The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-04-17
WAS A PHILOSOPHER.
A BEGeAR STUDENT OF HUMAN MA
TURE WHO HAD A SYSTEM.

TURE WHO HAD A SYSTEM.
MendIcancy Carried Out Upon Practical
Lines-why He Avoided the Rich-Stood
Outside Restaurant, but Never Begged
From a Hungry Looking Man.
He was a wretched looking chap, so
thinly clad that he was really an object
of pity. He had sought secluded cor
ner at the entrance of cheap restaurant
near Herald square, and for awhile it
seemed as if he had chosen the spot
merely to escape the chilling blasts of
the cutting wind. Many men passed
into the place, but he spoke to none.
Finally one who had just completed his
meal came forth. The man started for
ward, hesitated moment and then re-
sumed his former position. Soon another
man, apparently in great hurry, came
from the restaurant, buttoning his coat
as he walked. In a moment the poor
fellow stood in the way and barely had
he uttered his request for help when he
was rewarded with dime.
A moment later a group of young
men in very high spirits passed into the
restaurant. To an ordinary student they
would have been just the right men to
approach for aims, but the beggar saw
them not. 1t was only to certain men
returning to the street that he made
himself known. 1t was but the work Of
moment to pick an acquaintance with
the fellow, and when he found was
interested he talked freely of his plan.
81 had to do good deal of thinking
about it when first started in, he
said. 81 can't get work now, and when
I have work can only keep at it for
little while on account of rheumatism.
When / saw had to beg, / thought /
might as we'll do it right or not at all.
If you know anything about mon S faces
and clothes, you don't have to do any
guesswork at all. / can tell long before
I get near man what my chances are
with him, and if don't think that it's
ten to one l will get something don't
try him, for there's no good in wearing
yourself out and getting common. Some
fellows go along the street and try to
touch every we'll dressed man they meet
They couldn't do anything worse, for
everybody secs what they're doing and
knows they are professionals and steers
clear of them. The only time to go up
against well dressed men as straight
thing, without regard to their faces, is
when they are full and feeling happy
over 1t.
''The average we'll dressed man or
woman is the hardest kind of person
to hit. They do lots for charity, but it's
in q different way-societies, schools
for kids, kindergartens and missions
and they think they are doing enough.
If any one hits them ON the street, they
put them down for professional. You
have got to judge the we'll dressed peo-
pie by their faces and general manner
and let their clothes count for nothing.
whenever / have to do any street
work, always select the people of the
lower middle classes, who don't put on
any front-women especially. mean
people who live comfortably, but haven't
got any too much money to spare. Say,
you may think I'm stringing you, but
would rather have one nickel from one
of them than quarter from fellow
who could stand it and had it to burn.
Funny, but feel just as sentimental
about that sometimes as If was earn
ing it, and would earn it il had tho
chance.
Now, you take this stand of mine
here today. There s three men who gave
me something--two niokels and dime.
have been here half an hour and I've
only struck five men. l missed two.
Well, three out of five don't look like
bad guesswork, if you want to call it
SO, does it? This is the cheapest res
taurant in the neighborhood. There's
the Imperial, Marlborough and all the
other big hotel restaurants ! could
have taken, but I'll bet wouldn't have
got thing from the people who came
from any of them. The men who go in
here don't pay over 25 or 80 cents for
what they eat. and I'm willing to take
my chances with them right along
81 always wait till man comes out
Some people think 1t ought to DO the
other way, for the reason that man
who was hungry would be more apt to
give out of sympathy for the man who
was hitting him for money for some
thing to eat. But didn't figure 1t out
that way. You see, these are pretty
hard times, and there's more people i'll
hard luck than there ever was before.
Now, it's bad enough to be in hard
lnck, but it's worse yet to be hungry,
and when man Is up against both
games little things will bother him that
wouldn't affect him at all if he had his
stomach full. reason that pretty near
ly every man who comes in here is eth
or in hard luck or else he is miser
who don t want to spend any more than
is actually necessary. If it wasn't so,
You know they would all go to the big
restaurants in the hotels, for you know
as we'll as do that the right kind of a
man likes good things to eat and nice
clean service if he can afford it.
well, am onto the misers and l
leave them alone. When the decent
man comes out, he feels better for hav-
ing had his dinner. He is ready for
business, and life is great deal bright.
er to him than it was half an hour be-
fore. ask him to help me. He says to
himself: Well, feel pretty good. This
fellow is in worse luck than / am. i
know what it is to feel hungry. won't
miss the nickel very much and then
get it. When he hands it to me, he feels
better for it, and he looks it, too, and il
he has been doing things that are not
quite up to the limit he consoles him.
self with the fact that he amt such
bad fellow after all. And he amt eth
er. So you see there's two Of us happy,
and if there was more of it the world
would be happier. Thanks, boss. :"
Then the philosopher went in to din
nos Na,x. Uo-lr HoralI