Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-11-01
PHASES OF LIFE.
How willy Beggars Fleece an limo
cent Public.


How willy Beegars d ieoce an Hnno-
cent Public.
There are beggars and beggsrs. In
fact their characters are as divers as their
clothes. They have advanced to the po-
sition Of q recognized American institu-
tion since the time Of the war and the
late panic. The latter engendered the
4 professional class whose members are as
self satisfied with their calling as are the
most skilled lawyers or mechanics. They
have reduced begging to trade, In which
novices must serve a regular apprentice
ship to become experts. Tho simulated
misery must be practieed; tho woe-begone
expression on the face; the assumed ever
ready tears must frequently be called into
account. Some children are taught the
tricks OF the trade from infancy until
now beggars are bred as trotting horses
are bred. Their mission In life Is to live
on others. Beggars are necessary evil,
and are, perhaps, the affection which q
Divine Providence sends TO show that this
world Is not all bed OF roses, and that
there Ia more pleasant hereafter.
OF the professional variety, there are
two kinds, those who live permanently In
cities and the wandering pomads, called
trRmps There is an air Of Independence,
manliness and honesty often found in
tramps that sometimes excite admiration
or sympathy, as the case may require.
But the beggars who live from birth to
the grave on an indulgent public, should
be rooted out. To the practiced eye, they
can be detected OF once from the unfor-
tunate, temporarily in distress. The latter
approach with certain sbyness and
modesty that at onoe carries conviction
that the subject Is worthy OF aid. The
bakers Of this city have distributed
thousands Of dollars, yes, hundreds of
thousands Of dollars in charity, In their
own way. They generally know the pro-
fessionRls from the worthy ones at o
glance and seldom make mistakes. Every
class calls at bakery for o "piece Of stale
bread" Some have more fastidious
tastes and will take nothing but sweet
breads, pies and the like, indignantly
| spurning bread.
Every one knows the polite tramp who
aocosts you on the street with familiar
, "5ey, mister, gimme five cents, want
TO get nights lodgin'." That part OF
Front street known 90 "the COAST
ahounds in such hegggrh aud Of course
8 all the money thst Is thus given 70 them
r finally finds its way into tho money
; drawer of a neighboring saloon. 0ut
/; negro by the name Of Anderson is a curl
! GUS character on ''the coast He is 0
tall, lsnk fellow, not much over so years
0 old, but his sole ambition In the world il
'rum" He Is sort Of rum crazy but
: nevertheless Is sharp enough TO charm
? from the unwilling enough cash to satisfy
y bis unnatural craving for rum His aolt
~ weapon is polite sort OF fattery. Al
n You pass him be will raiBe his ha
/. to you accompanying this actor
d with an obsequious bow and tn
Is best counterfeit Of O real smile which hi
ebony face can assume. II you snub bin
? he will not bother you for the time being
y but woe to him who encourages him b
the least sign or smile, WHISTLER II be on
n of ridicule or in appreciation Of tb
Il delicate fsttery. The negro 10 shrew
3 enough to gauge his prey. II the ma
% Che always accosts mem be good natured
the negro will walk up and STOP hir
Il boldly, asking for or 10 cents. II b
N be more reserved and digntfed, Anderso
W will follow at a safe distance, making II
= marks hke this: Pleass, sir, pIi q bias
man, but I'm gentleman" "You needn
mind hendn' it TO mo. You can jos
throw 1t down and I'll pick 1t up" Man
o man has thus dropped him mite.
!. Another class Of begears are those VIII
~ who sell pencils and other kniok knack'
=, There il one who Is often seen goID
!. about the city wearing green glasses. II
q 10 an elderly man with q forid compile,
:, ion and bristly, gray monstache. II
walks with cane, with which he feel
I, his way, and many person has bought
:. pencil from him out Of sympathy for hi
"a apparent pilltction. When he has eathere
70 sufficient ahekels, however, be is a change
man. His spectacles disappear aud S
:. does his money. The former goes into hi
- - his pockets and the latter out. His fac
= is a sufficient indication Of his oonvivi!
y, =, habits. At these times, no is a change
= man. No young business man walks wit
u more alertness or spryness. BE has 4
dim .ulty to sec his way and occssionell
Stops to pick up pin. When his none
il gone, the green goggles are ogai
16 called into r6quisitjon and the time-Wor
II imposition is repeated.
some beggary mast be admired on al
count of its audaeity. The late Job
>, Babes of this city, a p, W. & B. erg
- neer who YVES killed In the accident {
ID belA0Vut lOE MulCu AAhtApJ oEpNA Wn' -
10 rested, used to tell a good joke on hin
z self. He says that once rs he was maxim
o. q run, trump stole ride on the frol
of his engine ubbskncwp TO him. Whe
stop of some length was made ct an In
Ii portant point, Mr.. Babes discovered II
16 man and ordered him of. Bab's was
tall, strong, heavy man, while u
IS stranger was mot mreh smaller. III
tramp refused. 9his angered Bates on
he started for the "bunl" for the purpo'
of "bouncing" him Unfortunately. III
stranger prepared himself and the way !
29 which he wiped up tho earth" with q
engineer, made the lsttes's body tend'
70 the touch for many days after. .
"a guess you can ride on this engine
pbilosophicilly remarked the engin,e'
rs he remounted the engine and pulle
is out tho throttle.
= THE PRESIDENT IN WILMINGTON