Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1894-03-03
PROFESSIONAL. eEooARa
Where they Como From. and What Ths1
EarM-Their Ways.

Wncro Tney Como FROM, ana what ThoY
Earn-Their Ways.
Tho professional beggar says the
North American Review, 10 not Q
modern innovation, by any means.
Readers Of the 81 cctator will recall
''Scarecr0w. the famous London
beggar who, having disabled himself
10 his right leg, asked aims all dag
10 order to get warm SUPPER ut
night According to John Timbs.
the "Ruiflers," to whom VIC often
Ind mention In the literature Of tho
seventh century, werc troop, Of idle
Migrants who infested LincOln's Inn
Fields They assumed tho charac.
ters OF maine d soldiers who had SUI.
fcred in tn, great rebellion. and
found u ready prey In the people Of
fashion and quality who drove by.
Indeed, II Is made clear by contc,up.
Orary allusiOn In comedies that TIL
nare was the regular haunt Of
bogus cripples who lived BY mendi.
cancy, which they carried on In tho
most barefaccd and even intimidat.
Ing manner.
1t IL related that George w., when
Prince OF Wales, once attended u
bcggar.' carnival In London, incog.
nltiG lie had not been there long
when the chairman. addressing the
company aud pointing to the Prince,
sud, ~ call upon that ere gclnman
with shirt for sony" Tho FRINGE,
Us vel IN he could, got excused upon
friend, who accompanied him,
promising to sing instead, which the
latter did amid great applause. The
health OF the Prince and his friend
having been drunk, and duly 70.
spOnded to, they depart ted In order to
a,.ord tho company an opportunity to
Tx their different routes for the en-.
suing days business; for ut that timo
the professional beRgars of London
used to have general meeting sew.
eral times during tho year, ut which
they weye divided into companies,
each company having its particular
walk. In those days their earnings
varied much, some getting 40 much
AZ i've shillinRs q day Most Of the
professional beggars In London to-day
and their name IL legion--emanate
from two or three common lodging.
.hOuseR
Tho most pOpulous OF these. which
is known 40 Tho Dispensary," sup
ports an Individual known as Q
'Scriver," who earns q living by
manufacturing the pathetic sign.
boards which the sham crlpples and
the bogus blind men carry around
their necks. In Paris, as Ia we'll
known, the professional beggsrs hold
regular weekly meetings, at which
the routes to be followed by the
members of the guild are mapped out
by q standing committee. They have
an organ Of their own. called the
Journal des Mendicants which ap.
pears twice q week. From recent
issue the following curious advertise.
ment is taken: "Wanted-TO Gen.
gage cripple for o seaside resort
Good references and small derOsit
required" This queer announce.
ment Is explained by the fact that
the prOprietOrs OF hotels and board.
lighthouses at fashionable French
watering places assume that visitors
would be disposed to give aims II an
opportunity were afforded them, and
as they cannot very we'll do the beg.
ging themselves they engage pro-
iessional beggars, to whom they grant
permission to solicit aims ON their
premises. and the beggars In return
pay them one.half OF their daily re-
Catnta