The Republican., 1891-12-04

and thirty vags, and we know that such
couldn't be the case. He had probably
been held up" twenty times at the
most, and he had given not to exceed
two dollars I was mentally figuring
this out as l followed the man toward
Park row Overtaking him near the
engine house, said:
''Seems to be an off night with you?''
And I've quit he answered as he
looked up.
Something the matter with the
hand?"
Yes; had it smashed four weeks
ago"
Lets have a look at it. -
We took cut through the park and
brought up on a bench near the fount-
ain, and he removed the bandage and
exhibited 4 bad-looking hand. The
thumb had been hurt the worst and a
new nail was growing.
This means that you have been out
of work for month";
''Yes and something more. I'm a
machinist and came here from Milwau-
kee I'd worked only day and half
when hurt this hand. I've had to pawn
tools and clothes, and for three nights
past I've had no bed
mo friends in Milwaukee,"
''None able to help me to a dollar"
'You told that man poor story for
one with facts to back it up"
81 suppose so, but to-day l used the
last cent had to get bowl of soup,
and that was my first experience in
begging"
And now what?"
He waited long minute before re-
plying.
1t had grown dark and the wind was
blowing up cold and drear. He looked
about in hopeless way, dropped his
chin into his hands, and quietly but
bitterly replied:
What a fool man sometimes is
about things. lie loses his nerve just
when he wants it most
DO you want nerve to rob some
one?"
NO. l want it to go down to the
river and take header into the drink.
That's exactly what man ought to do
who is down and going lower That
would settle everything in short order.
It's just what a nervy man would do,
but | can't get my sand up yet. Per-
haps it'll come tomorrow. however"
You've been fishing?" l asked.
eyes What of it?"
Nothing, except going fishing ex-
hibits one of the curious traits in hui
man character. A man goes and buys
an outfit costing perhaps ten dollars,
and it costs him ten dollars more to get
to the fishing place and back, and vet
you never hear him complain nor figure
that he is out cent even if he doesn't
get a nibblc."
That's So"
but turn it around. man invests
a dollar on tramp, and if that dollar
doesn't brace the poor devil up and
make great statesman or capitalist
out of him inside of month the giver
regards it as a dead loss and shuts his
purse to all future calls"
That's mighty true"
"A well-off, respectable man beats rs
out of five hundred dollars and we
make no kick and never wonder how
he is going to use the money. If we
give vag dime and he spends it for
whisky we feel awfully cut up
That's it.
'llundreds of men in this town are
losing from one dollar to fifty dollars
per day on the races. You hear no
signing or complaining. Let one of 'em
lose fifty cents on tramp and he'd go
about declaring that he no longer had
any confidence in human nature"
He would, for sure
"Once more. Men are willing and
anxious to take chances on lotteries
races, games, the gaming table, and so
on. Why not take chance on fell
low-human being now and then?"
"What do you mean?" he asked
''Just this. In a week your hand will
be well enough to enable you to go to
work. Dll pay your board for the week
and III take your tools and clothes out
of pawn. You can pay me so much a
week after you get work. You may
beat me. If SO, have simply played a
horse or bought a lottery ticket and
lost"
He looked at me long time in a puz-
zled way, and then laughed as he said:
I've been wondering"
Whether I'm fool or a philoso-
pher?"
Yes"
'Well, We'll try it on either line you
choose. Come on"
We went to Bowery hotel and 1 got
him fair board and lodgings for one
dollar per day. Then invested fifty
cents for lotion for his sore hand, paid
five dollars to get his clothes and four
dollars to get his tools, making total
of sixteen dollars and fifty cents. This
was on Monday evening. The Mon
day week he went to work at two dol
lars and twenty-five cents per day, and
when I asked his boss what sort of a