The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-10-31
PORTUGUESE BEGGARS.
Always Ready to Change Four Money
and Keep Trif1e for Themselves.

Always Ready to Change Your Money
and Keep Trife for Themselves.
At Braga, a few miles from Oporto, is
b temple, dedicated, believe, to the
sun, and leading up to its principal en-
trance there are three hundred and
sixty five steps, says letter from Por-
tugal. At each end Of step there is
generally a beggar. Every beggar
prides him or herself on some horrible
aeformity, which is exposed so as to
present it's most hideous aspect to the
view of the unfortunate pilgrims to the
temple.
Having heard beforehand Of this
chastity spectacle, says a writer in the
Chicago Times, determined not to go
beyond the human malforna tions which
creep about the city of oporto. They
are absolutely recognized institution,
and might almost be said to occupy the
position of money changers to the gen.
tral public. Their method OF begging
Is peculiar. When they espy your APP
proach they begin long prayer In a
vigorous, sing-song voice. They start
In something like this style: ut is in
your excellent honor's power to be
thankful for your own riches and mind
full of the wants Of others. Dogs shall
lick your hand. The rain shall bedew
your doorstep every morning. Assist
The manned, the deforrned, the stricken
In every limb. can change two hun
lred, three hundred Or five hundred reis
ut your excellent houors pleasure"
Then follows curse Or blessing, ao-
cording to the manner in which you
have responded to their supplications.
You may give one Of these creatures
almost any piece of money, and he will
return you that sum in small change
minus about half farthing with com
plete satisfaction. Indeed, he Will
think he has done a good mornings
work. Whenever went out made it
a rule to place few cop2ers in GER
tain pocket to present to these objects
of distrust and ward off as many male
dictions as possible. One day plunged
my hand into the wrong pocket, and,
without examining the piece, gave it to
a trunk possessing only left arm and
an incomplete Uranium. The fragment
set up an uproar and a crowd collected.
Y was summoned back, and, with wild
gesticulations, was presented with
two-hundred reis piece. ! thought 1t
was too late then, SO bowed and shook
my head. The trunk showered bless
ings assisted therein by the crowd),
and I heard that no more was seen OF
him for ten days.
There was one gentleman whose
body, head and arms were all right, but
he was minus his legs, and he had in
geniously supplied this deficiency with
a pair Of cab wheels. On his hands
were fixed some sort of claws, and thus
he used to canter around, ladies being
his especial prey. He would hide in an
obscure alley-and as Oporto is nearly
all dark alleys, he had many lairs--un-
til he marked some unconscious victim,
then off he would go, and if the lady
took refuge in a shop he would wait
outside. hear that this bogy man has
since died, leaving a lot of money.
In Braga children are bandaged in all
sorts OF pastures and subjected to great
torture to enable them to live at ease
when they grow up. Such, among many,
is a man with fourteen stone body,
who daily blesses his parents for pro-
viding him with legs which would have
caused Barnum's skeleton dude" to
cry with envy. But were to describe
the horrors so prepared the paper ON
which write would curl up and revolt.