The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-01-04
NOTHING LEFT BUT PRIDE.
THE POOR LITTLE OLD MAN WHO
WAS ONCE FAMOUS.
A Washington Character Famous i'm
His Day Now sleeping i'm Hall
ways and Public Parks.

Ills Day Now sleeping i'm HALL
ways and Public Parks.
A queer little old man with Struggling
white locks and a form bent almost
double by age, has been a familiar spec
tacle in the public parks of Washington
for several months. He has studiously
avoided announcing his proper name on
any occasion, and is known only by the
slang titles of "nosey" and "old man. s"
The former appelation was given him by
the street gamins, among whom he is
well known. 1t was doubtless suggested
by his prominent and almost beak-like
Roman nose, which is distinguishing
feature of this otherwise human oddly.
During the summer months his lodging
place was on scttecs in the city park.
The chilly blasts of winter have denied
him that privilege now, and now the
old man" is compelled to seek quarters
where Jack Frost cannot force the tenn
perature down to point of absolute
frigidity. He was met by reporter in
front of an uptown restaurant. A hand
full of crackers and cheese, which he
munched at rapid intervals, told the
story of his raid on some free lunch
counter.
Yes, sir, he said, in answer to the
reporters interrogatory; "you have not
been misinformed My name figures many
times in the histories of the United
States. Beyond that l will not say.
Your looks tell me that you do not I'M
derstand my motives for thus concealing
my identity. The answer is simple
manhood Is not that suffi-
cientp
The last words were uttered in an emo
tional, almost tragical manner. They
revealed, too, that the speaker was
man of more than ordinary intelligence
and learning.
. But am not yet a beggar, sir; not
yet" he continued, in scarcely less
emotional manner, although am very.
very poor The bootblacks and news
boys are my friends. They have not yet
forsaken odd Nosey,' as | have been
good naturally christened by them. The
boys bring me customers, people who
cannot write. | write letters for them,
and sometimes make out bills. | carry
my tools with me. Here he produced a
bottle OF ink, pen, envelopes, and note
paper from an inside coat pocket.) My
charge for writing letter ranges from
ten to twenty-five cents. Business is
never very brisk, though, for illiterate
people have very little correspondence.
The reporter here limited desire to
know where the scribe slept.
'Where do | sleep at night ? Well, |
hardly know how to answer that ques-
ton. My list of lodging places is long.
In Railways sometimes, and often in the
corridors of sccond-ratc hotels During
the summer time l slept in the parks.
The watchmen all knew the old man and
never interfered with him. You don't
know how pleasant it was. The cool
signing breezes, glorious sunsets, show
ering their baths of golden beauty and
mellow crimson through the leafy cover
lets overhead. Then the pretty little
birds, hopping about with merry chirps
or singing sweet songs to me from sway
ing boughs. TO awake amidst such
scene was glorious, Why, even my
morning wash at the fountain was grand
and refreshing The air laden with per-
tune from the flowers imprcgnated the
very water, and made it appear as deli
cate cologne emitted from an enchanted
more mystic and heavenly than
any described in the " Arabian Nights.n
But the play is over now. Grim winter,
with icy locks and freezing blasts. has
the scene with murkv, ashcn
clouds, and of all the actors in those
scenes l alone am left, and probably
never to enjoy such beauties of nature
again. This old frame cannot stand much
more. Cold winter is relentless. Death
and winter are conspirators in common
cause. To the poor, winter is an enemy
death, a friend"
why do ! not seek lodgings at the
station house? Because to do that would
be to announce myself vagrant and to
mlngle with tramps. | am neither. sir,
but IL gentleman, poor almost to deaths
door, but proud to the very parlor of the
palace"
Here he was considerably agitated, and /.
MS long, bony forefinger invountarily 4
pointed toward the capitol building. as /
ne said in husky tone:
why, sir, / was once a leader in that ,
but forget | must not tell secrets
low. My diary will reveal all, both
military and civil, and it will request
hat my body be not inferred in the pot
ers held, for | am proud even unto
leath.
Come on, Nosey," interrupted a
lewsboy, "here's a culled man wot wants
'ou to write letter for him, an he's
5oln' to pay yer in hard cash, too"
The invitation was accepted with a
pleasant Good day SIR" and the old
Congressman, statesman and general, per-
laps, ambled along behind his little
riend, and turned out of sight in
LelNh hnrinn nllnN IHl..L -. ID