The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1862-04-26

4 49, rae GsoDaSA BSggeRss
Ths f.Hovins b derived from Mayhsv'l
J noW book!
Army and navy bsggars abound, a. "
al know, IL every part Of the country
and more especially IN psrts remote from
garrison towns and from seapOrts. Elk
peFiencsd persons can easily detect thS
imposture, and real soldiers and sailors
soon catch them in details, for which they
are not prepared. Mr.. Halliday relates
that he was once walking with gentle
man who bad spent the earlier part Of bis
life at sea, when turnpike sailor" shut
fed on before them. They had just been
conversing on nautical affairs, and Mr.,
Halliday said to his companion" Now,
there il . brother sailor in distress; oil
course you will give him sOmething."-
HE sailor I" said the friend, with great
disgust ibid you see him spitp" Mr..
Halliday answered he had. "He spits to
the wiHdward," was the reply. Mr.. HAL
liday asked what Of that! "A regular
landsnan's trick, said the true salt. "A
real sailor never spits wind'ard. Why.
he couldn't" So great are the delicacies
Of the art, and so hard is it to counterfeit
nature. Generally, sham sailor or SOL
der, who finds he has to do with speci-
men of the real article, gives in at once,
and makes the best Of his way to the
dwellings Of unprofeSsional people. But
Mr., Halliday tells q story Of one who stood
contest with his deteetor and had the
best of 1.-THE turnpike sailor was
giving vivid aad minute account Of an
engagement during the Crimean war, and
was telling an admiring circle of bearers
how he and his mates boarded the enemy
a0d did wonders M. Halliday let him
finish the yarn and then determined to
show him up. :" saw" he said, the
account Of the action In the newspapers,
but they said nothing Of boarding. AS
read it, the enemy were in too shallow
water to make it possible. The vessels
were more than half mile apart" The
rogue saw his advantage, and with the
utmost GOODNESS replied, The newspapers
-d-n the newspapers. You don't be-
lieve what the says, surely. WAE sir,
| was there, and l ought to know"
Mr.. Halliday sorts into different classes
the numerous beggars Of low type who
hang about the streets, and leaves US with
an impression that every beggar ia ttse
street must be an imposter. With the
ordinary types of disaster" such as
shipWfesk4AS Asn5MsSa5 ISNwn up miners
- those having real or pretended sores.
vulgarly known as the scaldman dodge"
We are familiar. But there are oddities
and niceticS even in this humble depart.
lnent Of the begging art There are, Cor
instance, the lucifer droppers. The bust
ness Of these persons is to take box or
two Of luciferS aud offer them for sale at a
crowded and dirty corner. They choose
victim, and contrive to get in his way.
Down 60 the lucifers in the mud, and the
professional sets up plteOuS howl. The
gentleman is ashamed OF having done so
much mischief, and to quiet the complain.
ant, who is generally Of the softer sex, he
gives her many times the worth of her
dropped lucifers. Furnished beggars"
seem highly successful in their own line,
but their success demands the natural
advantages of a cOrpse-like face, an ema-
ciated frame, and the power of enduring
the winters cold in rags. Among those
endowed with these requisites, the more
performers have invented
May Ingenious subtleties. One device
is the "chOking dodge The famished
beggar seizes on a crust and eagerly de.
yours it: but he has been too long with
out food-he tries in vain to swallow it,
nd eks ~, ID
vice is that of the "Offal eaters" These
people decline absolutely to eat anything
but what they find in the cutters. Mr..
noticed one man who searched
for crumbs thrown out to birds. When
he found them, he mumbled and munched
h them until he had attracted attention
and half pence. At last, one day, Mr..
followed him. lie wanted to
see the end Of the performance; and, at.
ter q proper allowailc Of bird crumbs,
the beggar made his way to a beer-shOp
in st. Giles, where Mr.. Halliday found
him comfortably seated. with his feet up
on q chair, smoking long pipe and dis
GUESSING pot Of ale. When We hear Of
al the trouble and ingenuity that is ex.
pended in deceiving us, We may well feel
inclined to ask, as Mr.. Halliday asked a
beggar Of his acquaintance-"D Don't you
think you would have found it more prof.
liable had you taken to labor, or to some
honester calling than your present one ?"
But the candid answer returned is sug-
gestive. "Wsll, sir, Psaps; ) might" he
replied; "but going on the square is so
dreadfully confirming"