The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-30
LIFE ON THE STREETS.

NJ 6ve members of the ignoble race OF Gamins
have been missed by the persons irequenung 'ne
neighborhood Of Third and Oheshut sHeets'
The names ofthese quaint specimens OF humanity
are Patrick Haggerty, alias "Bum;" James
Malone. alias 'Mous," alias "Bologny" Charles
Viereck. alias "Whitey;" William Sherry ana
rn,o,,oo 7 onaban. alias mailer" They are all
,rue and yertable specimens OF that numerous
.loss of boys of whom Victor Hugo's Little
cavrocbep is the type, who have been cast upon
The world at an early age, and forced to gain
most precarious livelihood upon the streets; who
seldom venture near the abodes of their ances-
tors; who eat and drink and sleep wherever
and whenever the demands of nature prompt
them to seek food and rest, and whose varying
fortunes present sad commentary upon the
nckleness of fortune Their only visible means
Of support consists in blacking boots and crying
newspapers, from which pursuits they are
enabled to live in a manner which is involved in
mystery to all save themselves.
But, despite the harshness of their lot, they
are extremely cheerful, having been taught the
great lesson Of bearing up under the Ills OF life
in the most thorough and effective of all
schools-that OF adversity To see their habitua
smile and hear their almost unfaIing laugh
one would think that "the lines are fallen unto
of the pangs of hunger, and had never felt he
chill of poverty in their bones. In truth, so
exceedingly cheerful is their disposition, that
they are sometimes brought TO gnefthrough the
very exuberance of their animal spirits.
Such was the moving cause which led to the
disappearance of Bum" and "Mons" and the
other three who have taken leave, OF their
favorite haunt for a time. They find the streets
somewhat dull of Sunday. Newspapers are
not in great demand, and the passers.by have
the brightest of polish on their boots. SO these
fiVp ha Vp bppn accustomed to OiSDOrt themselves
in variety of ways, chief and most popular
among which have been two pastimes with the
cards known, in the unintellgible pdtOiS OF the
streets, as "poke" and nose 'em." Poke" is
allied to the highly respectable game OF poker,
but "nose 'emn is a trick which Is known and
practise ed among the gGTntns alone. When the
company OF ragged urchlns are seated about
board or table, or flat upon the ground, the
cards undergo various shufhngs and manipulA-
ttous, auu men eac9 oAS lhahSs Couut ol tile
strength OF his hand, and woe be unto him who
holds the weakest cards. For straightWay
the clenched fists of his partners are levelled at
his unotending nose, and the operation is often
repeated until the blood streams down his
maDgled face. If, however, the company con-
sists of greater number than four the one who
holds the highest hand alone eujoys the privi.
lege of battering the nose of him who holds the
lowest, it being considered, in the world of
QdnpinS that blow from more than three
different fists is TOO great penalty for an in
voluntary lack of fortune.
On the Sunday preceding the last, the above
enumerated uIchins repeated an indiscretion of
that of breaking into the cellar of a certain
printing Office on Third street, and there engag-
ing in their fayOrte sports. As it was not
deemed expedient to leave the door by which
they had gained entrance open, they would have
been involved in total darkness, had they not
taken the liberty of lighting every gas jet in the
place. thereby endangering the safety of the
building. On this occasion they were detected
IN the very act OF amusing themselves with
poke" but having received fair warning,
were permitted to go their way in peace.
On the following Sunday, however, they re-
peated the Offense, and when an officer claimed
admittance into their retreat it was denied.
The keys of the main entrance were procured,
and, passing down into the cellar by back
way, the cOnservator OF the public peace found
the i've grouped about platform IN the very
midst OF an exciting game OF nose 'em." Re
sstance was not to be thought OF, nor would
escape for the present avail them, as they were
all well known to the police and would be
pounced upon as soon as theYYentured upon their
only resort-the street. So the five were duly
marched up to the Central Station, and it being
then about9 O'Clock in the evening, they were
turned into cell below stairs, to await a hear
Ing on the following day.
As they were being escorted to their quarters,
two of them took occasion to entrust the sum
total OF their worldly means to the care of their
captOr, expressing fear that the others, who
happened To be without any money at the time,
might Ego through them" In this way the
officer became the custodian OF hfty-nine cents
in trust for one, and of sixty cents in trust for
the other. They were then turned into their
cell, but their cheerfulness did not even then
forsake them. Inquiry was made OF "Mons" as
to the cause of his arrest to which he unhesi-
tatingly replied that it was the wearing OF the
Green" adding that, if he was to be sent to
MOyamensing he hoped to be lodged in a cell
upon the third floor, where he would be sure OF
receiving three meals day. He had been
within the gloomy prison walls before, and as
serted that on the second floor but two meals
per diem were served at that elevation.
They then commenced to while away the
hours OF darkness after fashion peculiar to
their race. In loud and husky voices they
chanted the refralns of "Pat Malloy" and ''The
Wearing of the Green" and not content with
systematic effort at making all the uprOar posi-
bic by shuffiug and stamping and dancing
about as If they had been put under a spell by
the Evil One himself This was too much tol
the officer in charge, and he entered the cell
prepared to relieve them of their shoes, a threa
to that effect producing an almost painful quiet
On the following afternoon the five were LEI
into the presence of Alderman Better, and b.
his dread power were so OVerawed that they re
Trained from any demonstrations, and made lit
tie effort at repartee in answer to the question
proposed to them. They stated that it had bee
several days since they had slept under tn
paternal roof, and one of them accounted TO
himself on the previous Saturday evening b.
saying that he had gone to the American Theatr
TO secure a ham, but was obliged to leave with
out that article. The result of the hearing wa
their commiual to the County Prison, la defaul
OF $500 bail each for their future good behavior
When their fate was fully determined, one O
Ihem made P1 attempt TO rally his spirits by II
guessing some OF the gentlemen present to @
his oali. When at last they were preparing 4
START lor thelr new quarters in the 10 ger part G
the city, the heart OF each was made glad by In
~ 81 ,l,a