Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-08-18
sorr soAp AND HARD
ne Rtssz~nes 81 a Bowery Fahir Il fs-
e<.s with an East side Audiences


A street txkir Of the Sness type stood
at the corner Of the BoweTy and cross
street. ssai addressed the attentive fhrong
with all the rhetorical sourish at a
United States senator.
II was once = poor boy" said he,
~vith only two cents in my pocket. and
| foara myself here in this great city
wftaouf q home and without friend.
May the fates preserve you frusn any
sncA hzriships as saw, dear gentlemen.
Bxresoosei. hungry. sleeping on the cold
gru1nd under the unsyrnpathr.se stars.
estsng the crumbs thrown TO Eae from
the tables af the rich. was indeed a
hllShtesi e.ing. did my best to get
employment, bnt there was no room for
ne. Ani began to contemplate suicide.
That was oowzrils Of me. gentle
men. ssinii, hsst | had been made q
coward by my pvsyations- ! WAS not
myself. aud my suicidal purpose was
the mad despair Of a hzlf insane youth.
Yes, was determined TO commit, sui.
eide, and WAS starting in search Of a Sc
Guided dock where ] could plunge into
the cruel river without the danger 81 bsa
nag rescued, when . Tssecs- uf good fort
une brtsi me which changed the whole
coarse If life As was passing along
the Bowery my attention was attracted
by the vosce 81 8 gentleman who stood
"a the corner inss above where | am
standing now. He had a small black
bag with him. very similar 30 the one !
AM earring. and IN this bag were siaaii
cakes q soap. which the gentleman was
Offering for sale ST twenty-five cents a
CAKE
NOV, ] did not much stand in need
of soap al just that moment. uotwiih-
standing the very thorough haih | was
about 30 give myself. aud | should NOT
have ssoyy~d TO listen to that gentleman
had not perceived that ne Was offering
a very remarkable indnceinent to the
public u buy his wars VIII you be
heye il. gentlemen, in many Of the pack
ages of soap contained ia that bag xere
wrapped .sreentscks ranging from the
0ne 10 the FIVE dollar denomination,
WAS seiEe=i with an immense lenging 10
Try Iay luck in that ~osp lottery. PROV
ideree VAS watching lne a, that mo-
lnent- The soap vender looked down
and saws my sad face and taiteresi gar.
lnents
There Is Lad. sand he. whom
should ike 10 help He will t,e pr
miites TO draw a cake Of soap from thi-
bag without charge. and we shall see
what his fortune will be
II drew. gentlemen. a. was directed,
and. joy Of joys. there was a five dollar
bill in my cake Of soap. A year later
had 81 900 in the bank. and now | am
proud TO say life IS a perpetual delight.
SO much do | feel my Indebtedness to-
ward the gentleman who saved NE that
|, too. have taken up the philanthropic
work Of distributing bank bills among
the needy. Aud always make il prac
tioe to preceie my sales by allowing
some poor. ragged boy in MY audience
to draw cake Of soap from the bag free
Of charge
"Ah, there is most unhappy face.
Ny boy. select a cake Of soap from the
bag. II will cost you nothing,"
The poor, miserable lad thus impor-
timed did as he WAS directed, and as the
crowd watched him unfold the paper
wrapper it was seen that Ave dollar
bill was inside.
'-You See" exclaimed the fakir. un-
wrapping several Of the cakes To display
the money within. and then throwing
them back into the bag. you can
scarcely help drawing prize"
Instantly there was rush in the soap
business. AS fast as the fakir could
make change coins futtered into his
hands. The excitement continued for
number Of minutes, and then some one
in the crowd began to complain that no
prizes were turning up. 1t was then
that the fakir discovered a policeman
approaching, and hastily shutting his
bag he hurried down the cross street,
and turning sharply to the right after
going short distance. disappeared, and
in few minutes was joined by the
ragged boy who had been allowed to-
draw the five dollar prize. His profits
on the soap must have been fully SO
New York Sun.