The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-04
MENDICAN7y OF HARLEM.
ny Iasidioua. Downtown Tricks They Ne
guile Alus from the Charts BILE.

guile Alus from the Charitable.
Harlem Is becoming infested with beggars.
more or less intrusive. three OF whom have
been plying their trade long enough to have
become familiar to most Harlemites.
A sturdy blind mar is probably the least o.
rusive Of the lot. His regular beat Is in 125th
street, between Third and Fifth avenues. He
dresses in a faded suit which is whole and
comfortable. but it gives u first impression
that the weurer has bcen exposed in 1t to the
rigors OF many Indictment seasons. This
makes 1t valuable as stock in trade.
because the many who drop pennies
and nickels in tho blind beSkar's
outstretched palm do 80 on the impulse OF the
moment and hurry way. wondering what
made them so suddenly generous to SO we'll
fed and we'll preserved n mendicant.
He attracts attention by mutterinG songs
in a doleful voice. which Is as abso-
lutely ~tuneless as tho songs he sings.
No one has yct endured his singing
long enough to find out what his songs are.
but mother" and homo" and my boy -
crop out Mt intervals and lead the passer-by to
believe the topic to be OF the pathetic order.
He has a rival in the person Of another blind
man with a horribly deep and obtrusive voice
and SON queer disease. real or assumed.
which causes him to twist his head to one
side and blurt out tho more impressive por-
lions OF his songs with wretched crimaccs and
contortions. which fairly screw coin out OF the
pockets of his hearers. II only to put a mo-
mentary stop to his distressed performance.
He does not spend muclp time in Civ
ing thanks. and the purchased relief
is OF the shortest duration. When business
grows dull he doubles up with another singer
who has an equally volumlnOuS voice and u
pair OF good eyes. The latter became a posi-.
I've i've f neeet tSs two IN Sinners 1MS ss snnseedie Iw in w 40 ine
ur the officer on post to the point OF ordering
them to move on 9; frequent intervals. They
The least ontrusive, beggar OF the lot is nm
attenunted little. old woman clad In rusty
black. who day after day has seated herself on
i Isen ea avenac and 1'I is5sh street re- sne She sHsn Sre 81 ei.'H IN
a suit Of rusty black: the nGe Of which can
able to sec what Der face is like. because 81"
doubles herself VI. over n whoezy little
S Scsa. Is T ioias a failing hhsyl fat throw DOWN over over her her
s%tqopins shoulders" It makes ones back
aSns '1 and to 9.n look n,c e tn" Srot thin INTO b ,I1s
are, generally women; The rattle Of the con
in the eur causes q bony hand to shoot ont
deayors t" catch z elimnsc "i tho face Of the
be- thanks. and Grinds i few doieful notes out
Of the organette In acknowledgment.
SomO pct phrases hlv" been importer from
Chatham SQUARE to the neiGhIorhood OF Har-
lem l.ridge by some Of these hcgGars. Say.
friend" ~ henrd Offences, from rough-lookins
fellows who hope their appearance will lend
the hearer 10 lHrt with q uickel. which will b..
srent iora drink IL h doe. Il tn. pnsse'
but waits long enough. lie will have
a chance to. listen to u tale Of the
need OH nights lodging and no. coin t. pay
for IT. The younger members OF the begging
fraternity ARE also numerous in. the neigh
borhood Of the bridge. They get in their flea
are remarkably chean in Harlem: Gimme
two cents fern nights lodgin'" l. their sterr0-
typed silntation. delivered In n do eful WHINE.
calcu atcd to, make the nearer hand over soms
pennies IN the lear that he will hear it again
Last week two new mnndicarts appeared in
Harlem, a blind man with u h0trse voice, and
n silent companinr Will u iulI complement IT
eyes. who leads him about. III. precious pair
established u route N last 10Th street. and
they visited every store along il.
"llrlp the h!ind." the blind man cries, rs he
gets within range Of u shoUSccI" GER O" his Gus
TONERS. You should always hell, the hIIad."
il his ai,real is not rrspontei to.i oar,.,
Altogether the Harlem I"r!ar, ara getting
too numerous Tor the comfort "t. srif. SUPPORT
inc r~itlzrns. and the police interfere with
them iar too little.