Evening star., 1924-12-25
PAWNSHOPS TELL
TRAGIC YULE TALE
Christmas Money Need
Forces Sale of Rare Gems
and Workmen'S Tools.
By Consolidated Press.

BY Con soli lidated Press.
NEW YORK, December 25.-Diamonds,
pearls and other precious jewels, plat
mum, gold and silver ornaments, fam
fly heirlooms and relics of a cherished
past, newly lined side by side on num-
berless shelves in old Manhattan's
pawshops~-these tell thousands of
Christmas tales.
The past three weeks have been the
years busiest in the shops marked by
three gold balls. People in steady
streams, unending day or night, have
come to leave their old-time treasures
in exchange for a little money to buy
more modern and less valuable gifts
for the dear ones OF today.
Each u story of Pain.
Each article story, each story filed
with heartache and hope-the stores
are laden with them. Now that the
pre- Christmas rush is finished, they
concern until another Christmas ap-
proaches and the desire to make others
happy out of nothing or much comes
avalanche of pawning will occur.
There are two types of pawnshops in
New York, which have been more than
restocked by the desire to give OF those
who had no money with which to buy
and who had to capitalize old posses
sions to gather the wherewithal. There
are those along Park Row and in the
hotel and theater district, to which
come gorgeous treasures, bought in
we'll known jewelers. stores, which have
been pledged for money by foreign no.
lights, who find themselves pressed for
ready cash with which to buy their
gifts.
Small Articles Sold.
And there are those along Third.
Sixth and Eighth avenues, where lie
a. heterogeneous collection of small
belongings. banjos, kodaks and UNI
bellas which have been loaned to get
the necessary dimes and quarters
to buy some little trif1e to make
Christmas ever so little merry for
some other person to whom a little
means much.
The array Of handsome articles the
last few weeks of preparing for
Christmas have brought into the
shops of the first type is more than
set In shimmering crowns of gold or
platinum; strings of pearls that have
been matched through years OF
watching and comparing in a conti-
mental city: white cameo earrings cut
on onyx; brooches of mosaic and en-
amel, and heavy, handwrought
Hindu marriage buckle, older than
one could guess.
On these the per cent interest re-
ouired for the first three months, and
the per cent thereafter, will prob
ably be paid faithfully in the hope
that they may be redeemed In time.
Perhaps only a week or two Will pass
before the erstwhile owner can re-
claim them-and it was only the i'm
mediacy of Christmas, with the dih-
Guilty of turning other property into
swift cash, that brought them TO the
pawnshops in the first place.
workmen Pawn Tools.
In the other shops there is every
thing-but few things of Intrinsic
worth. There workmen pawn their
tools, shopgirls their tawdry ,furs
and women their cut glass and cheap
iewelry, There Is the young man s
frat pin turned in that he may buy
some trinket to suit the passing fancy
of some friend, and there the family
silver, made in the style of 1840, the
big, heavy spoons with edges worn
thin from usage, which had to go to
buy a. modern gift in return for some
little present which would be re-
ceiyed. On several of these shops are
signs assuring customers that all
clothes presses are proof against dust
and moths and will keep garments
safely until they are sold or re-
deemed.
Many Of the articles pawned are so
individual they could not be dupli-
cated-and these are often kept long
after interest payments lapse by
pawnbrokers who hope they may be
called for.
Unredeemed pledges are sold at
the jewelers. public auction after
they have been held for year-if
there seems to be no likelihood OF
tho owners wanting them again. If
q happy "finis" can be written to
these Christmas tales OF. need for
money-like those which are scat
tered in smaller numbers through
each yearly the owners calling for
them. pawnbrokers are relieved. They
depend on the interest and not on
selling uncalled-for pledges for their