Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-06-01
A SPECIES OF STREer-eEGGINGs.


"Catching" is "A new term for that very
| prevalent species Of street begging which
| is being carried on extensively on our
streets al this time. Hardly any one who
| has occasion to be on the large thorough
fares of the city after Il o'clock IN the even
ing ESCAPES the vigiluut eye II the
Catcher The term arises perhaps from
| the fact that this species of begging is ont
! lawed, a. 1t is made business Of, and the
! person who contributes his mite To these
people would be surprised and hurt if he
really knew that his charitable intentions
We're entirely misplaced. and that the
mendicants spent the nickels and dimes in
some convenient saloon for beer or drinks
| Of some other kind These "catchers' sci
dom ply their vocation until the shades of
might begin to fall. and they are cucoun
/ tered uftrner in the vicinity Of some pub
| lie place one can hardly pass Bc-schl :
| on Broadway. without being tackled, and
where the bright rays Of the electric light
verge into shadows and darkness a short
distance from the door Of some all night
| eating house. or around and near t" the
/ entrance of the great caravanSarirS Of the
! down town thuruughfarcs, these mrndl
/ cants are sure to be found Sometimes
/ they 90 into partnership and "whaCk" on
the proceeds of the evenings bcggiug
/ tournament
\ "catchrr' wishes for no greater snap
! than man who has just stepped out of
( some eating house with a toothpiCk he
/ tween his teeth and look Of satisfaction
! on his counteuance and feeling Of con
/ tcntmcut with himself and with the world
| filling his soul.
| These "catchers" learn to he good
! judges Of human nature, and can tell
when, if ever. and under what CirCum
| stances, a mans charitable feeling will as
sert itself They invariably have some
| pathetic story 10 relate, in which the de
! tails of the circumstances which forced
them into this humliatinG position are
eloquently and feelngly portrayed if the
chance paSscr by is willing 10 listen To II
Sunday is harvest day for the "catChers"
and they work the down town streets
during the whole day Often on sunday
the catcher appears aS a little girl, al
most respectfully clad and heavily armed
with "A hcartrrndlnG story OF a bed ridden
and Widowed mother and not less than
SIX or seven little tamIshed brothers and
sisters. Woe To the nice young man who
dares To promenade Fourth or Fifth
streets sunday afternoon with his best
girl for he is tackled at every corner and
in the middle Of the block He could cas-
lily give away his weeks salary i'll dona-
tious OF live cents each in promenade Of
fifteen or twenty blocks. OF course the
nice young man with his best girl
wouldn't wish to appear stIngy and un-
charitable, but on the other hand would
wish to appear rather the opposite. These
street "catcher~" know this, and the nice
young man falls their prey accordingly.
OF course a great number of these va
grants are run in by the police and given
hours" the next morning, at the four
courts OF course they eyadr the police
whenever they can. and are wutchful not
. to ply their Vocation when an officer is in
sight.-St Louis Republican.