The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-13
Soft Soap and Hsr1 Scan.

| A street fakir of the finest type stood at the
corner Of the Bowery and a cross street, says
the New York Sun, and addressed the attentive
throng with all the rhetorical flourish of a
United States senator.
II was once poor boy" said he, with only
two cents in my pocket, and l found myself
here in this great city without a home and
without friend. May the fates preserve you
| from any such hardships as saw dear gentle
/ men! Barefooted hungry, sleeping on the cold
ground under the unsympathetic stars. eating
| the crumbs thrown to me from the tables of
| the rich, was indeed blighted being did
my best to get employment, but there was no
room Tor me- and began to contemplate sui
| eide. That was coWardly Of me- gentlemen, |
VIII admit, but had been made coward by
| my prlVations. L was not myself, and my
suicidal purpose was the mad despair OF a half
insane youth. Yes, / was determined 70 com
| NIT suicide, and was starting in search of a
secluded dock where | could plunge into the
cruel river without the danger of being rescued,
when piece of good fortune befeli me, which
changed the whole course of life. AS was
passing along the Bowery my attention was at
tracted by the voice of a gentleman who stood
on corner Just above where / standing
now. He had small black bag with him, svsry
similar to the one / carrying, and in this
bag were small cakes of soap, which the gen
tleman was Offering for sale at 25 cents a
cake Now, did not much stand in need of
soap at Just that moment, Notwithstanding
the very thorough bath | was about
to give myself, and should not have stopped
20 listen to that gentleman had not perceived
That he was Offering very remarkable induce
ment TO the public to buy his wares. viii you
believe it, gentlemen, in many of the packages
or soap contained in that bag were wrapped
greenbacks ranging from the one to the five
denomination. | was seized with an immense
longing to try my luck in that soap lottery.
Providence was watching at that moment.
The soap vender looked down and saw my sad
face and tattered garments.
" There is a lad said he, whom / should
like to help. He shall be permitted to draw a
cake OF soap from this bag without charge, and
we hall see what his fortune will be-.
u drew, gentlemen. as | was directed, and,
joy of joys! there was a fvedollar bill in my
cake of soap. year later had 81, 900 in the
bank, aud now an proud to say life is per
petual delight. So much do feel my indebted
ness toward the gentleman who saved me that
L, too, have taken up the philanthropic work of
distributing bank bills among the needy. And
| always make it a practice to precede my sales
by allowing some poor, ragged boy in my audi
ence to draw cake of soap from the bag free
charge.
All there is most unhappy face My boy,
select a cake from the bag II will cost YOU
nothingr'
The poor. miserable lad, thus importuned did
as he was directed, and, as the crowd watched
MN UNFOLD the paper wrapper, it was seen that
f1ve dollar bill was inside.
You see, exclaimed the fakir, unwrapping
several OF the cakes to display the money within
aud then throwing them back into the bag, you
can scarcely help drawing q prize
Instantly there was a rush in the soap bust
ness. AS fast as the fakir could make change
coins tiuttered into his hands. The excitement
continued for number of minutes and then
some one in the crowd began TO complain that
no prizes we're turning up 1t was then that the
fakir discovered a policeman approaching, aud |
hastily shutting his bag he hurried down the
cross street, and turning sharply to the right |
after going short distance, disappeared into |
liquor saloon. He ordered whisky for himself |
and in few minutes was Joined by the ragged |
10y who had been allowed to draw the five |
dollar prize. His profits on the soap must have |
been fully $40.