St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-01-05
New York BeggarS.
From the New York Times


From the New York Timesl
Ii seems as if half the beggars in
town were to he found about the city
hall and the lower part of the city at
night. They hover about Printing
house square and the post office like
June bugs about lamp. Every one
has dOleful tale to tell. 1t is gen
orally of Il protracted fast and inabili
ty to procure work, or some misfor
tune. All the beggars are not men.
There are many women among them,
and they drink as readily, as a rule,
as the men. Once in Il while il beggar
is encountered who does not drink
and who appeals for aid from sheer
necessity, but he is a rarity. The
grOg-shOp is the beacon-light of the
downtown beggar. A few nights ago
a man stood in front of the bar of Il
downtown saloon talking politics.
He wore a tall hat that was trtie
ont of style and suit that was some
what rusty. He ''treated,n however,
when it came his turn and did not
seem to lack for money. That man
was beggar, who practiced the
''shabby- gcnteel" trick. The scene of
Brooklyn, between the ferry-house
and Smith street. After late dinner
he goes across the river, say about IL
o'clock at night, and patrols Fulton
street. He tells pitiful tale of re
ducrd circumstances and hard luck,
and bemoans the fate that drove him
to heggary. His appearance is favOra-
bic, and he usually gets IA small sum.
He remains until about | o'clock, and
then returns to New York to meet
his friends. One night he went into
drug store and asked for money to
buy something to eat The clerk
took pity on him and told the beggar
to accompany him. He led the man
ITO = - stanrant across the stree, t and
told the waiter to give him what
he wanted to eat. The beggar was
profusc in his thanks. The clerk re
turned to his store, but after while
went to the restaurant again. The
man had gone, but the clerk found II
check for ; waiting for him to pay.
The clerk asked what the beggar or
| dered. 1.-TWO plates of brOiled Oys
ters and two tobies of Bass's ale"
said the waiter.
An educated beggar will politely
say 81 beg your pardon, sir; may |
address Il few words to you p If the
| person addressed will stop, the beg
gar's tongue will start without more
ado. There is Il woman of middle age
who operates all about the lower part
of the city. She is exceedingly po-
lite, and is evidently well bred She
tells story of lost fortune. She
I in { 1n Il h.l
race horses, knew titled people, and
all that sort of thing but adversely
came. The truth of the matter is she
was educated, but married a coach
man who became addicted to drink.
She also contracted the habit and de
scended to mendicancy. She lives up
town and pays 10 cents to ride on the
elevated to the place where she prac-
ticcs her art. A rOtund, well-fed and
warmly clad old lrishwOman until late
ly stood like IL sentry i'll Mail street
back of the post-ot1ice. "Will you
give poor woman just one cent ?
she appealed. She looked too com
Portable to succeed, and suddenly dis.
appeared. The women usually relat,
the story of starving children, a heart
less landlord who threatens to ejcc
; them, and not mOuthful to eat.
There is nothing that succeeds bet
ter than frankness, and the begga
; who says he is dying for drink il
generally sure to receive enough t.
buy the coveted tipple. "Say, mister
gimme five cents" says the old topper
'.I'll tell yer the truth want to bu,
drink A young man with an in
telligent face, but whose shoes wer
worn and whose clothes were fadet
aud in the last stages of their useful
ness, came up to broker in Wal
: street and said, ~ want "a drink
The broker would ordinarily hav
, turned away, but the mans face at
J, tracted his attention, and he waite
:, to hear what he had to say. Tn
u young man was book keeper in Il
extensive establishment in Philadel
phia, but drink brought him down
He went on IA prOtracted debauch an
when he ended it he was pennies
and out of position. He had friend
i'll New Rochelle. He walked an
caught rides on freight trains to Ne
York. All he wanted was enough t
purchase drink to sustain him in th
walk to New Rochelle. While a ma
X
a man with IA wild face and torn gal
ments rushed in. He went up to til
man and startled him by exclaimin;
''For Gods sake, buy me sOmethin
to eat" The waiter was going to pl
y the beggar out, but was told to Civ
d him what he wanted. "I've bee
10 drunk for five weeks" said the be.
:, gar, land I've had nothing to eat sin,
ID | got sober. | couldn't stand it an
" longer" The man ate ravenousl
te and showed that it was food and Il,
Iy whiskey that he wanted. When
II, beggar asks in a restaurant to be fe
ID it may be concluded that he is real
III hungry. The average beggar is pc
Or sistent, and when told that the perso
v he impOrtunes has no change, he +
rs peats his appeal. The d serving be
ne gar is quick to take IA rebuff. Not %
ly this, but his appearance is differen
at and he does not pick out the eOnspic
d. Gus spots like the others. He besitat
nd when addressing pedestrian, and