Zinnte Pfund
Many of the Volga German families in Portland were in the garbage hauling business, but there were also specialists in collecting scrap metals. One such specialist was a Jewish man who regularly came through the Albina neighborhood with a horse and wagon. This man was known for bargaining with the residents over the price of scrap metals in what was probably a combination of Volga German dialect and Yiddish. He was known by the nickname Zinnte Pfund, which roughly translates to "tin by the pound."
This man was likely Sam Schnitzer, a Russian immigrant who started a one-man scrap business in 1906 called Alaska Junk Company. This company would later become Schnitzer Steel Industries, a global leader in metals recycling. The Schnitzer family is well known in Portland for their philanthropy.
This man was likely Sam Schnitzer, a Russian immigrant who started a one-man scrap business in 1906 called Alaska Junk Company. This company would later become Schnitzer Steel Industries, a global leader in metals recycling. The Schnitzer family is well known in Portland for their philanthropy.
Source
Story told by Harold Kammerzell (December 2015).
Last updated October 24, 2023