Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-03
FATE OF UNIFORMS.
Many Once Worn by Crack European
Regiments Sold TO African
Monarclls.

The worlds biggest old-cIothes shop
is to be found in the London thorough
fare of Houndsditch. 1t is presided
over by Mr.. John Hyman, who has
rightly earned the title of the Prince
of Old Clothes, for it is TO this individu-
al that the Lord Mayor Of London. our
army officers, our soldiers, sailors,
policemen and postmen send their cos
tunes when they have no further use
for them.
The. not only do all the old clothes
of this country find their way here.
but the firm has established agents all
over the continent, and weekly large
shipments of the most miscellaneous
garments you ever saw reach the
Prince of Old Clothes from his rep
resentatives on the continent. In one
corner you VIII see the discarded gar
ments of some crack French regiment,
the next pile win consist OF jackets
lately worn by the lSrisers soldiers. and
lying alongside of them will be thous-
ands of dress suits purchased from
the leading German hotels.
But the SNOWY military costumes
and the piles of frock coats you see
In the shop one day will be gone the
next. Indeed II is surprising how
quickly the goods are disposed of, and
1t il here where the romance of the
whole business lies. Mr. Hyman is
not only the Prince of Old Clothes,
but he may also well be called the
costumier to the dusky monarchs OF
Africa. The goods are sent abroad
in huge bales, each bale containing
from 200 to $50 articles. From 300
to 400 bales are sent a.s a rule every
month.
They go into all parts of the world.
Africa, Asia, India, China and far
away Japan. They are eagerly bought
hNrt
the oriental baZars. From the ba-
Ears they find their way into the far
interior Of the country, and explorers
and travellers have often related how
they have met a native king IN Cen
trail Africa wearing a costume that put
them in mind of life guardsman's
uniform minus, perhaps. the belt and
badly In need of a little pipe clay,
but nevertheless much priced by the
owner.
Explorers and travellers often call
at the old clothes establishments and
secure quantity of snowy wearing
apparel They find 1t makes ideal pre-
sents FOR native kings and chiefs.
Said one we'll known traveller to the
proprietor the other day: There Is
nothing like a snowy military coat to
get black king TO allow you TO take
your party through his country"
II have visited most OF the great
oriental hazars where our clothing ls
sold" said Mr.. Hyman, land | have
watched with much amusement our
goods being purchased by the natives.
1 have seen the blacks OF Africa sol
EMMY walking about with European
walstcoats buttoned up behind in
stead of in front, and even men wear
Ing ladies' costumes. ] have seen
enormously big fellows wearing gar
ments that for the life OF mo 1 could
not imagine how they managed to get
into them and am afraid when they tried
to take them Off some OF the stitching
must have given way.
CurOusly enough, the SNOWY costumes
worn by the lord mayors OF London
do not find such a ready market
abroad as the ordinary tunic of a pri-
Yate soldier, This Is probably on ac-
count OF It's price. After his nominal
ton the lord mayor has to purchase
his official costume-a magnificent
rlgout of SILK stockings, buckled boots,
gOld-laCed coat ana cooked hat--which
costs abdut eco. Al the end OF his
term Of office he disposes of II to the
secondhand dealer. The official cos
tunes worn by Londons lord mayors
for the last Twenty-Five years have
been purchased by Mr.. Lyman. TIT.
Bits