The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-13
FALLEN GREATNESS.
A Washington Character Poor, Al
most to Deaths Door, but Proud
to the Very ParlOr of
the Palace.

| though VOuched Tor as being true,
reads more like romance than
anything else:
A queer little old man with strag-
Cling white locks, and a form bent
almost double by age, has been a
familiar spectacle in the public
parks of Washington for several
months. He had studiously avoided
announcing his proper name on any
occasion. and is known only by the
slang titles of "nosey" and sold
man." The former appellation was
given him by the street gsmins.
among whom he is we'll
known. 1t was doubtless sug.
gested by his prominent and almost
beak-like Roman nose, which is
distinguishing feature OF this other
wise human oddity. During the
summer months his lodging place
was on settees 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 temperature down to
point of absolute frigiditiy. He was
met by reporter in front of an up-
town restaurant A handful of crack
ers 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; s'you
have not been misinformed. NV
name figures many times in the
histories of the United States. Be-
yOnd that [ will not say. Your
looks tell me that you do not I'M
derstand my motives for thus con-
cealing my identity. The answer
is simple. Pride-manhOod d! Is not
that suficient?"
The last words were uttered in an
emotional, almost tragical manner.
They revealed, too, that the speaker
was a man of more than ord mary
intelligence and learning.
"But | am not yet q beggar. sir:
not yet" he continued, in Scarcely
less emotional manner. although
| am very, very poor The boot
blacks and newsboys are my friends.
They have not yet forsaken old
Nosey,' as [ have been good
naturally christened by them. The
boys bring me customers, people
who cannot write. l write letters
for them, and sometimes make out
bills. [ carry my tools with me.
(Here he produced q 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 brisk, though, for literary
people have very little corresponds
ence."
The reporter here limited a desire
to know where the scribe Slept.
Where do [ sleep at night?
Well, [ hardly know how TO answer
that question. My list of lodging
places is long. In Railways some
times, and often in the corridors of
secOnd-rate hotels. During the sum.
mer time [ slept in the parks. The
Watchmen all knew the old man and
never interfered with him. You
don't know now pleasant it was.
The cool, signing breezes, glorious
shoWering their baths of
golden beauty and mellow crimson
through the leafy coverlets over
head. Then the pretty little birds,
about with merry chirps or
singing sweet songs to me from
swaying boughs. To awake amidst
such a scene was glorious. Why,
even my morning wash at the foun.
tain was grand and refreshing. The
air laden with perfume from
the flowers impregnated the
very water, and made it ap-
pear as delicate cologne emitted |
from an enchanted fountain, more |
mystic and heavenly than any de-
scribed in the Arabian Nights"
But the play is oyer now. Grim
winter, with icy locks and freezing
blasts, has curtained the scene with |
ashen clouds, and of all the
actors in those scenes / alone am
Am left, and probably never to en-
Joy such beauties of nature again.
This old frame cannot stand much
more. Cold winter is relentless.
DCStu ouu WlntCl dlc COuSplIdLOIS
in a common cause. To the poor,
winter Is an enelnv-deatha friend
-"Why do L not seek lodgings at
The station houses? Because to do
that would be to announce myself a
and to mingle with tramps.
am neither, sir, but a gentleman,
poor almost TO deaths door, but
proud to the very parlor of the
palace"
Here he was considerably agi-
lated, and his long, honey forefnger
.nvoluntarily pointed toward the
Capitol building, as he said in a
husky tone:
"Why, sir, L was once a leader in
5hat-But l forgot. [ must not tell
secrets now. My diary will reveal
all, both military and civil, and it
will request that my body be not in.
TERED in the POtter's field, for l am
proud even unto DEATH"
"Come on, Nosey," interrupted a
neWsboy, "here's a cullud man wot
wants yer to write a letter for him,
an he's goin' to pay yer in hard