Evening star., 1894-12-14

4, a-'-.- } : 3
Neither Toll Nsr Spin, but the Earth
Yields It's Fatness.
From the New York Herald.
When my lady's'' mail is brought to hor
she finds hobnobbing with the announce
ments of future dinners receptions and
other social pleasures a circular, which
| comes from professional whose calling
will not he found in any directory. although
he advertises far and wide. His business
is thoroughly established, and managed
with, such a lamentable acuteness that,
| while he neither tolls nor spins, he reaps
an income not to be despised.
| The clergyman, man of business, the
| successful or prosperous man or woman
| everybody of any note position-has
| probably at one time or another been per-
| picked and annoyed with the chaff from
| his MILL which grinds on increasingly. He
| deserves no title, but l will recognize him
here and call him the professional beg
| ginG letter writer.
| Some one has said "Beggars specialize
| nowadays" and those who have devoted
themselves to this particular branch stand
| at the head of the begging list and are
| usually accomplished artists in their line.
| Their letters are as varied the colors
| and positions of the contents of kaleido-
| scope. No time nor season is sacred from
| their intrusion. They find their way to
| the mouse OF mourning, urging a Special
| donation as memorial of the precious
| dead. They follow weddings, births, balls
| and other festivities as perpetual skele-
| ton at the feast-a reminder that Lazarus
| is at the gate in an attitude of eXpectant
reception. The published notice of rare
jewels worn az the opera and other gath
| erings is only the key note for the most
| barefaced appeals imaginable, for the
| value Of one jewel" or the suggestion
| that distracted sufferer, a possible sui
| eide or starving family could be relieved
| by portion of the goods, which. by accl-
| dent of birth or fortune belongs to those
| more favored.
| Musical Beggnrs.
A daily newspaper chronicied the fact
few years ago that one of New Yorks mil
| lionafce had bought a magnificent piano,
| for which he had paid princely sum.
During the following ten days it would
| have take. plano warehouse to have sup
| piled the demands made upon him. Every
pretext under the sun seemed exhausted in
| the requests for instruments. Some were
| cringingly pleading, others insolently de-
| manding, still others ludicrOus In their alb
| surdity, and in almost every instance the
| Almighty was referred to If His special
interest had been evoked for the request
IF you expect Gods blessing" LAS you
hope to be- remembered by the Lord"
| May God bless you." I'VE will pray to
| God for you" and similar expressions were
lavishly interspersed. One that closed
| the camel could go through a needles eye
| easier thar the rich man could enter
| heaven at the same time showed an evi-
| dent desire9 to enlist, in the competition,
| and hintede thak the gift of a piano,
| melodeOn or parlor organ would pave the
| way to future peace and glory.
| In this branchHf industry, as an example
| of tenacious Vigilance, a woman of many
aliases. WHO will be known to these pages
| as Jane Doe, is unsurpassed, and as her
| letters bid fair to come under the head of
| ito be continued, with no finis," it will not
! be amsS toedsyote to her a little space.
1t is a recorded fact in the relief socie-
! ties that within the last ten years she has
| sent out upward of 2OO letters, and doubt
! less that Is oplT a portion of the total of
| her efrorts|With persistent diplomatic
| energy, which, exercised in the right di-
rtcti6n, would long ago have made her in
! dependent. she has for years pursued her
| course. Her actions are criminal; she has
| lived by obtaining money under false pre-
! lenses, but until some one Of her victims
| feels willing to press the charge and enter
| the courts against her. there seems no way
| of damming up her welllng propensity. In
| 1884 she was arrested for VagTancy and
| sent to the work house for six months,
| but by some means. regarding which his
| tory is silent, she was released before she
| had served her term, and was soon tread
| Ing her accustomed paths.
Profitable Mendicity.
| The housekeeper of a tenement where
| she once lived reported that she was in
| constant receipt of large bundles of cloth
| ing, brought to her by messenger boys,
| express wagons and carriages These con-
| taned garments of all grades and sizes for
| herself, her husband and the mythical
| children whom she had described as un-
able to attend Sunday school, being in the
| condition of Adam and Eve in the Garden
| of Eden The clothing was sorted out and
| carried In installments to the pawnshops.
A woman died a few months ago who
was thoroughly educated and capable,
| mentally and physically, of making for
| herself good living. but she used her
powers only in writing begging letters
| These she sent to well-known merchants,
asking aid In memory of her dead hus-
band. She was woman of fno presence
always well dressed and always living in
choice rooms In a desirable locality. These
were fitted up with luxurious comfort and
she apparently wanted for nothing, yet she
never owned rightfully one farthing. She
made no small appeals, but usually sent a
subscription paper headed by a good round
sum. pretending to need the means to en-
ter a home tor the aged, and to wish to
supply herself with certain aids to COM
tort pending her admittance. In this way
she collected enough to have founded a
home.
MUNICIPAL, pAWNSunDS