Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-07-18
CAREER OF A BEAT.
BEAU HICKMAN, FAMOUS IN WASHINGTON
THIRTY YEAYS AGO.
BE Sprang From Good Virginia Family, Bu
the Pace Was Too Rapid for Elm, and he
Went Down to Low Beggar-Hs
Way Of Accepting Treat
Baltimore american.

country as the prince Of bummers. To
the general public Beau Hickman is
only as the great American dead beat
and his tricks and devices for obtaining
money, meal or bed have become his
toric. There are few who have ever
thought that this hummer may have had
a history full of romantic interest.
1t was during the congressional sea-
son of 1884 that Robert S. Hickman
came TO Washington. He was at that
time about 81 years old. Who his par
ents were will never be definitely
known, it being sufficient to know that
he came OF family OF well-to-do Vir-
ginia planters.
1t Is impossible to determine the
amount of fortune possessed by Hick-
man when he first came to this city, but
| it is estimated at about $4,000 a good
sum in those days. 1t lasted Beau about
three years. 1t was during this golden
period of his life that he earned the So
brioue "Beau." All that it was posi-
bic for young swell with money to do
he did. He attended the races as though
a duty devolved upon him, and his
knowledge of horse flesh made his tips
of great value. He knew more about
the races and possible winners than Il
paddock full of jockeys, and was al
WAYS accompanied at the track by Sc
lect and exclusive coterie OF choice
| spirits.
Beau Hickman, according to his state
ments afterward, got all the enjoyment
life affords out Of these years, and Tor
the rest of the time intervening until
death came was to him but an existence
to be borne with as little annoyance as
possible. He was sturdy, athletic
Young chap, full of the fire and life and
| had the courtly graces OF a Virginia
gentleman. Unlike Beau Brummel, he
did not faint at the idea OF work or
shudder over badly cooked dish as
though it confined his grandfather. In
stead, he could take six-barred gate
on one of his Virginia thoroughbreds as
gracefully as he could tread the meas
ures of popular dance. Women ad-
mired him, of course. and his conquests
were many and romantic. Knowing as
he did, however, that his fortunes were
of the weakest, he made no effort that
we know of to make an advantageous
alliance.
Beau was in the fashionable swim
three weeks after his arrival for the hrst
time in Washington. He never quilted
il until forced to by the sudden break
ing down of his fortunes. Routs and
balls, select social gatherings, and all
the fashionable dissipation OF the day
were his occupations. Over this
time OF his life hangs the glamor OF
riches and luxury. The odor OF roses,
the glitter OF wealth; the butterfly col
ors of the life intermingled in this almost
ideal existence, showing forth in sharp
and bitter contrast to the life that fol-
! lowed.
On awakening one morning after a
late dinner he had attended Beau set
himself to the task of looking over his
mails. Sweet-scented missives quaint
ly folded in divers shapes and fastened
by seals of colored wax, impressed with
monograms well known in the fashion
able world, Uttered his desk. Among
these was formal, auStre package, with
a large splotch of red wax distluring its
surface. A notice it was from the bank
where Beau had placed his funds on first
coming to Washington, and the cold,
hard truth was forced home to him in
the midst of his luxury that he was
beggared. cover drawn" For the
man with many resources and huge
business interests this means little. For
Bean it meant the end of the delightful
life he was leading and many other
things that he didn't care to think OF.
He opened the rest of his mail mechan-
ically and went out to take up his gay
life where ne had left off the night
before.
From this time dates the beginning of
the heat, and the end of the life OF the
moneyed gentleman.
For many years after the breaking
down of his fortune Beau managed to
live by a sort of Bohemian vagabond-
age. He became a sort of good-natured
highwayman, calling on all he met in
life's pathway to stand and deliver on
the presentation of good story or on
the working OF some clever scheme for
extorting the needful. He really lived
by his wits, for he possessed such a
commodity. He did not confne his
sphere OF action to Washington, but
often extended his visits to Baltimore,
Philadelphia and New York, and dur
ing the racing season followed the
horses about to the various tracks.
In the winter, however, Beau always
returned to Washington. Here he met
the prominent public men OF the day, all
of whom were on his list OF patrons, be-
ing regularly mulcted Of set sum call
ed by the incorrigible Beau his "assess-
ments." These ranged from a quarter
to dollar, and it is not on record that
any man that Beau classed among his
patrons ever refused to pay his assess
ments. Had he done so, Beau would
have been known from one end OF the
avenue to the other that Statesman So
and-So had been stricken from Beau
| Hickman's list and as things went in
those days the statesman would have
suffered more In popular estimation
than Beau in pocket.
Often Beau would be introduced to
visiting strangers by his friends for the
purpose Of observing the inimitable
manner in which he would accomplish
his object of inducing the stranger to
part with his ready cash to the i'm
Fortunate Beau. The latter never d.
rectly asked for money, bat would not
hesitate, after telling good story, to
intimate that the story was worth pay
! ing for.
He was never a hard drinker, and
often, when his financial condition was
at it's lowest ebb, he would, when asked
to drink with acquaintance, accept the
proffered favor, STIMULATING that he was
to receive the change instead OF the
drink. Often he would on these occa-
sions select a good, high priced cigar.
which he would subsequently dispose OF
to cigar merchant with whom be had