New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-02
WAYLAID At MIDNIGHT.
HARMLESS HIGHwAYAIEN IN CITY HALL
PARK


These gentlemen of leisure you meet IN City Hall
Park about midnight tack which they
imagine is immensely fetching. Tribune reporter.
whose privilege II Is to start for home at that hour
has been tempted these five years by every device
that the broad empire Of beggardom could furnish TO
dispense with his small change the short journey
between The Tribune Building and the Park Place
station Of the elevated road. catal' que Of these
devices would I'LL column agate SOLID
The who discovered the fact Tat necessity IL
the mother Of invention must have consoftcd
with beggars. Almost all beggars are
clever, but surpass in ingenuity the mid
night highwaymen of City Hall Park. The reporter
cannot recall a single night which he succeeded in
Guiding their vigilance lie ong ago ceased 10 take
short cut to the station finding the gauntlet In thas
direction impossible to and his journey for many
months has been devious and circuous, but, he con-
fesses, all to purpose. He practised lodging bus
never lodged anything to his advantage
II he made detour by way OF the Hall OF Records
and Chambersst. he was waylaid at the crossing OF
Broadway. If he attempted 10 sneak unobserved be-
the City Hall and the Court House, his acquant-
ances ambushed him under the trees. he stoa
through the long corridors of the Postofce he was
headed of at the last storm door. II he crept on all
fours behind the stone wall in Mailst, somebody was
sure to be In hiding under the shadow Of mail wagon
at the corner. lie thought seriously OF going by way
Of the Battery but postponed the attempt on accounS
Of the influenza. He holds that trip In reserve how
ever, and beegars are warned accordingly
keeps that reporter poor to supply those sponges
with pocket change and If the drain continues he VIII
be obliged to move to Brooklyn. On certain night,
q bleak night, with rheumatism in the air, ne maze
the acquaintance Of shivering youth whose teetn
played tattoo in minor as he covered Dehiho q
lamppost in Park Row. The boy looked hungry AMI
said he was starving; he had walked twenty nine
miles that day empty stomach he was an honesa
boy he was a welldiggcr by trade and had come 70
town for work.
"A welldigger!s said the reporter, incredulous.
Ye-e-s s-ssr, w-ee-l digger" he clicked In tha
teeth Of the wind "Tm a-a-a hon-n-neSt b-o-oy'
a-aain't tttelln- you nn-no He's
And 10 prove il he threw open his summer jacket 10
expose exhibit No Ia coil Of haIf-neh rope the tool
of his trade the evidence Of his faith The reporter
made no effort to 20 behind the returns, but yeioea
gracefully and invited the weldigser irto HitchcocNs
beanerys where he ate and was filed to the larynA'
One night later: The same rheumatic air. the sal'o
shelterng amppost, the same peaked iace' inc SaAo
ivory tattoo the same journey of twenty-nine mixes
an an empty stomach-but not the same well-dgger.
lie had changed his trade. lie was a barber now ana
throwing open the summer jacket ne sho"e@
exhibit No "a forlorn razor strop and par Oh oo"-
legged shears. The reporter assumed grave aspect
ana in a judicial way endeavored TO convince inc
barber that he was welIdigger. Welldigger! VINO
ever dreamed Of such thlngl The barber was nor
rided at the thought His coil Of rope, exhibit NO.
/ was respectfully inquired after, which caused some
CONSERVATION but the argument ended In the osroer
positively refusing be identified with the wedlgeer,
and the reporter positively refusing to fee or ieeo
the barber. The breach caused by TINS little olSas'S
ment has never been healed
A night two ago the reporter got safely through
the park and had turned the corner OF The s1af
Building mumbling gayy to himself over has
escape when mysterious agent III u'o
air some hypnotic influence, something mag
netic or something sympathetic, told nm ne was
not yet out of the woods. Nor was ne ne iooheu
around saw no one, and walked on. Presently there
was a sound as of some one softly uptoeins behind
him. and without turning his head. he cut his eyes
far enough into the corners 10 Obtain an lhulsuhSs
view of a iulI-grown man, who was not more uiah
ward off, keeping step with him in cautious ana Dash
ful manner Shortening his stride he gave the ieno"
an opportunity to pass, but the fellow reiectso IL
lLen ne made a squirt TO get away, Out tue letIo~
also spurted and kept his dis ance linen ~ s1Vpp
pretending TO have dropped sOncthlg' anu tho nchV~
stopped TOO. The reporter was a. ANXIOUS - no
was about anytmng in MS iG e'er Vs si aos
manage it, As he went along there came sort OK
twLching between his shoulder blades when naS n
lin very uncomfortable. Inc slu@uoh S va ,o au
canny, but the station was near ara no . LOOK
hope. If he could only escape that saha1as OF 'Sls
S SeSssr he never would get IN 'u'n COMPANY +',
Thc sound of voice in his left startled him as
if ne had been spoken TO by ms own Coz sd
The voice soft and low and mellow ana IL Sa'd'
Al II beg Your pardon. sir, for this untmely In
terruption. but circumstances Of an embarrassing
sstance. You will not, am sure "heh you hA'e
pon + mention it, don't mention it, NY dear SIR
returned the reporter, who knew what Sas coming;
and determined to head u on o tns saw nont 40 ~ ask
ing you for the loan of a quarter out my courage
i1!eI An ii Sir this IS no Joking matter with me-
Nor with me- my friend nave oSen 'V SoSr hs
for the last five hours 70 earn az no"sSt had
a penny 10 throw away since ShFlstna5. .s, ,o,o,.
am sorry indeed, sir, 20 hnc you IN ths laihenT
~ Il,
had dollar to spare you should have u ana 1o vel
nay more inf Tor n' sayng yo4 'I looks belle
you In the last hour have allowed many men s, 70
pas, n me m nSsrty pS humanity was waiting Til
a good-Iookng good natured looking, generous
gentleman should pass for believe me am Jgass
q human nature. and when l saw you made certain
OF your help in my hour of-need' A.,
lar i from the the reporters inside pocket.
You f latte tS e S 1 had dollar 20 spare You
should have II and welcome; nay. more, II had more
RuS you se adFe oa me- ud S OF human but
in your estimate OF my dsp0s;sn you 90 me gfevoos
doing generous act. If you can lend i, me fey
pennies 10 get bed III see you out Oh sght hrs' ana
! cannot believe ID. sir You are Kidding me.
have not knocked about for thirty years IN VAIN
Want railroad tickets have Just two and am
' : THANKS no. an not iourneying uptown thia
Better take IT, You may want to ride some Other
time
Keep 10, sir, keep lou aio PvVII auu may HcSi
II before will I could not think OF deprtving you
OF a ride And now will 90, thanking you from my
heart for your kind words
I. Hello here's a stray quarter didn't know had.
No It's half dollar. That's luck. II hadn't
met YOU never should have found IL, so It's yours.
Take IL with my COMPLIMENTS
. Not ct all. not--at-ai, II By molestng You in
this way have made you half = dollar richer have
nothing 10 apologize for. Accept nv concentrations.
have detained you ten minutes. Ten minutes. fifty
cents One hour. 81. one day, S72. One week.
six DAYS. s432. one year, s22, 464! Ny dear sir.
have made your fortune
fbo half baUa anfft
Snre you can spare i'll Your little girl mag
need it,
I have little girl
"Then your little boys
Nor no little boy
CO. bn-n