilled trades there
are a few itlnerants. For instance, there is
in Washington a watch repairer who goes
about with a little worn gripsack collecting
disabled watches. He invariably dons an
old Prince Albert coat for this purpose. and
his face Is so wretched and SO honest that
DeODle cannot helm trusting him.
'Of the wandering merchants the barrow
men, peddlers and junk men are the most
numerous and foremost. The first are the
most conspicuous and fruit Is their staple.
Like the hurdy-gurdy and barrel-organ
men. they are mostly Italians, and are fond
of living in colonies. storing their barrows
at night, as the musicians do. in common
court. They also ripen green fruit at home
in the midst of insanitary conditions.
''Of the peddlers some traffic In busy
thoroughfares, while others go from door
to door in the residence districts The street
peddlers have small wares. shoestrings col
lar buttons. pencils. key rings, etc. These
peddlerS mostly Jews 1t Is an interest
ing fact that much of the linen offered for
sale by them comes from the unclaimed
stock of the Chinese laundries
Real Business of Junk Men.
'"The junk men must not be COMPOUNDED
with the rag pickers. though they some
times encroach on the latter's preserves.
to-house canvas for cast-off articles prin-
eipally rags and bottles. Their familiar cry
of or rags'n botrs,' Is one of the most
plaintive and uncanny heard the thor
oughfares of the capital city. Their rounds
are made with hand carts or with bags, ac-
cording as they are more or less prosperous.
Purchases are carefully assorted and ar
ticleS of special value are put aside for a
sale out of the ordinary. The rest Is
turned over to one of the large junk deal
ers who are for the most part located on Is
street southwest. where the sidewalks are
waste paper. rags. and. in fact. little of
everything that is Old and rusty. Probably
the largest sales are of old rags. and be-
fore the dealers will accept them they have
to be assorted and classified. That is to
say, they are assorted into wooden, cotton
and linen piles, and this Is done by a lot of
negroes who may be seen usually seated on
the sidewalk in front of the junk dealers
esta blishments.
Nothing Wasted.
.One peculiar thing noticed in the junk
district is that nothing appears to go to
waste The old bath tub that once did
duty for the family ablutions is sold to
farmer for a horse watering trough. Tin
cans which would appear to be absolutely
worthless, are disposed of by melting them
to obtain the solder and the tin Is melted
down to be cast into sash and window
weights. Rubber retaining factories use
up all the old rubber boots and shoes
Newspapers are worked into cheap grades
scraps are melted into merchantable iron