Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-27
who depend upon his generosity for the neces-
sary morning dram.

sary morning dram.
THE RREPRKssIBLR SMALL BOT.
"The small boy 10 always the mortal enemy
Of the fakir. 50 long a. he ID being entertained
with tricks he exhibits . rapt attention, but
the moment that the vender starts in to praise
his wares the youth becomes disorderly. Then
the curbstone orator threatens him with the
police, although in reality he himself is exceed
ingly afraid OF the minions of the law. Sup
posing that the police arrive and order the
fakir away, the small boy sets up yell OF de-
light, which CRATES upon the sensitive feelings
Of the gentleman who has been haranguing the
public. Even the street men who sell straight
goods have reason to dread the costodians OF
the peace. In my business q clever man can
earn honestly from &10 day up to $25 on Sat-
urday, supposing that he is not interfered with.
Unfortunately there are very few towns where
We are allowed to work unmolested. 1t is In
winter that we have bad times. One night in
Chicago I remember WELL The thermometer
was below zero, but had to have dollar to
buy food for my wife and myself and 30 l went
out on the street and sold shaving soap. 1t was
SO cold that the lather froze. but l sold ten
boxes finally at 10 cents q box and hurried bone
h" aE !. no. .nr,r,,,,. ,,.. .,. anal, ,o,
should be foe to the fakir. He has been used
by the latter a victim always. Without GER
emory the street vender fills his hair with
soap to show the quality Of the lather produced
Dy the article he sells. Or he takes the un1or-
tunate youth on his knee and ruins his teeth
for life by rubbing upon them preparation
containing an acid which cleanses them and
destroys the enamel at the same time. Another
performance is to turn the boy from white to
black or from black to white as the case may
be. handkerchief is spread over the face of
the victim and the audience is informed that
the alteration in his complexion will require
five minutes At the end Of the time named
the boy retains his original color, but the
crowd has changed, 80 that it doesn't make any
difference. May be few people are left who
object to the deception, but the kickers are
always the people who do not buy, and the
faklrs do not mind them at all. Those who
purchase 20 away.
"A gentleman of my acquaintance has made
great deal Of money by taking the kinks out
OF the hair OF colored people. His charge is
SlO In each case l don't know myself what the
secret of his process is, but it is undoubtedly
effective for time. The only trouble is that
after while all the hair tumbles out, and then
1t grows in again as kinky as ever. Ii is great
scheme. One great advantage of my business
Is that it is always possible to make living at
1t anywhere when one is stranded / could not
possibly starve, SO long as l could get hold of
70 cents to start with. Why. for that sum
can buy half a gross Of gold collar buttons
which will stand l4-carat test. The test must
be very quick one it is true, by which Imean
that the acid should not be permitted to linger.
Such studs are really coated with gold, but the
me tai Is In an almost hopeless minority"