The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-07-31

| q Gentleman-Results.
| The number of mendicants on the streets OF
New York this summer is remarkable. AS q
rule they are Of so vile an appearance as to
excite aversion rather than pity. Some Of
them may be deserving of charity but how
are such cases to be distinguished. The very
poorest, dirtiest, raggedest of them are rum
soaked, and frequently plead without conceal
ment for money to buy drink with. That
is the frank dodge, and is wholly played out
Those who use it are lacking in invention, and
the same may be said of ninety-nine in every
hundred beggars. When one appears with an
original tale there is every reason for sus-
pecting that he or she is swindler One Of
these sort came to my notice recently. He
was neatly dressed, well washed, and in every
way apparently respectable. He was too
proud to solicit aims, but this was the way he
operated. Having selected his place, Fifth
avenue was his favorte field, he placed a crust
of bread upon the curb as if he was making
provision for the birds, and then withdrew.
When group of ladies appeared he began to
walk dejectedly in front of them until his eye
caught the crust, whereupon he rushed for
ward seized it and began To eat it with avid
| ity The ladies', of course, We're much moved,
and stopped to question him. When thus ac-
costed he took oil his hat in the politest fash
ion, and spoke in the most cultivated language.
| The invariable result was liberal donation
from the purses of his victims He lived very
well on the fruits of his business until some
body who saw him operate twice uniindly
brought him before court He was locked
up, and, believe is still on the island
| Another, though not so original a swindler,
was well-drrsSed woman, who was i'll the
habit of of accosting ladies in shopping re-
sorts She had come over from Brooklyn to
make some purchases, but had encountered a
pickpocket. 1t was very Notifying, but she
| had only five cents left, and would the lady
kindly loan her two cents that she might cross
to Brooklyn on the ferryl Two cents was
her limit, and she usually got it. No one
knows how much she got i'll this way, but as
she was persistent in working the scheme she
eventually found her way TO the island also
EXPERIENCE OF A FRIEND.
In marked contrast to these cases was the
experience of friend of mine, who told it as
follows: at was about midnight, in Union
| square, that was accosted by a gentleman.
l speak advisedly, for his manner and ap
pearance We're in every way respectable. He
and friend had come over from England a
short time before, expecting to meet some
| body Mt the dock from whom they had prom
Use of employment. One was an assistant
| to surgeons and the other decorator of pot
terry Their men had failed to meet them and
| they had not succeeded in finding employ
ment Meantime they had spent all their
money, pawned every article of clothing ex-
| cept what they wore, and were now penni-
less They wanted to secure a nights lodg-
| ing and a breakfast. This is an old story, but
| was nevertheless interested. l thought
| there might be some charitable institution in
the city where such cases were cared for, and
accordingly asked passing policeman abou,
it, HI, non he answered, grutlly; let 'en
go to a station house and sleep on board
They positively refused to go to station
however and finally told them that if they
couldn't find any help elsewhere that perhaps
| might aid them would return in ar
hour, l then went on, thinking that this
would be fair test of their genuineness.
"4lt the end Of an hour | came back and
sure enough, they were waiting for inc.
reported the case to the clerk of the Morton
house, and he told me that up to 10 o'clock at
night deserving people might get lodging at
| the Christian Association building. IL was
| now dlltT i, anu IIlhlly SuNo tuo HIGH 81
and directed them to Bowery hotel and
asked them to call on me in the morning
They accepted tho favor gratefully, and
somewhat to my surprise, appeared at my
office in the morning. To make the story
short gave them another dollar and such
advice as | could as to the best way to pro-
| cure work. This was two months ago, and
although never expected to see them again
had often wondered what had become OF
them. Last week one walked into the office,
well dressed and evidently prosperous. He
put s. bill on my desk, and insisted that
should take it. The pottery worker had
secured work in New Jersey somewhere, and
the surgeons assistant was at work in the
College Of Physicians and Surgeons, and both
were doing well. You may imagine that
felt very happy to think that | had no,
turned them off when they applied to me. "
"Uncie Bills" New York Letter.