The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-03-13
AN AsTUTE NEW YORK TRAMP.
He Invents n New Method of Appeal to
Raise Money,

He lnVentS II new MethOO OF Appeal to
Raise Money.
AS a usual thing the curtain in the Met
ropolitan Opera House is let down five or
six times in the course Of the evening, and
during the intervals between it's descent
and it's rising the cafes in the neighbour
hood do a rushing business, says the New
York Herald.
AS soon as the curtain falls there is a.
concerted rush for the door by at least one
half of the men in the house. and for the
next 10 minutes every bartender in the
vicinity has his hands full attending to
the wants of a large and thirsty crowd
Last Monday evening" just as the smiling
cocktail mixer in we'll known Broadway
saloon, not many doors from the opera
house, had finished making an absinthe
"teaser for the last of a long line Of
'Johnnies' who were leaning against the
bar, the side door was softly opened and a.
perfect specimen of the tramp came in
He didn't appear to notice the gilded
youths who were slipping their invigorators
but glided softly over to the end of the
bar near the ice box. Several of the opera
goers noticed that the newcomer had no
shoes on, and, as he glided across the
marble floor, he lifted his feet which were
partly covered by socks of the ventilated
pattern.
Everybody stopped talking at once, as
the wanderer beckoned to the bartender
and whispered to him in enc of those hoarse
stage whispers which can be heard a block
away
''Say, old man, have you got such a ting
as a pair O. shoes around de place?
went to sleep in ice wagon down de
street tonight, all tired out after walkin'
de streets all day as hungry as a Tom cat
without home; an I'll take me oat when
l woke up just now ] found that some low
down dog had swiped me shoes; right off
me feet, mind yer. Haven't yer got any
thing dat I could put between me an de
cold, hard world?''
The bartender sneered. mo" he said
there's no shoes around here, only what
we've got on our feet, I guess you bet
ter make a brace somewhere else"
Oats too bad" said the tramp in a
whining tone. Il don't know what I'll do
I've been on me uppers for good many
years, but dis is de first time in me life
dat I've been on my feet an I'll give it to
yer straight, it's nickel plated cinch."
He turned away as though to go out
into the cold street, but one of the men
who had been listening to his story called
him back and handed him a coin. Several
of the others followed his example and
in few minutes the shoeless rambler
had fist full of money, for which he
expressed his thanks and disappeared.
well. that's new wrinkle, for sure"
said the loquacious bartender, land even
if he was fakin he deserves all he got
for introducin' novelty into the grub
Bin business"
The tramp hurried down a side street
as soon as he made his exit from the
cafe, and was Immediately joined by
fellow straggler, who had a good, stout
pair of shoes under his arm. Our friend
of the woeful tale lost no time in Slip
ping his feet into the Shoes and then he
and his pal made tracks for little bar
room in Seventh avenue, which is IA
nous for its free lunch and large schoon-
ers, and as they quaffed the foaming beer
the introducer Of ''grubbin' novelties said
to his friend:>
Say, cul, dis is de greatest scheme
out If I coud only patent it we'd be
millionaires in no time. De only trouble
wit it is dat de floors of all de high
toned saloons is paved wit stones, an
I'm afraid I'll have the chilbains all
winter from walkin' on dem.