The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-06-29
A PHILOSOPHER,
A BEGGAR STUDENT OF HUMAN Ma
TURE WHO HAD A SYSTEM.

~ C00An StOOGNt Vt uOmAIN wv
TURE WHO HAD A SYSTEM.
Mendicancy Carried Out Upon Practical
NLines-why He Avoided the R~ich-stood
Outside . Restaurant, but Never Begged
From . Hungry Looking Man.
He was a wretched looking chap, 30
thinly clad that be was really an object
Of pity. He had sought a secluded COR
ner at the entrance of q cheap restaurant
near Herald square, and for awhile 1t
seemed as 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 o
Finally one who had Just completed his
meal came forth. The man started for
ward, hesitated a moment and then re-
sumed his former position. Soon another
man. apparently in a great hurry, came
from the restaurant, b%uttoning 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 q dime.
A moment later q 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
a moment to pick al acquaintance with
the fellow, and when he found I was
interested he talked freely Of his plan.
II had to do a good deal of thinking
about it when l first started in" he
said. II can't get work now. and when
I have work I can only keep at it for o
little while on account of rheumatism.
When I saw l had to beg, I thought l
might as we'll do it right or not at all.
If you know anything about men g faces
and clothes, you don't have to do any
guesswork at all. l can tell long before
I get near a man what my chances are
with him, and if / don't think that it's
ten to- one I will get something I 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 sees what they're doing and
knows they are professionals and steers
clear Of them. The only time to 60 up
against we'll dressed men as q straight
thing. without regard to their faces, is
when they r full and feeling happy
over it.
""The average we'll dressed man or
woman is the hardest kind Of q person
to hit. They do lots for charity, but it's
in q different way-societies, schools
for kids, k~indergartens and missions
and they think they are doing enough.
If any one hits them ON the street, they
put them down for a 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 I have to do any street
work, l 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 I
would rather rave one nickel from one
of them than a quarter from a fellow
who could stand it and had it to burn.
Funny, but I feel just Al sentimental
about that sometimes as il / was earn
ing it. and I would earn it If I had the
chance.
"Now. you take this stand Of mine
here today. There's three men who gave
me something-two nicke1s and a dime.
! have been here half an hour and I've
only struck five men. I 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 l could
have taken, but I'll bet I wouldn't have
got a thing from the people who anne
from any Of them. The men who 60 in
here don't pay over % 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 ONE out.
Some people think it ought to be the
other way. for the reason that q man
who was hungry would be more apt to
give out Of sympathy for the man who
was hitting him for money for ome
thing to eat. But I didn't figure it ont
that way. You 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
luck, but it's worse yet to be hungry,
and when a man Is up against both
games little things will bother him that
wouldn't affect him at all II he had his
stomach full. I reason that pretty near
~ every nan who comes in here is eth
er in hard luck or else he is q miser
who don't want to spend any more than
is actually necessary. II it wasn't SO,
You know they would all 60 to the big
restaurants in the hotels, for you know
as we'll as I 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 I