Saves U.S. Millions From Junk

1915

When William Jacobus sinks his hands into his pockets and surveys the great amount of Government "junk" he has sold for Uncle Sam at a big saving he must, indeed, feel like congratulating himself.

Here's how it happened. In 1911, Mr. Jacobus, who probably knows more about the scrapping and junk business than any one else, went to the "powers that be" in Washington, D. C., and placing his finger on a leak, said: "Millions of dollars go every year right here because nobody knows anything about the business of selling the Government's junk to the best advantage."

At that time there was what was known as the "junkmen's agreement." A number of junkmen had agreed that they would pay a certain price for the junk offered by the Government.

The junkmen got the scrap "dirt cheap," They carefully assorted it, and resold it at a large profit.

Jacobus changed the system of disposing of Uncle Sam's junk. He saved the Navy Department approximately $2,000,000. He also did a good job for the Light House Department and the War Department. He respectfully declined a position from Col. Goethals to handle the scrap at the Panama Canal. Recently he saved the city of New York $200,000 by judicious sale of scrap.

Prisoners Eager to Work in Dump; Clean-up Day Yesterday

Ohio, 1921

Prisoners Work Unguarded in City Dump to Collect Saleable Articles

ELYRIA - Police officers were dumbfounded when they returned to the city dump Thursday night and found August Deshberger, Robert Doyal, Frank Crofton and Fred Lewis still on the job and industriously working. The men arrested and fined $5 each on vagrancy charges had been on the city dump all day unguarded and insisted on returning to work on the dump today. The request was granted by the police.

Police found the cause of the men being anxious to work on the city dump when they discovered that the quartet had been picking out brass, copper, lead, zinc and other salable articles which the men have pooled and from which they expect to realize several dollars from the sale to a junk dealer.

The quartet have also many articles of clothing found which they have appropriated. They claim they struck it lucky by being put to work on the city dump by the police at this time when the annual clean-up is in progress and the sorting out of salable articles made much easier.

The annual spring clean-up will not be completed this week but will require a couple of days next week, said Street Commissioner John Conabee who says 38 loads of rubbish have been hauled to the dump so far. The clean-up wagons have had some difficulty in getting through unimproved streets following the rains earlier in the week. The placing of the rubbish on the curb facilitates the handling, said Mr. Conabee.

—The Chronicle Telegram, Elyria, Ohio, April 22, 1921, page 1.