The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-10-31
SOME TRAGEDIES OF
 TIE PAWNSH0P Incidents That Happen Un- der the Three Golden
 Balls. THE VARIED PATRONS The Pawnbroker Can Keep Secrets as Well as
 Other Things.
THE VARIED PATRONS

lHeTe ndnS over the uOOfS the three golden balls, from time immemorial the sign of the pawnbroker. They are scattered over the city, although most of them are within a radius of two blocks around Twelfth and Grand avenue, and on Grand avenue ando Walnut street north of Seventh street To these the poor woman with her last jeWelled trinket, the money less family man who has to take food home to the wife and children, the young "rounder'' out for a time" with empty pockets, the thirsty creat- ure who must have just one more "can" of beer and, too often, the pickpocket or sneak thief with his ill., gotten gains resort for the trifing sum of money each may require. And the pawnbroker receives all with smile which stamps his face like a trademark, drives the shrewd bar gain, and sends his customers away with what they came for
 Whatever else may be said of him, the pawnbroker must be given credit for keeping to himself the secrets he learns from his customers. Perhaps that trait Is more business asset than sentiment upon his part He makes it a rule to ask no questions that are not confined to the value of the given article of personal property he may be asked to advance money upon He doesn't care anything about its history. He is there to lend money at high rate of interest upon articles that are many times more valuable than the amount he ad- vances. That done, his duty is ac- complished and when the outer door closes behind his departing customer, the secret of the deal is locked as securely in his memory as the article is in the strong safe of the establish ment.
 For the most part his dealings have to do with everyday penury, unroetic and unattractive. The poorer classes whose life is 8 history of pitiful strug- gles against absolute want form the principal source of his income. The family clock, the baby's ring, the child's Christmas toy, handful of battered knives and forks, perhaps an heirloom that has been handed down from father to son for several genera tions, trifiing pieces of bric-a-brac, all these and countless others are brought to him for q few nickels to buy a steak or satisfy the clamors of the landlord for rent money. Most of these pledges are never redeemed but are one day put in for sale in his shop window, mute witnesses of human want and suffering. But it is not alone from the eX- | tremely poor that the pawnbroker de- rlves his sustenance. An active, en- ergetic young man, we'll dressed and with the bearing of a landed proprie- I tor, walks into the shop and breezily calls the money-lender to one side.
 Hello, Jake" he will exelaim, "How's business? Say, old man, lend me a few bucks on this, will you?" and he throws down upon the counter a costly watch or diamond stud, gets a receipt and the money, and walks out as breezily as he came in, except that he jingles a few coins in his pock- ct as he goes. He Is always good pay" for when the thirty days of grace have expired he usually re- deems the pledge or pays enough to keep 1t from being forfeited for an- other thirty days, He is in the habit of visiting his uncle" whenever he is out of funds, and comes in the course ! Af kt,1oA IA NA vie fA 1r- CT as part of the months routine busi- ness. He always calls the proprietor by his first name, never loses an op- lportunity to tell him he is an old shark, but always returns whenever he needs money.
 | Unlike him is the other occasional lpatron who regards the visit to the broker as a stain upon his honor. There was rather 8 pathetic instance of this not many months ago A young man, just out of college, came to the city to find employment. At the time
 there seemed to be no demand any where for his services, and day after day he walked the streets in search of a job The small sum or money he had brought to the city soon gave out and he knew what it was Go be hum l gry. The only article of value he possessed was a small diamond studded badge, the emblem of col- lege fraternity he had belonged to
 when he was in school. The idea of
 borrowing money upon this trinket
 which meant things to him that the average unsentimental man can not 1 comprehend, was so utterly abhorrent that it caused him actual physical pain. Several times he attempted to muster up courage enough to pledge the pin in pawnshop, only to turn away heartsick from the very door
 of the place. At last one day he
 went into a shop on Grand avenue and when he left he did not wear the
 pin. Several days later he returned
 to the shop and redeemed the badge. But he has never worn it since. An illustration of the grim humor
 of the pawnshop occurred recently. Two lads, evidently high school stud
 ents met on street car. One was carrying parcel in his hand.
 %Hello, Jim," exclaimed one of
 them, where you golng?"
 Going down to Joe's to soak a
 pair of skates go I can get my watch out at Swartzstein's. Where you go- ing?"
 Down to Schwartzstein's to hook
 my watch so 1 can set my dress suit
 out at Joe's." And neither one seem ed to see the humor of the thing
 There is one pawnbroker in Kan sas City Who could tell the story of
 3 real tragedy if he would. It oc- 1 cured several years ago and all the
 facts in connection with it will doubt less never be made public.