The morning call., 1890-11-27
JIMMY THE RAGMAN.
The Vicissitudes of an English
AristOcrat.
He Drops From the Gay Whirl CT New York
Society to the Surroundings Of a
San Francisco Junk.Shop.

San Francisco Junk.Shop.
A CALL reporter happened in south o
Market street junk-store late yesterday after
| noon. 1t was the hour when the rags
| bottles and sacks" men report off. He WHIT
| has not seen the street-collector of cast-of
| haberdashery dispose of his wares can have
| but little conception of the rag-man's lot
| The junk is the court from which
| there is no appeal and whose decision offer
means an empty stomach and the soft sid
| of box for bed.
| In the junk-shop mentioned was vas
| collection Of that multifarouS truck, mold.
| and worn, apparently useless, collected by
| the chffoniers of the city in their daily
| wanderings. High as the rafterS was thi
| stuff piled, affording pleasant harbor fol
| tribes of flies and predatory bands o
| spiders. The junk dealer was engaged il
| surveying his wares and seemed to be re
| called by the moldy smell emitted by gre ase
| soaked clothing and gunny-sacks.
Suddenly he exclaimed, "the men arr
| here" and prepared to receive the ragmer
| on their return journey, and to buy wha
| they lad collected during the day, giving
| his own price.
First came the more opulent ragmeD. il
that term may be applied to the calling
men who could afford horse and wagon
no matter how tumbled down the latter
nor how reminiscent OF other generations
the former. They did not find much trouble
in selling their articles, and seemed to know
TO the fraction just what they would get.
SrIIJ TrII,y COME
Next came those with push-carts, and
then differences arose between the dealer
and the men regarding prices, with all the
results in favor Of the dealer. Lastly came
the ragmen without wagons or push-carts--
men whose dealings are not so large but that
they can carry what comes in their way.
This was the largest class of all, including
the youth in life's green spring, and him
who goes in the full strength Of years.
Most of them seemed weary, poor, sad, as II
longing TO return the improbable gift of
life. TO see some of them look at their few
greasy nickels-all that they had made dur
Ing the day after rambling around the entire
city, was sight which it would take a
miser to duplicate.
One of the latter class brought in an
empty sack, which he threw down in dejec-
ton.
Il could get nothing" he said.
He was an old man, whose lines Wer @
rapidly drawing to close.
Please give me Nickel" he whined to
the dealer.
What for ?" was asked.
q" will return it tomorrow"
How can l believe you?" was returned.
Il will on my honor" said the old man,
with CLEAN of hope in his eye.
You have that which nobody suspects you
of having" was the junk-dealer's answer.
Not much. Ii you want any money you
must bring an equivalent"
A BATTLE FOR BREAD.
"Where shall l get something to eat?''
sighed the old man as he shambled off with
a look telling of a misery which prompted
him to end his career, but also of a weakness
which compelled him to live aud endure,
though the prizes of life were forever be-
yond his feeble approaching With the rising
of every sun this old man goes forth to fight
the battle for bread. and with the setting Of
many sun he returns with head upon his
breast.
"Who is that white-bearded man pushing
the go-cart?" asked the reporter, pointing
to man not yet three-score, though not so
young as to escape the frostng OF mis- locks
| and the inevitable crowfeet.
That is Jimmy, the rag man. was
| the answer. His real name, or the one he
goes by, is James Mitchell He is well
known all over the city in the business. That
| push-cart OF his has travelled many mile in
| front OF its owner. Jimmy has an interest
| ing story. though you would not think it of
a man peddllng truck as he does.
Look at him now, and see the effects of
| years Of .wretchedness and dissipation.
! That form once was clad in the finest broad
cloth. According to the mans story laud it
has been, l understand. partly substan-
tiated), he once frequented the best draw
ing-rooms of London. His uncle was. or if
alive yet is, baronet, and was connected
with the Admiralty. His country seat was
lie off al
PEELED him to visit London for the inspection
of vessels. and in his journeys he took young
Mitchell. who managed to mingle III the gay
est society.
THE OLD STORY.
"When % yeaIS old Mitchell visited the
United States, and while in New York led
a gay life, the necessary funds being fur
nisned him by his wealthy uncle. Owing to
a misunderstanding these remiitances sud-
denly stopped, and then, without resources
or means of livelihood, he quickly found
himself deserted by his friends. His drink
ing habits he could not abandon. and he
gradually sank lower and lower till finally
he wound up in common brick yard, en-
gagged in the task OF making bricks.
HE did not long remain at this arduous oc-
cupaton. AS soon as he could raise money
enough he crossed over into Pennsylvania
and engaged as railroad nand. He re-
manned here for some time, Hntll he made
the acquaintance Of a Western man engaged
in the cattle business, with whom he went
into stock-raising on a large scale. 1t is
said that in his dreams he still imagineS
that he is driving large herds over the West
eTn pralrles.
Failure, however. soon threw its blight
over Jimmy's life. and he traced his foot
steps further West. On arriving in CalifOr-
MIA he hired out as farmland, but either
left place after place on account of restless
ness or lost them through his habit of
drink ing, for he would 90 on sprees During
a number OF years he worked in almost every
county of the State, but each step seemed 10
be a downward one. In looking along the
vista of his life, in which there was so little
sunshine, he was always discouraged, and
cup.
A COMMON RAGMAN.
"His next venture was a junk-store in San
Jose, but business did not prosper and he re-
turned to this city, where lie has ever since
resided. Here he became a common rag
man, picking up what he could in order 10
exc out livelihood. Years of toll and
trouble have somewhat troubled his brain,
but in his sober moments he is still intelli-
do so until he dies. Not long age
he was a member of the Salvation
Army, and his white hair and
beard was a feature of the nocturn u
parades. But he goes to their meetings no
more. The story of his life is, by many,
regarded as an hallucination, but by others
as having considerable truth in it. He will
only talk of himself when he has drop in,
and is ordinarily very taciturn. His story,
If true, is certainly sad oae."
Mrs. Platt's In,eress.
In the case of Josephine Plat ainsi
Alfrad n PioIf Judpa w llooa SiOp cd VOC