El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-03-01

(COpyEigh ut, 1913, by Il rank q. O1rpeHter)
going through the courts, warehouses
and salesrOOms I found price tags on
everything. These showed the original
values and the loans, and in many cases
the values had been reduced three or
four times. and most things seemed to
me wonderfully cheap. Indeed, the first
price is about what the goods
would bring In a secondhand store.
This is held for a month, and then, il
no one comes to buy it, is reduced. The
next month il is further marked down,
and this gees on from month to month
until five months. when if not sold, the
vaIuator must take back the article.
I spent some time in the JeWelry
salesrOOm. Here were cases Of pearls
and diamonds, and quantities of rings,
brooches and pins set with Jewels OF
every description saw earrings with
pearls a big as the end OF your finger
and great SapphlreS and emeral0S val
ued at from $500 TO $4,000 Many of the
jewels were in sets, consisting Of brace
lets, brooches and earrings, with now
and then a tiara of diamonds to match.
Most of these trinkets seemed to me
very cheap.
Just now Mexico is in the throes of
hard times, owing TO the revolutionary
troubles and the sales Of unredeemed
pledges are large Sometimes tourists
pick up great bargains in 1eWelry. ]
know Of one man who got a beautiful
brooch containing a half dozen pearls
and four diamonds for 500, and Of an
other who bought a fine diamond ring
for half that amount I coveted a set
from $500 down to $500, but ! thought
Of the customs which are rigidly en-
forced on the borders Of Texas, and did
not invest
At the PaWnbroIzing Auctions
wish 7 could shew you one of the
auctions Of this national pawnshOp.
They are attended by the motley thrOng
which makes up the crowds Of the Mex
lean capital There are men in SOM
brerOs, short Jackets and tight-fitting1
trousers There are women in black.
with mantillas over their heads, and
there are people dressed much the same
as those of our cities At the auctions
the pledges include chrOmOs and oil
paintings, bicycles and mirrors, saddles
and harness, household goods and
clothing and jewelry and trinkets OF
every Imaginable kind and description
The goods are put up at the request
of the wouIdbe purchasers and are often
sold TO the first bidders The man
picks out his article and it is knocked
off after giving the others q chance.
Everything has been appraised, and
bargains in good things, however, are
usually sold before the auctions take
place
In the Thieves Market.
In addition to the national pawn
shop there are many private paWnshops
in Mexico City At these the loans are
more costly and 5 or 10 percent a month
is frequently paid 1t is unsafe to at
tempt TO borrow on stolen wares at the
Monte de Piedad, but this is not so OF
the private paWnships, and / am told
that many of them are fences or re-
ceivers Of sOIen goods
Indeed. there is one market here
which has so much questionable mer-
chandise that IL goes by the name Of
the Thieves market 1t is not far from
the cathedral and Just off the main
market house Of the city. It is on a
street once occupied by the palace Of
king 1Ontezuma and where he first bull
ring was afterWard esta blished by the
Spaniards- On the same spot Is here
tics were condemned to be burned to
death by the inQuisition in 1919 and
IL is only within a century or so that
the land has been cleared and the
property Of the city.
In my walk through this market
kept my hands on my pOcketbOOl1, but
was not mOlested- I examined the
goods, but there was nothing of value
in the shape Of cUrios or gold and
silver set with Jewels The most Of the
wares seemed TO be trinkets, household
goods and old clothing. There was a