Morning journal and courier., 1891-08-25
TWAS EVER THUS.
Would He Public Renefactor Whs Found That He Was Not Apprecia. ted.


 ted.
 From the New York Herald.l
 'Please give me dime"
 I was seated in the mall in Central park, looking at the statue of Robbie" Burns and thinking thoughts that many man has thought before about his in-starred life, when my reveries were thus turned into another Channel. didn't like it.
 'Why should give you dime!' I re- piled sharply, hoping thereby to get rid of him.
 But it didn't have the desired effect He wasn't an every day sort of tramp, although his apparel was shabby enough. There was a moldy air of better days about him. He heaved sigh, and seating himself along side of mel couldn't resent that, because he had just as much right to seat as I had-he began to unfold his tale
 ''I recognize in you" he began, "a kind dred spirit. l, too, am worshipper at the shrine of genious. Nothing delights me so much as to see the memory of great men fttingly honored. Years ago, in fit of generous enthusiasm, I conceived & scheme which, had it been favorably re- ceived, would have filled this park and all other parks and public squares in the land with statutes of mankind's greatest bene- factors.
 "But pardon me, he added, ,interrupting his narrative, do you happen to have the mate of that cigar about your
 told him I hadn't.
 "Well, never mind, ain't particular; I'll take chew of tobacco, if you happen to have itn
 told him I had none.
 Another sigh impinged itself upon my olfactory organs, and then he contin- ued:
 Nothing So helps man to rise su; erior to the petty and soul enthralling concerns of everyday life as the contemplation and study of true greatness. To assist in the attainment of that lofty state of mind there is nothing so effective as the presence of the counterfeit presentments of men who have lowered like sun kissed noun tain peaks above their fellows. With that conviction strong upon me l abandoned the haunts of men and gave myself up to thought. In due time the inspiration came. At the lowest estimate there are 4,000, 900 men in this country who get shaved by barbers on an average three times week At an absurdly low estimate that involves an expendtion of thirty cents a week by each man. That, sir, as I have proved over and over again, amounts to S1 200, LOO & week, or S62, 400, 900 year. "Just think of it! All that money prac- tically thrown away. I proposed that these four millions should form a vast 'antishaye' or shave yourself association, and that the money thus saved should be put into a fund to purchase statues for beautifying our parks and places of public resort. All the reward that asked was that I should be made the treasurer of the fund. Had the scheme been carried out the artistic beauties of ancient Greece would be as nothing compared with ours, but my scheme fell unheeded on the miser- able horde of mercenary, self seeking men who libel this country by calling themselves Americans.
 That was fifteen years ago As you may perceive, if you observe me closely, I have not shaved from that day to this. I tried to be public benefactor. Society scornfully rejected my offering. There fore, society owes me living. And that, sir, is why I ventured to ask you for & dime"
 "Hi, there! get out of this," harshly ex- claimed park policeman who had stolen upon us unawares. Didn't tell you I'd give you taste of me club if I caught you around here again."
 Shades of Scott and Burns and Shake spearel" muttered the tramp as he shuffled off. "Has it come to this-that your most ardent devotee should be the sport and jest of a sparrow cops"