Griggs courier., 1895-06-28
WAS A PHILOSOPHER.
A 6EGGAR STUDENT OF HUMAN MA
TURE WHO HAD A SYSTEM.

TuRE WHO HAD A SYSTEM.
Mendicancy Carried Out Upon Practical
Lines-why He Avoided the Rieh-ssooA
Outside Ees.aarace, bu. Never Begged
From a Hungry Locking Ean.
Ee vas wresche1 looking chap, so
th.ulC clad that he was really an object
c. l:ty. Ea had sought secluded cor
cer at the entrance Of acheap restauran.
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 orc who had just completed his
meal came forth. TIE man started for
ward, nesitated a moment and then re-
suned his former position. Soon another
man. apparently n great hurry, came
from the restaurant, bUttoniug his coat
a. he walked. In moment the poor
fellow stood in the way and barely had
be uttered his request fer help when he
was rewarded with 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 be made
himself known. It was bCt the work OF
G moment to pick an acquaintance with
the fellow, and when he found was
interested he talked freely OF his plan
Il lad to Go good deal Of thinking
about it when l first started in,'' he
said. Il can't get work now. and when
! have work can only keep ct it for
little while ou accoul5 Of rheumatism.
When l saw had to beg, l thought
might as we'll do il right o- not at al.
II yor know anything about men faces
and clothes. yoI don't have to do any
g1cssvTo-S at all. cau tell long before
get near q mn v-.2:.s M c!,aucos are
with him, ard II dent think that its
IT,. . one T7;ll get something l don't
try him. for there's 10 good il wearing
yourself out and getting common. Some
fellows ca along the street and try TO
torch every we'll dressed man they meet
They cccldn't do anything worse, for
everybody Gees what rLley'r doiIg and
knows thy cre professionals and steers
clear Ct them. The oulv time to go up
against we'll dressed men as straight
thing, without regard to their faces, is
when they are full and feeling happy
over it.
The average we'll dressed man OF
woman is the hardest kind Of a person
to hit. They do lots for charity, but it's
il different vay-sociesies, schools
for kids, kinlergartens and missions
and they thick they are doing enough.
II any one hits them Oh the street, they
put them down for professional. You
have got 10 judge the we'll dressed peo-
pie by their faces and general manner
aud let their clothes conns for nothing.
"Whenever l have to do any street
work, always select the people of the
lower middle classes, who don't put on
any front-wouen especially. mean
people who live comfortably, but haven't
got any too much money to spare. Say.
you may think In stringing you, but
would rather have one nickel from one
OF them than q quarter from s 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 I would earn it if I had the
chance.
"Now. you take this stand Of mine
here today. There three men who gave
me somethirg-two nickels and dime.
I have been here half an hour and I've
only struck five men. l missed two
Well, three out Of Eve 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 I 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.
II always wait till q man comes out
Some people think it ought to BE- 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 it oot
that way. Yoa see, these are pretty
hard times, and there's more people in
hard luck than there ever was before.
Now, it's bad enough to be in hard
lnck, bat it's worse yet to be hungry,
and when q man is up against both
games little things will bother him that
wouldn't affect him at all if he had his
stomach full. I reason that r.etty near
| ly every man who comes in here is eth
er in hard luck OF else he is miser
who don't want to spend any more than
| ia actuallv neceSsarv IF il wasn'e 81