Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 91, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1907 — OLD “PINOCHLE." [ARTICLE]

OLD “PINOCHLE."

Odd Character Who la Gettln<, Rich Oil Needs of Cornell Student*. With the close of the school year at Cornell University, Aaron Wells, more widely known at “Pinochle,” reaps a golden harvest Stnudents who are hard up go to him at this time and borrow money, sometimes on notes and frequently "on honor" only, but they one and all have to pay old Pinochle fat Interest Wells began business there ten years ago practically without a dollar. Too poor to pay rent he stood on the street offering to buy second-hand wearing apparel of any kind. Now he has a pretentious clothing store and It is as much of a landmark as the Dutch Kitchen or the office of the registrar of the university. Five men are now anployed by the Industrious clothier, who makes a small fortune in this business alone. -y ; —= His agents still hang around on the corners, but Pinochle only goes up the hill when telephoned for. Every ones In a while swell fraternity men will su/mnon him up to the house and there Is a grand clearance sale. Sults that have only been worn for one season, dress clothes that are a bit too small, overcoats of the most fashionable styles, all are thrown toward the little clothing man with the query, "What am I bld?” Sometimes the clothes are fairly worn out; more often the owner Is pretty hard up, and In both cases they are sold for a ridiculously low price. A suit that cost S4O will go to Pinochle for $2, and dress coats and overcoats bring from $5 to $lO. Sometimes the student will kick, but the best he can get out of the imperturbable dealer Ist "Well, I’ll match you. Five dollars or nothing.” And even at thia game he usually wins. He makes about 500 per cent on every article he buys, but the students need the money, so they let It go. But it Is In the money-lending business that Wells has acquired the greatest celebrity. Almost any fraternity man In Ithaca with whom he has done business In clothes, or any well-to-do student who can get an Introduction to him, can make a "touch” when he la hard up, and thousands of dollars an loaned out every year. Money to go home on, to bet on football, baseball and track games and crew races, to pay bills that are about to be sued on, to play poker with —in fact, money fol everything can be obtained from Wells In small sums or large, it makes little difference. Sometimes the men leave* town without paying up; there hav< been cases of loans as high as SSOC standing out for years, but In the end they are collected. Either the borrow' ers themselves pay or their parents paj for them, as Pinochle keeps close watch and Irr- —*3dr«*sses of all hit clients. ‘RS hunting WlDuehle playei In Ithaca, '- with, a. boor