The Lincoln County herald., 1868-12-24
OILY 1sslsn The King Of tAe Len
dOa Beggars.
lFfoN tho 6Alaxy.l

doa Beggars.
lFron tho Sslaxy.l
Everybody in London knows BILLY
Bottom. Four times mp and four times
down docs be make and has made for six
and twenty years his daily circuit ut Nc.
gent street, starting from the Picadiily
circus aud turning 10 retrace his steps At
The southeast ccrver Of Oaford street and
Enough essstaatly under the feet Of the
the vast crowd tbst forever Gov through
The shorousahrc, or threading lie way
among he thousands Of carrisges that
from 2P. y. to 8 Of every dsy Of the sea.
son, nskes Il the gayest concoursc 10
Europe, he has never but once been 10.
jured, and then not seriously. Billy is .
strong built man, with muscular chest and
2 bsswny arms; his head phrenologically
good, and his face fresh as an English
mans should be in that equable climate at
the age of forty.six; but he stands, or
sits rather, for he was born without legs,
only twenty. seven and half inches high.
Strapped to . square board just large
enough for seat, (and which becomes
part Of himself) BY means Of two clamps,
one in each hand, lie secures the means
Of safe, if not rapid, locomotion. He is
as much part Of Regent street, is Billy,
as is the lion Of Northumberland House,
% or the monument on Fish-strcet Hill.
Billy is rich. Of that there is no
doubt. And then he is the beggars' king.
Once every year, on the fourth dny Of
christmas, or the 29th Of Dcccmber-for
then, If ever, what with Christmas boxes,
what with annual savings, the street.
sweepers, tramps, vagrants, cadgers, and
prigs are all well.to do at the great gath.
cring At the "Cross Stockings" St. Giles,
whore meeting is held Of the fraternity
within the metropolis for tho adoption Of
rules to govern begging for the succeed
ing year, which meeting is followed by .
diuner-Mr. WIN. Bottom presidcs, max
ing the Introductory speech after the cloth
10 removed, keeps strictest order and
the persons who are to respond tsuames
the various toasts.
Billy has held this position since 1856,
when Sam Sloane, his predecessor, the
Chariug Cross cross sweeper, was killed
by . runaway fire engine team, leaving to
his heirs, as his will at Doctors Con.
mons shows, between 81, 900 and $4,000.
Sam had been bcggars' king for thirteen
years. Billy succeeded him, not so much
for reputed wealth rs for On address ia
the profession, which achieves wonderful
success, and which furnishes store oI
.needo.eo Cor tho usual weekly gather
iugs Of tho beggars' club. He has jus
met . gentleman and lady among thou
sands hurrying past. They are Ameri'
cans. He has just caught the lady's eye
She stops to ask him question. His
point is gained. He has read her sympa'
shies at once. And whether they ore
moved by philanthropy, or piety, OF
Christian charity, he iutcrprets them in
stautly, aud becomes to his almoner the
exponent of what her gentle nature needs.
He never plays the role Of Csnning's
"Needy Kuife Grinder
Story. God blecs you, I have none to
tell, cir, but has at hand charactes and
tale 60 suited to the occasion that the
uuwary never detect the imposture.. Be-
sides, be IS tho most courteous Of petit
tioners for aims, never importunatc, aud
from tue "Thank you" for the ha'pence,
"Thsuk you, much obliged to you," fol
sixpencs, to the "Thauk you, sirl Much
obliged to you sir ! God repay you, sir II
for the shilling, is the best bred Of beg
gars.
/ have introduced Billy Bottom BE-
cause he stands the acknowledged head
of more than sixty thousand profassed
beggars in London. lie is wise. III
does not drink. lie assumes no disguise
He has wife aud family whom he sup
ports respectfully. In fact, he is not uu
ike, save in the misfortune to bo borl
without legs, his great predecessor, Johu
Y.rdly Vernon, who died many years ags
10 Broad street. Vernon left more thar
100000. But " made it by spccula
ting with tho proceeds Of his begging
Though never appearing N public save il
his rags, he left several sons who tool
sare Of bis gaius.
STATE OF MARKET.-Tho eommcrcia
reported Of an exchange gives the follow