The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-08-27
HEART THROBS
IN RELICS SOLD
TO BUY FOOD
Sentiment Sacrificed When
Gifts of Romance Go in
Time Of Need.
fThis IL the second and final story
revealing Gsld Hunting in indianapolis
BY ARCH STEINEL

revealing Celd Hunting In lndianapolis.)
BY ARCH sTEINEL
He displayed a cheap tin pan. II
was full of trinkets, backs OF
watches. gold spectacles, rings,
platinum pendants
There's $500 worth in that pan
I've gotten them since Monday
he added.
The pan-the size for making
sauce-weighed heavy in the hand
II weighed heavy of hearts, too
The back of the watch. an old
hunting case, that stuck out from
side, was an unemployed ones
first meal in months outside the
soup line.
The ring leaning against it was
some broken love-life that lost its
owner because Of hunger and need
Benjamin Hershon, owner and
manager of the Standard Gold
Smelling and Refining Company,
423 Lemcke building, put the tin
pan back into the safe.
Sells His Gold Crown
Whatll you give for this?' is
their question as l weigh it up TO
find out its gold value I'll not
forget one fellow who came in,
and Hershon settled gold weight
on its scales as he gathered the
story together.
He asked the same question, but
he pointed to gold crown in his
mouth. I asked him why he wanted
to sell it. He said he needed the
money. A pair OF pliers lay on the
counter He grabbed the pliers, say
ing How much if l pull it out?'
Hershon told him he couldn't pull
the crown of in his Office that it
wasn't a dental chair The man
went away. He came back in few
hours
He laid the crown down. ] even
hated to toss it on the scales. l
gave him $2," he averred.
Old Families Market Relics
Hershon says that some of the
citys best families families that
pioneered 1ndianapolis-come to his
wicketed office window to sell their
old relics and antiques for ready
cash.
He has refined and smelted down
many heirlooms that we're bought
by him through his wicketed office
window while tears played soft
chords throughout the sale.
There's one story l hate to tell
you. I shouldn't say anything
about it," he hesitated.
Then he told this story
A woman. white with age, and
courteous with the courteousness of
southern gentility approached the
iron window that guards the safe
with its ingots of wealth.
Romance Sold to Exist
Il want to sell this watch, this
cameo PIN" she said.
A kerchief brushed at her eyes
as she talked.
Hershon bought the trinkets. They
were of the best of gold.
A few days later she returned to
his office.
Staring out his Office window,
blinking, she laid wedding ring
down.
"I-I-dont like to do this. 1t
was husbands. He was IN the Civil
war
I'VE we're married while magnolias
bloomed. He died. A son was left
to me. The World war took him.
He never came back
You won't. won't melt this be-
fore Wednesday. Please hold it
that long. I've sold all my clothes
already to try and keep it, But it
may help me to buy some little
things I can sell and I'll be back
Wednesday, sure, and take it back"
Locked Deep in Safe
That was last Wednesday," Her.
shon said.
Did she come back?" he was
questioned
MOI" and the ref1ner of gold as
we'll as hearts softened the No"
And now she couldn't have that
wedding ring if she wanted it?" he
was asked.
He picked an ingot of gold from
the safe and with it a package. He
dumped the package on the desk.
It's all there. The watch, the
cameo pin, and the wedding ring.
There's some things you can't melt
easily-and gold sometimes is one
of them"
A brush of his hand and the
trinkets were back in the package
and locked deep in the safe.