The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-02-28
FATE OF UNIFORMS.
African Kings Buy Discarded
RegimentaIs.

The worlds biggest old clothes shop Is
to be found in the london thorough
fares of H~oundsditch, says Tit-Bits. 1t
is presided over by JON Hyman. who
has rightly earned the title of the
Prince of Old Clothes, for it is TO this
individual that the Lord Mayor of Lon
don, our army officers, our soldiers,
sailors, policemen and postmen send
their costumes when they have no
further use for them.
Then, not only do all the old clothes
of this country find their way here, but
the firm has established agents all over
the continent, inc weekly large ship
ments of the most miscellaneous gar
ments o ever saw reach the Prince of
Old Clothes from his representatives on
the continent. In one corner you will
see the discarded garments Of some
crack French regiment, the next pile
will consist of jackets lately worn by
the Kaiser's soldiers, and lying along
side of them will be thousands of dress
suits purchased from the leading Ger
man hotels.
But the snowy military costumes and
the piles of frock coats you see in the
shop one day will be gone the next. In
deed. It is surprising how quickly the
goods are disposed of, and il is here
where the romance of the whole bust
ness lies. Mr.. Hynan is not only The
prince of old clothes, but he may
also well be called the eostumer of the
dusky monarchs of Africa. The goods
are sent abroad in huge bales, each
bale containing from two hundred to
two hundred and fifty articles. From
three hundred to four hundred bales
are sen as a rule every month.
They go TO all parts of the world
Africa, Asia, India, China and far
away Japan. They are eagerly bought
up by native traders, who sell them in
the Oriental bazars. From the bazars
they find their a into the far inte-
rior of the country, and explorers and
travellers have often related how they
have met a native king in Central At
RIGA wearing a costume that put them
in mind of a lifeguardsnian's uniform
minus, perhaps, the belt n badly in
need of a little pipeclay, but neverthe-
less much priced by the owner.
Explorers and travellers often call al
the old clothes establishment and
secure a quantity of snowy wearing
apparel. They find it makes ideal pres
ents for native kings and chiefs. Said
one well-known traveller to the pro-
prietor the other day: "There is moth
ing like a snowy military a to set
a black king to allow you to take your
party through his country"
81 have visited most of the great
Oriental bazars where our clothing is
Sold" said Mr.. Hyman, and l have
watched with much amusement our
goods being purchased by the natives
| have seen the blacks of Africa
solemnly walking about with European
waistcoats buttoned up behind instead
of in front and even men wearing
ladies' costumes. / have seen enor-
mously big fellows wearing garments
that for the life of me l could not
imagine how they managed to get into
them and am afraid when they tried to
AXE them off some of the stitching
must AVE given way
Curiously enough, the snowy cos
tunes worn by the Lord Mayors Of
London do not find such a ready mar
ket abroad as the ordinary tunic of a
private soldier. This is probably on ac-
count of it's price. After his nomina-
tion the Lord Mayor has to purchase
his official costume-a magnificent rig
out of silk stockings, buckled boots,
gold laced coat and cooked hat-which
costs about sixty pounds. At the end
of his term of Office he disposes of 1t
to the second hand dealer. The Official
costumes worn by London's Lord
Mayors for the last twenty-five years
have been purchased by Mr.. Hyman.