Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-09-14
THE THEORY OF CHARITY.
ofesslonal Beggars and Migrants


Professional Beggars and Migrants
Memphis is not infested to such an ex-
tent as other cities with street beg
gars, but yet o goodly number Of these
unfortunates ply their trade increasingly
1t is astonishing what number Of ills
flesh is heir to, and especially the flesh
of the street beggars. They are suffer
ing from more different causes than gem
orally fall to the lot Of any one class of
human beings. Beggars all over the
world look alike; they seem to belong to
one race-the mendicant race--and, like
the Gipsies, recognize each other as
brethren, although in distress. Persons
who profess to know something concern
ing these people say they eat arsenic to
make them pale. They obstinately re
fuse to wash, believing that dirt eKcites
sympathy; and by q moderate amount
of starvation keep their flesh at low
point Then by wearing unkempt locks,
and by the use Of dirty and dilapidated
clothing, they manage to present a wo.
begone appearance to the world. Even
the whining voice is said to be cultivated,
just like the drawl and lisp so common
in society, and they stand forth as OBJ
jects for Christian charity. There is
sturdy beggar "a woman With
rubicund face e. often seen on
the streets, with two dirty little chill
dren who approach strangers with
9 Please, sir, give me five cents to buya
loaf of bread" When refused they skip
away with a grin on their faces and i'm
perfume the next passer-by in the same
manner. When they succeed in pro-
curing +" FIVE cents they run to the wo-
man and give her the money, and dart
off in search of another sympathetic
victim. These children frequent street
corners, saloons and hotels. The woman
often makes dead set at knot Of gen.
tlemen who happen to be conversing ON
some street corner, and will not be de-
MED the demand for money. Being a
good judge of human nature, she knows
that some one in the crowd will give her
dime to get rid of her persistent at
tentions and disagreeable conversation.
Unfortunately, however, for sympathy,
this woman is lover of strong drink,
and buys her whisky with the proceeds
of her begging.
The sightless, armless and legless beg
CARS are often seen at street corners
grinding an ACCORDION or hand-organ,
with placard attached to the doleful
instrument containing some moving APP
peals for charity. In the majority Of
instances these are professional beggars,
wanderers on earth, who travel in some
miraculous way from city to city going
Sonth in winter and moving Northward
in summer. As o general rule the pro-
fessional beggar possesses strong at
tachment for whisky, and for n time the
jolly beggar is as drunk and as happy
as lord
These people make from two to ten
dollars day by begging "a much larger
sum than could be obtained by steady
legitimate employment. Many of them
are misers, and hoard up many hundred
and often many thousand dollars, until
death reveals to the world their duplicity
and folly.
The genteel beggar belongs to higher
grade in the profession. These visit
private residences in the city and
suburbs, and modestly ask for clothing,
and oitentimes for breakfast or dinner.
They nearly always have some relation
''sick-on the point of death, or just
dead" and If refused by the matrons,
they often supply their wardrobes by
stealing anything like garment in
sight, if not carefully escorted from the
door and grounds.
The charitable people in our city give
away many hundreds of dollars annu-
ally to these professional imposters, BE-
cause the sum given away is nothing
and the object may or might be a chart
table one. The real objects of charity
reside in our own city. There are hun
dreds of poor and needy people all
around us who will starve before they
beg. There are hundreds of women who
support families on mere pittanee, OBJ
tanned by daily toil-such beings as are
described by Hood in his immortal
"Song of the Shirt those who, with
fingers weary and worn" work from
dawn until dark, in order to drive away
hunger from their doors. When sickness
comes the weary fingers stop, and starva-
ton comes stealthily to their homes.
These are objects of charity-but who
seeks for them in order to alleviate dis
tress and poverty The sturdy beggar
gets the money, but the poor and worthy
are unknown until Death seals up Life,
and Charity sorrowfully whispers "too
late" And here endeth a charity
sermon.
The New Cotton Crop.
Messrs. Dickinson, Williams 4 Co. re-