New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-07-07
A PROFESSION GOING TO THE DOGS.
THE TROUBLE AND DIsCoURAGEMENTs OF GEN.
TLEMEN OF LEISURE WHO TRY TO
GET HONEST LIyINGS.
GET HONEST LIvINGs

GET HONEST LIvINGS.
Three mon were sitting together on bench In tho
City Hall Park the other day. who from their appear
ance might be taken for mechanics. Their clothes
were much worn and rather ragged, as their owners
had been out OF work for time, and their hands
we're hard and discoloed with labor-or something
else. But any who could listen to their CONVEX
sson for few minutes might soon make good guess
at their profession.
The first OF the three, middleaged man, win q
studied air of WEAKNESS about him. said sadly: IT'S
getting played out this whole business Is and there's
no money in it any more In the first place, there's
too many cheap fellows coming into IT, and In the next
place people are getting onto all the games NO" look
at me; / know two languages besides EhgiSh' pu'
what good does It do me OF couse- everybody piues
a Door foreigner with no friends In the country, IL
they think he's genuine but when l PICK OUT my
man and say 'Parlez FrancasP or 'sprechen Gle
Deutsch? he says NO., and then hurTies OH without
giving me a chance to say that can speak English
lust as we'll If he prefers. thought the other day
that some smaller county might work better, so
learned all tho counties in Wales and some OF the
towns Then went uptown. where nobody knew me-
and said that Welsh stone-cutter and cOuidht
est work, because didn't belong to union nreo
of two or three counties and half dozen towns every
tlmc and got dollar and half inside of two hours
But it's no use you can't spend al your spare time
The second man was old and had simple. kindly
look that would make It pleasure to do him good
turn He said: 81 worked the hungry dodge good
while, but it's no use now; everybody KNOWS IT,
Tell man you're starving, and what docs he 10
Give you a nickel? Not he he takes you into a
restaurant and gives you square meal and pays
for It himself II keeps you eating all day
and you never get drink of anything stronger than
coffee Then the worst Of 1t Is that you have 10
pretend to be grateful. l don't do that any more
work the car-faIe racket now That's better out
it sometimes works bad. 1 stand over there at the
Bridge, and when l the right man tell him I've
been looking for work all day and want cents 10
20 home on the Nlnth-ave. elevated VI course a., l.
couldn't say the Third ave. because tnen evcInp S
would want to start for the station ana l
should kill myself walking up and down inc STAIRS
ali day But the other day man that l tackled saiq
he was going up the Mntha a nv fare d had to
TO- of course, and had told him lived In harieIn'
so didn't dare get off the train till II got 70 one
and followed me about dozen blocks before c0uu
dodge him and take down train Lost nearly nan
a day, and had to pay 3 cents to get downtown again
h' rs hard lines. said the third. " but struck
scheme the other day that worked ASKED two Young
drink They caught quick and said they would give
me one If would promise TO spend II Tor WhShey ,,
told them couldn't tell lie II tflea; On, ,n9 3
rs Won want money for whisbey to excite our sympathy
and then II give it to you You'll go anu t sp9"I
it foe bread They made me soenm to VCW wbs S
would spend every cent oil that nlchei ior "i"'h'''
IL hard lines all round" said one OF the others
and things are getting mighty bad when theres no
loft "a Gel a drink but TO tell the truth Inc Whoie
thing IS going the dogs but we may as WEI, sSe
al we can out Of # St rdf f.s onto &c it, Try
md tho three lazIly picked themselves up from
the bench and disappeared in three directions