The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1882-01-19
The Tricks Of Mendicants.

The most profitable field in New York
TOR street bcg@ar>. and tn" one in which
they are most plenty. saws the SIM. is
from Fourteenth street Twpnty-third.
between Broadway and Sixth avenue.
This is the shopping district. and Ia
dies, who are the best game for eXpe-
rienced mendicants, are to be found
there in greater numbers than in any
other part of the city. As the leaders
in every trade are apt to be found oc-
cupying the best places, So the most
expert bcggarS of the city are to be
found in this district Among those
who become expert in begging, some
have a natural aptitude for it. but the
great majority have acquired their cum
nlng by long apprenticeship.
On Il recent afternoon reporter saw
a wretched-looking man hobbling along
the east side of Sixth avenue, near
Twentieth street. He seemed to be
paralyzed on his left side. He turned
into Twentieth street, and as the report
or passed close to him he recognized the
beggar a. Il man whom he had heard
telling the following story to IN APP
parentiv less experienced mendirant in
the Fourth Ward:
"W"ll. rs | was Il sayin>, was Il
cook aboard the brig Cheshire, from
Lunnon to New York. On my last trip,
just as she was goin' to leave the dock
down here near Peck Slip, | thought
I'd slip out and get somcthink to drink
short, ! got drunk an was left. NV
clothes an money was aboard an |
didn't have but thrllppence in my peck
ct. When it came night | didn't have
nowhere to go, an as | was wonderful
wot / d do about it, Il young Teller with
spectacles came along. ! stopped him
an told him I'd got lost in the streets,
an when foun' my way to the dock
my ship was gone without me. | re-
member that young Teller well. He
asked me lot of questions which an
swered true, except about the drunk.
Then he gave me a half a dollar and told
me to call at his rOOms-somcwhere on
Washington Square-the next day, an
he'd give me a job until could find a
ship. When he went away ! see in Il
minute wot payin' business it was: 50
as soon as he got out of sight tackled
the next Teller that came along. He
didn't wait to hear what | said, but he
said he knew was lynn anyhow, an
he gave me five cents to get a drink
with. l did wot he told me, an then
started again, but I only got seventeen
cents more the whole night till turned
in-about eleven o'clock
"That's how got started; but about
three months after. when the sailor
dodge was gettin' wore out, | got sick
with the smallpox. | was settin in
bar-room down in Water street, when
first felt it comm on. First was cold
and then | was hot, and had fearful
pain in my back. After J. sat in the
bar-room about three hours, gettin
worse all the time, the barkeeper sen
for an ambulance, and | was carried off
to the hospital. When l came out of
that my face was marked like it is now,
and was SO weak that people could see
| had been sick. made s. day then
for over a week, but when | began to
look better l didn't make but about a
dollar an a half Il day. BY and by
didn't make even this much. and then
seem a man in Brooklyn one day max
lyzed, / found out how to do it, and
I've been working that racket off an
on ever since.
How do you make your hand look
sop the listening mendicant asked.
Its easy enough, You can do it your
self. Put your arm close to your side.
Now lift up your hand to level with
your elbow and leave it hang loosely
from the wrist. Now press in your
thumb joint, and that's all there is
about it. Ifyou want the hand to trem-
bic, press your arm against your side as
hard as ever you can That right 1t
looks hard, but it ain /. and nobody wot
didnt know the business would ever
think you could sham it. OF course
could do the hobbling part"
One of the natives of New Mexico
took new departure in the matter of
agricultural implements. Instead of
the eharpcned stick Of his fOrefathcrs.
he bought an improved American pillow
and broke up his land. But lack of
rain caused failure of the crop. SO he !
went back to the pillow Of his daddies,
sprinkled the ground with holy water.
and the rain came and produced an
WELD Since then that neigh |
bOrhood hates q ncw-fanglrd pillow, and |
implements would stir up a
rio so much for superstition.
A Russian lady, now dazzling Paris,