The Washington critic., 1888-08-07
SOMETHING OF CITY LIFE.
Something More About People who Live
bv Their Wits.

by Ihetr WIS.
The list Of Washington people who live by
their wits was not exhausted yesterday.
Probably the most of those who enjoyed "Jim
the Ponman,N as presented by Mr.. Palmcrs
able company, regarded the story Of inns cx-
pcrtncss with the pen rs improbable, and dt
only TO base thrilling play upon. But there
has been young man about the Capitol
lately who rivals even the expert Jim In his
dcftness. lie can take any signature and re-
produce It so exactly that the owner Of the au
tograph cannot distinguish II from his own.
lie has won many bet on his ability TO do it,
In one Of the hotels the other night his expert
ness was being discussed when one Of those
present offered TO bet tcu-dOllar bill
that his autograph could not be sue
cessfully duplicated. "Done !" cried the
The pcuman studied and dashed Oft a copy on
n similar piece OF paper. Taking the two he
put them in a hat, shook them up, spread
them on his desk and told the better TO select
the one he had written. The latter couldn't
do II and paid the bet. The penman related a
number OF incidents in his history showing
how vast was the power he possessed In his
well-trained fingers. lie had had many an
opportunity to coin wealth by forgery and dis
honesty and many nm offer had been made
him by those whose fingers itched for unlaw-
ful gains. lie makes living honestly, how
ever, by writing cards which he disposes of in
large numbers.
Another clever young man Is the one who
was recently In the city aud made large
amount Of money by cutting silhouettes from
paper Putting two pieces of black paper
together he would take pair of scissors and
cut out n perfect silhouette likeness of any
one many attitude. Three of these he sold
for quarter pasting them on white cards,
IIo nj haH IN 1pto rrny1 al
him and was always business. lie came to
the city looking like tramp. He left looking
as spruce as n bank clerk. lie obtained many
quarter simply by his wonderful cleverness
In very novel performance Mankind is
always ready to pay for seeing anything done
we'll, aud when that something is a novelty
the money flows all the more freely.
There is a certain business at which num-
Der OF men prospered until the Pool Law
broke 1t up to a considerable extent. They
were employed by the different turf exchanges
and their duties were to visit all the other turf
exchanges aud ascertain the odds given on the
different horses. I'm this way no one house
could absorb all the business by outbidding
the Others In It's odds These men were
familiar sight to all sporting men. They
would enter turf exchange, scan the black
boards, jot down few figures and then go
out They were never seen to bet. At first
the crowd supposed them to be plungers look
ing for the best Odds but as they were never
seen to wager a cent this hypothesis soon
proved untenable. To describe their calling
II would be necessary to coin word
OF course Washington is the home OF the
lobbyist. We hear less of this gentleman--or
lady, too, for that matter--than formerly, for
he works less obtrusively than he used to- lie
does not haunt the big white building on the
hill, and is not seen in public with a Member,
but like the immortal bird without wings, of
which the poet so plalntively sings, che gets
there just the same" They have been de-
scribed qd ndusednl. But the lobbyist for the
Redman is unique and less known character.
There is certain person with u military APP
pendage to his name who makes very COM
Portable and mysterious living out of his ef-
forts in behalf of certain tribe of Indians.
lie presents their claims for them, has him
self summoned before committees to explain
the needs and demands, and as the red brother
Is Thought to be too unciviized to harbor any
guile, their Drotestations are admitted as com
ing from the very soul of innocence. Their
lobbyist has comparatively an easy time.
The admission of Washington to the Ma
tonal League of baseball clubs started new
business here. 1t is the publication OF the
score card, The idea was not original here.
1t had been tried elsewhere aud proved sue
cess. For twenty cents q week each subscriber
Is furnished every evening by or half-past on
a piece OF thick card board, on which are
printed the scores by innings of the games
played that dny by the League mines, the runs,
hits and errors made by the Association clubs,
the standing Of the clubs in the two organiza-
tions and the names of the catchers, pitchers
and umpires in the League games. The card
has proved wonderfully successful. There is
hardly place OF business open in the even
ipor rHuh pI ic MOT tn ha nd
bacconists, saloons, hotels, barber shops, all
have the score cards in Il conspicuous place
and they have paid for themselves many times
over in attracting custom. Several thousand,
1t is understood, are circulated, and, as the eX-
pense is inconsiderable, the profit can be
readily calculated.
Admiration for Everything in Washing
ton Felt by an Eastern Sho' Visitor.
The many excursion parties that come to
Washington from the surrounding countries
bring some queer specimens of humanity at
times. One of them sat in an Avenue car the
other day. He was from the Eastern Sho,
and as the weather was warm and he felt un-
comfortable in his "sto' clos" he had divested
himself Of his coat. Judging from his con-
versation he had never been to Washington
before
AS he passed the various points Of interest
along the route the conductor pointed them
out to him.
When he arrived at the Treasury Depart
ment the conductor called his attention, and
he said: $50 that be the place whar they make
ther money, be it Wall, ! reckon they must
be as much MS millyon dollars in thar, don't
yer reckon ?n
When told of the amount of the surplus his
eyes bulged nearly out of his head.
As the car rolled along, in due time it ar
rived opposite the White House and the polite
conductor attracted his attention again.
"Wall, and is that the White House !" he
exclaimed; "it is burned pretty place. 1t is
heap of honor to be President of the United
States, but l wonder If yer gifts as much
honor when yer die as yer hev on earth ?"
Turning TO his companion, he said;
''Jim, we lives on the outskirts Of the
world aud hev never seen nothin'."
When the State, War and Navy Department
was reached, his command of language de-
serted him for the moment and he gazed with
open eyes and mouth, and exclaimed
| "WhGt do you reckon they be don' in thar
now ~
| When the car reached the Washington Cir
Gle and he was shown the statue of the inn
mortal George, he exclaimed:
! "Wall, du say tits a pretty dark looking
| figure, don't yer think so, Jim g''
| As the car rolled westward some of the
! pretty girls for which Washington is famous
were overtaken, and the stranger after ad
| miring them for a while in silence, nudged
his companion and said:
"Gosh, jim, but they aire slicker'n grease
pretty and as pert as young LIZARDS"
! --S--
Jhree-COrnered Dispute.
| AhnpzU "a "a