Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1895-04-29
WAS A.PHILOSOPHER
A 6EGGAR STUDENT OF HUMAN MA
TuRE WHO HAD A SYSTEM.

Lincs-why He Avoided the Rich--stood
Outside . Restaurant, but Never begged
From q Hungry Looking Man.
He was n wretched looking chap, so
thtnly clad that he was really an object
of pity. He had sought n secluded cor
ner at the entrance Of a cheap restaurant
near Herald square, and for awhile it
seemed rs ii 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 mono.
Finally one who had just completed his
meal cnme forth. The man started for
ward, hesitated a moment and then re-
sHzned his former position. Soon another
uSan, apparently in a great hurry, came
from the restaurant, buttoning his coat
rs 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 a dime.
A moment later 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
q moment to pick an acquaintance with
the fellow, and when he found I was
interested he talked freely of his plan.
II had to do good deal of thinking
about it when I first started in,' he
said. II can't get work now. and when
I have work can only keep ut it for a
little while on account of rheumatism.
When l saw I had to beg, 1 thought
might as we'll do it right or not at ALL
If You know anything about mems faces
and clothes, you don't have to do any
guesswork at all can tell long before
l get near a man what my chances arc
with hi1n, 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 60 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 thom. The only time to 60 up
against we'll dressed men as a straight
thing. without regard to their faces, is
when they are full and feeling happy
over it.
Tho average we'll dressed man or
woman is the hardest kind of a person
to hit. They do lots for charity, but it's
in n different way-socioties, 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 n 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 1 have to do any street
work, I always select the people Of the
lower middle classes, who don't put ON
any front-women especially. I mean
people who live comfortably, but haven't
got any too much money to spare. Say,
You may think I'm stringing you, but l
would rather have one nickel from ono
of them than quarter from a fellow
who could stand it and had it to burn.
Funny, but l feel just as sentimental
about that sometimes as if l was earn
ing it. and would earn it if had the
chance
y
hero today. There's three men who gave
me somcthing-two nickcls and dime.
have been hero 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 % or 80 cents for
what they cat, and I'm willing to take
my chances with them right along.
II always wait till a man comes out.
Some people think it ought to be the
other way. for the reason that a man
who was hungry would DO more apt to
give ont Of sympathy for the man who
was hitting him for money for some
thing to eat. But / didn't figure it out
that way. You sec, these arc pretty
hard times, and there's more people In
hard luck than there ever was before.
Now, it's ad enough to DO in hard
lnck, but ISIS worse yet to DO 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 9th
or in hard luck or else he is a miser
who don t want to spend any moro than
is actually necessary. II 1t wasn't so,
you know they would all go to the big
restaurants i'll 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.
"WIll, | am onto tho misers, and
leave them alone. When the decent
man comes out, he f. els better for hav-
ing had his dinner. He is ready for
business, and life is a great deal bright
er to him than it was half an hour be-
fore. 1 ask him to help me- He says to
himself: Well. feel pretty good. This
fellow is in worse luck than am.
know what it is to feel hungry. 1 won't
miss the nickel very much. and then
get it. When no hands il to me. he feels
better for il, and he looks it, too, and IL
he has been doing things that are not
quito up to the limit he consoles him
self with the fact that he amt such q
bad fellow after ALL And no amt eth
or. So You see there's two Of US happy,
and II there was moro of 1t the world
would DO happier. Thanks, boss"
Then the philosopher went in to din
ner New York Herald.
Lord Give was thin and keen faced.
He had tho appearance OF man always
worn down by lack of food and rest.