The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-07-25
SHattsat gHtslligeHeet.
SCRAGS. TIE NEWSB0Y.

neWSD0y, ana mas SOlO UuOusauuS VI
copies Of Chicago daily papers. But
that was years ago, before the big fire.
[ had peculiar interest in Scrags.
I'll tell you why. 1t was because /
started him in business. That is, i
furnished the capital that bought his
first iustallment Of papers. l was
coming down Clark street one evening
in the winter of 1869. 1t was snow
ing at the time. As I crossed Monroe
street felt some one touch me on the
arm. Looked down, and there stood
Scrags. He was covered all over with
snow, and was crying bitterly.
sWhat is it, boy" said I.
"Please, sir, a dime, to buy bread
for mother" he said, "for she and the
baby are starving. ,,o,
;'Starving said I, ''Oh, no
People can't starve In Chicago; but
where is your father p
she got killed in 'splosion," said
scrags, 'and mother and the baby are
starving" )"
"Come over here under the gas
light" I said, ''and let me look at
you.
He was forlorn looking enough: BE
had on coat that must have belong
ed to his father, for the skirts Of it,
where he walked along, left trail in
the snow. His face was clean, but
his features were pinched, and the
shoes he had on were much too large
for his feet.
Glow old are you, and what is your
name p I asked. :.
"I'm nine years old, and they call
me Scragss; because they says l looks
SO scraggy !; but my names Jimmy
Daniels. Please, sir, give me the
dime"
"Whatgood will the dime do you,
my boy !? Tomorrow it will be gone,
and then you will have to beg for an.
other. You must get something to do
s'I can't, - said Scrags !; "people
don't want a boy like me. /; hain't
got no friends; but will you give me
the dime +? If not, I'll have to beg,
if the police don't catch and run me
in" and the boy commenced to cry
again. "a,
[ was on my way to the theatre, but
I had heard SO much Of professional
beggars in Chicago that / determined
to see if this was one, SO I said:
sScrags, where do you live ?"
Cover on Randolph street, on the
west side, !" hereplied.
"Well, come ON. I'm going home
with you; we will take q car.
ssThat'll cost you dime, said
Scrags, sand if you'll give me the
dime, I'll run all the way home /; be,
sides, it's no place for a gentleman. .
tsNever mind that Sorags, I'm go.
ing home with you, just the same,
and we mounted Randolph car. We
got off at May street and Scrags tried
to run on ahead, but I kept up with
him. I didn't know but what he was
trying to dodge me. BE stopped in
front of two-story frame building
there was barroom below and the
building was old and dilapidated.
YOU'D better not go up, mister
We are awfully poor.
stIs this the place p
'Yes, up in a little back room. We
pays a dollar week for it. I begs
the money"
s'Is there no light in the hall p
ssNo, people what live in such a.
this. cant ford no light. We ain't
got no light in our room"
Not a lamp? Not candle :"
ssNo, mister I bought bucket o.
coal this morning with ten cents go
for cleaning off snow. If that ain,
all gone, perhaps you can see little.
ssWell, go on I will see for my
self"
Scrags hurried up the squeaky stairs
through the dark hall, and to the yer!
back Of the building. Here he haltet
and opened a door:
Mother /"
'Dlmm1e Dlmm1e LII was tn'
voice of sobbing child.
"Mother p cried Scrags, in star
tied voice, and he hastened in the di
reetion from which the child's voice
had sounded.
aMama tant peak, Dimmie. Is 81
told rs so hundry.''
r'Mother r shrieked Scrags. "She'
dead" he screamed, and I heard hin
fall on his knees beside her.
-s'Is there no one in these othe
rooms" said I, "of whom I can pro
cure light" /"
between his sobs; ''they could no
pay the rent.
I stepped forward anaslightedss
match. What [ saw, wassa mattres
lying on the floor in one corner Of th'
room the face of dead woman ami
that Of little girl Of three years O
age huddled up against her, with he,
arms around her, and Scrags on hi
knees, with his face pressed agains
that Of his dead mother A saddle
scene I have never seen since.
never expect to again. No light, NJ
fire, and death. s.
IT will have a light in a moment
Scrags y and I hastened down stairs
and across the street. In a grocery
I bought lamp which l had fillet
with oil. In restaurant [ ordered
provisions, ready cooked, sent over a
once. Close at hand, from small
dealer, I bought basket of coal, an(
returned to the room Of death.
The mother must have been dead al
hour or more.
An old broken cook stove and .
couple Of boxes, which were used al
substitutes for chairs, comprised the
furniture Of the room. I built fir
in the old stove and soon had the colo
room warm.
I lifted Jennie from the mattress
and seated her on box before tht
fire. A waiter brought in the pro
visions, and [ gave him half dollar
to find woman that I could employ
for the night and to send me an un
dertaker.
yCome, Jimmie, you must eat now
Your mother has gone beyond the
reach of aid"
"She died of hunger and cold, mis-
ter"
''There are plenty" said I, "whe
would have given of their means tt
/ H.. &c 4