The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-10-10
Elaborate System of Unofficial
Salvage.
DECEPTlONS PRACTlCED
The Only Thing That's No Good Wien
Worn Out is Paper Money--Trans.
moqrificaton sof Old Shoes-Post.
Mortem Glories Of the Rabbits and
Hares.

daily, or nearly sG,0OO,OO0 worth a
year. but not dollar of it is lost.
no city of its size in the world has
so thorough salvage system, says
the Philadelphia Record.
4 few years ago, when the munich
pality first adopted an ordinance re-
quiring the use of metal garbage re.
ceptacles, the unofficial salvage corps
rose in revolt. They had meetings
and a procession. Then the discovery
was made that 10000 citizens depend
Cd for their livelihood upon the refuse
Of the city.
Their rights were recognized II
was arranged that the chiifoniers, as
they call the people who dig through
the receptacles, should do 50 Indoors
ia the early mornings before the city
wagons came around to collect the
garbage.
They forthwith divided up the delj
among themselves. Each one took
possession of a territory. There /" no
law covering the matter but the
territories came to be regarded as
vested rights.
They are sold nowadays as a doctor
sells his practice, and they fetch from
SO to perhaps $50, depending on the
wealth of the quarter. OF course they
are not freeholds. Rent or commits
sion is paid in one way or another.
In poor neighborhoods the ch!f-
fonier puts the garbage cans out on
the sidewalk. thus saving the con
cierge from having to get out of bed
in the chilly dawn to do so. In
houses where the pickings are good
q few francs week may have to be
paid here and there to hold the circuit.
The chiffonier of today has a cart
end sometimes a bony nag TO draw
Ii. Sometimes he and his wife draw
itor maybe the wife alone. He has
besides hovel and a yard somewhere
out in the grimiest suburbs. This Is
where he asserts his gatherings in
the forenoon, for sale later in the
dav to the wholesalers.
One of the most profitable spe lies
of refuse is old shoes: nothing in
them goes to waste. There are whole
salers who specialize In them.
They are carefully dlssected. Wood
en- heels are sold for kindling. Soles
are carefully detached from uppers
and trimmed into new soles. A mans
can be cut down to a woman's size.
woman's to childs.
Some manufacturers make a spe-
cialty of these restorations. A new
slab of leather makes them look AZ
right outside; thin lining is pasted
over them inside. The manufacturers
pay the wholesalers a cent each for
such soles.
There are sixty wholesalers engaged
in this trade; they employ from ten to
a dozen men each day at 81 day.
Trey produce. 1t is estimated. 100000
soleT a year.
The shoes are entirely taken apart,
The nails. heeltaps and eyelets. II any.
arc allowed to fall on the floor. When
they are swept up the iron is separ.
ated simply by applying strong mag.
nets to the mass. II Is sold to ono
smelter as scrap and the brass goes
to another.
The useless leather scraps are sold
to the chemical works at lvry, where
they are converted into fertilizers.
So sweeping Is the salvage work OF
this industry that the tparings OF
horses hoofs from the blacksmiths'
shops are collected to the extent OF
100000 pounds year The volume
OF leather scrap Is estimated at 3,600,-
oOn pounds.
Rabbit and hare are favorite delica,
cies in france. Every day. it is esti-
mated, about $1,000 OF their skins
get into the hands of the furriers.
All are scrupulously CLEANED and
steriized. They are shaved by ma
ohinery down to the very skin and the
hair is made up into fine felt hats.
The rabbit or hare skin that is to
lgure as fur is treated with d'stin-
euished consideration. /. Is cured and
softened The pure white ones ara
picked out for ermine. All the others
Pre- dyed into chinchilla, otter or silver
fox.
As the fur Of these animals always
has a characteristic depth, the skins
are passed through shaving machines
which trim down the hair to the stand
ard length, to hundredth OF an inch
II appears that the hare OF no country
equals that of France in its fitness
Tor this sort Of counterfeit. The best
skins when made up can be detected
only by experts.
Only one thing in Paris is totally
useless when it reaches the refuse
stage. That thing is paper money.
II is true that the worn out money OF
the Bank Of France is ground into
pulp like any other waste paper, but II
Is so greasy from handling that It
would not pay to cleanse 1t for re.
manufacture
Tho principal railroads of France
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