Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
RAG MAN
RAG MAN. A rag-and-bone man collected unwanted household items and sold them to merchants. Traditionally this was a task performed on foot, with the scavenged materials (which included rags, bones and various metals) kept in a small bag slung over the shoulder. Some wealthier rag-and-bone men used a cart, sometimes pulled by horse or pony. (1)
Rag-and-bone men in the 1800s typically lived on the proceeds of what they collected each day. Conditions improved following the WORLD WAR II, but the trade declined during the latter half of the 20th century. Due in part to the rising price of scrap metal, rag-and-bone men can once again be seen at work. (2)
The February 22, 1877 the Dubuque Herald carried the mention that another sign of spring was the sound of the rag man's horn in the alley. (3)
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Source:
1. "Rag-and Bone Man," Wikipedia. Online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rag-and-bone_man
2. Ibid.
3. "Caught on the Fly," Dubuque Herald, February 22, 1877, p. 4. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=uh8FjILnQOkC&dat=18770222&printsec=frontpage&hl=en