The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-02-11
RICH MENDICANTS.
New York Street lscsgars Who
Make Thousands.
KING LEAR'Sy BABY CARRIAGE.
Own, -Four Houses Bnlit with what lie
Has Made with Il III. I.I;t,s Hard Organ.
A Female orE'n, Grinder who Went TO
Her Estates In Italy Ansr Waiting "a
Rise In Land Values In America.


beggars, numerically. may not equal in
strength those OF several other Amerl-
can cities. says the Press, but what
they lack In numbers they atone for in
real estatc and dramatic ability. Not
even ChicaEo's horde OF human leeches
land the western metropolis. when 1t
comes TO beggnrs, has few rivals on
thlS cOntinent--can begin to compare
in worldly wealth With the real PRO
fcSsionals" In New York, The beGgars
In this clty are coupon-cllppers With
bank accounts and 5ruwnstone fronts
on which your generous nickel helps
to pay the taxes every year
This sounds extravugSDt and absurd,
and to the tender hearted, no doubt,
cruel. But In the light Of cold facts It
IS neither absurd nor heartless. K is
absolutely and statistlcally trre.
The actral real estate owned by the
l5,000 professional beggars in the me-
tropoNs to.day Is roughly estimated at
S250.O00 OF course. this IS not evenly
distributed any more than :. could be
In any other professional calling. SEINE
poor, starving fellOg has 20 content
himself with a suburban home and be
branded as a common conImUter but
the EucceSstui bckgaF knows none OF
these huhll!auons or hardshlps. That
old chap who plays the frog-ln-youf-
tirOat hand organ In Fourteenth
stree I, between Fifth and Sixth ave-
nueS, Is richer to-day than hundreds OF
lawyers aud bank cashiers. Th0ns-
ards o. people have noticed the old
Fellow with the composite King Lear
face. who stRnds there day by day With
his white head barred TO the winds, and
his palsiea arm quiverlng Que poor,
little drlel-up tunes from the hand
gar has attained ihe acme OF his art.
A Fourteenth Street Artist.
His rtake-up Is worth TO him in ac-
tual mbacy more than any Booth ever
wore In his early days on the tragic
stage. Billy Florence or Joseph Jetf-
erson or Stuart Robson In their youth
full dramatic careers would have con-
s!dered themselves beyond the dreams
OF avarice could they have possessed
the income that that barred head and
baby carriage brings annually to that
Foucteenth.s street, open-air performs
anee artist. Superintendent Hubbard OF
the Charities Organization Socitty or
Superintendent Blake, OF the Charities
and Correction will tell you that u iS
an extremely dull day for that patrl-
arch when ne does not make $50.
And In way he earns It. Not all
men on the stage possess his dramatic
ability. That bowed head, stained yell
low by the sun OF many seasons, did
not learn to shake in tune to the or
gan's note without years o. hard and
conscientious study and effort. HIS
back did not acquire that pitiahle
IL at-tNk n MI
tics, and the broken. heartfelt God
bless you" and God thank you'-thosc
ars his stock rarases-came only after
severe and rigid study.
The genius. too, that conceived that
makeup. Is entitled TO as much reward
and return as that which devlses any
clever enterprise. Few women. or men,
eIther. can resist the tender Suggestive
ness of that forlOrn ittila,oaby carriage
wllh It's doleiul substitute for the
right occupant.
That is why the crafty heSgar owns
three houses In New York city and an
other over In Jersey City, where he
lives In luxury and style. Each morn
Ing h. comes over tho ferry. that Is.
when the weather Is not too inclement.
gets his 6lby carriage and proper
ties" out OF a basement where they
are stored every night, and takes up
his stand either In Fourteenth street
or in Sixth avenue, between Fourteenth
and Eighteenth streets. He wears
thick, warm cap until the curtain goes
up which, by the way Is always nicely
timed Tor the morning thropg on its
way 10 business, and whenever there
Is a lull in business you Will notice by
walchlng him closely that he steathIly
dons' st again. He probably stands at
Che head OF his profession In the me-
tropolls. His genius is recognized by
his fellow workers and he has many
imItatorS. but they are only imita-
tons. None OF them possesses his pc
culiar style and none can equal his
makeup. His checks are signed
Franz Muller" but whether that is his
right name ne alone knows,
HIS OId-Timr Rival.
For years his greatest and most Bit
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