The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-09-09
STREET BEoeAes.
Some Rules To Be Observed in Answering
Them.


or bad condition of the times has any
thing to do with the men who are on the
streets, and who want little money
with which to buy food. Nor is it to be
understood that the writer would stand
in the way of the giving of help to any
who might need it, but. there is safe
rule to adopt in all cases when you are in
doubt. If man asks for something to
eat. give him food, don't give him
money. Nine times out of ten you won't
be called upon to pay for food for him,
that not being what he is after.
There are in this city score or more of
men who are ready to beg of all, and on
all occasions. They have set way OF
doing it from which they seldom depart.
Suppose, for example, that you are going
along Commercial street. A man, COM
monty young man, generally strong
looking young man, walks up to you and
says: "May I speak a word with your"
To which you reply that he can safely
venture that far, and then comes his
second request "will you give me the
of plate of beans and cup OF
coffee9"
sDo you need the money!" you ask,
and then it is that.he replies haven't
had a bit to eat all day."
Now if you take stock in him, or II you
are in doubt, or in hurry, you give
hin, dime, and go on your way, and
he his, but if you have your doubts, ana
a little time at your disposal you take
another course, and say "Come with me
and I'll give you something to eat"
When YOU make that remark the iron
enters his soul, and he understands, as
never before, the depraved nature OF
those who have money. Then, If at any
time. he sees how vile a thing is the
money power of this country, and would
be ready to rise in arms against 1t, only
that it would involve the necessity OF
the making of a personal effort on MS
part. He wonders how you can look at
him and make such mistake. he
thinks you ought to see that he is IN tuil
accord with the sages who hold that
men should be moderate in their meat
and partly live to drink" He doesn't Ike
to say SO directly, and instead tells you
valuable time, that all he wants is a rev
coppers Sometimes he adds that gentle
man like yourself ought not to be seen
with the likes of him." You may agree
with him, but you go all the same.
You take him to an eating house and
order what he has asked you to give him,
and you have an object lesson in human
Al. 10
but doesn't. He probably had good
meal an hour before, and you are
forcing him to take another Sometimes
he tries his best to bluff you, but more
commonly he marches out Indignantly.
Commonly he doesn't enter the saloon at
all, that not being the place where he
likes to go.
Within week the writer has been APP
preached by no less than five OF his
suffering fellow citizens, every one the
victim of circumstances, not soul OF
them having broken his fast for four and
twenty hours, and in every instance he
has promptly offered them good meal,
and yet his supply of money has not been
diminished except in a single case. and
then the starving man proposed that the
order for solid food should be changed to
a piece of pie, or bit Of pudding.
In another instance poor fellow who
had walked all the way from Bath with
out finding any one disposed to give him
"a bite to eat" refused to go few rods
when offered a good meal, observing
with perfect truth you're onto my
racket old man.
The third man requested the party who
offered to give him a hot supper, to pro-
coed Immediately to the place of ever
lasting torment He had previously re-
duced his appeal for the price of a plate
of beans, and cup of coffee boss" to
enough to buy me couple OF doughnts"
but wouldn't take a meal.
The fouth party asked for beans and
coffee, and when almost at the door OF
the place where he was assured that he
would find unlimited beans, and unre-
stricted coffee, suddenly demanded steak
and potatoes He claimed to be from
Boston, but when he went back on beans
it was plain that he was an impostor
There are few policemen of this city un-
knew perfectly we'll that once inside he
would be compelled to eat, having very
distinct recollection of an event that
occurred some years ago, when he was
forced to take three dinners in one
day by three men he had previously OBJ
tanned money from. 1t was when the
tramp act was young, and like the rest
of his tribe he was afraid of it.
Now what is the moral of all this?
Simply that if a man asks you for food
and is willing to take it, he is in need OF
it and will be all the better for good
meal, all the more able to go forward
and try again to get "a chance to do some
thing. But if he, having been offered
food, wants to get the money instead, no
matter on what pretext he is to be set
down as bum, and is to be so treated
There never was time when the confirm
ed "beatsn of certain setions of this city
would work, and there never was bit
of honesty to their oft repeated request