The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-02-28
OLD LIVELIH0ODS.
Earning an Existence in Queer
and Original Ways,
A Unique Character Who Buys
Left over Washing.

stAAtNa "A IfNHAaHf IN"tAiAh YUM
petition has driven many Of the rank
and file Of life 10 capture the feeting
dollar IN queer aud original ways. Il
occurred 20 one genius recently that
there might DO profitable trade
done through purchasing the leftover
linen from Chinese laundrymen aud
dispoaing Of it 10 INDECENT individuals
who retain a lingering amount Of self
respect and weakness for q clean
shirt The man 10 whom the idea
came has been making a steady living
since at his unique business, and al
ready has a competitor in the field.
In almost every Chinese laundry
there is an accumulation OF linen, left
there Tor { he most part by persons
who forget to call for it, and in some
instances through the loss of the
ticket aud tho consequent hopeless
ness Of identifying the owner This
leftover linen the individual referred
to makes a bid for, gets usually at
his own price, aud retails at a hand
some profit
Another queer way of getting live
ing is that pursued by man on the
East River front, who is known from
Cherry Hill to Corlear's Hook as "The
Grappler." In the summer time,
when the piers and stringpieces are
crowded with sweltering humanity
from the east side tenement houses,
it is a common thing for some unfor-
tunate to topple overint the water and
be drowned before help arrives. The
body is usually washed around by the
tides and cddies on the pier front and
cannot be located without careful
search by an experienced hand.
"The Grappler" is usually sent for
by the sorrowing relatives, and he
strikes a bargain to recover the body
for SO much money. The price usual
ly paid him is S25. Then, armed
with tools Of his own invention, "Ihe
Grappler" launches his boat, makes a
careful study of the spot where the
body disappeared, draws his own con-
illusions as to the whereabouts of the
drowned from lifelong study OF
the ways Of East River waters, aud
then begins to grapple. Sometimes a
body will be brought to the surface
within half an hour At other times
the work has to be carried on patient
" for days and weeks before the Crap
pling irons catch the remains. In
some instances the grappler has failed
to find the body and hns thrown up
his contract. AS rule, however, his
gruesome task is successfully accom-
plished. When not searching fol-
bodies, "The Grappler" fills ont his
time fishing for anything he can get.
He catches all sorts of hotsam and
ietsam, that he turns into cash. Old
rope, lost anchors, chains, rusty iron
and other deposits of the river bed
are all worth money to him. "Tht
Grappler" says business is not flourish
ing now. He succeeded to his pecu,
liar calling through his father, who
taught him the business in the days
when graphing paid, and he canno
turn his hand to anything else at thil
late date.
One of the remarkable band o.
yamp followers that hovers on the
outskirts of Wall streets specializing
crowd is Billy the Goose, an ex.stooI
pigeon of the police, who is credited
with earning weekly sum in a variety
OF ways. Billy is usually seen hold
ing in his arms pyramid Of cast-of
hats, which he sells for anything they
will fetch. These transactions are al
clear profit to Billy for he gets the
hats as gifts from the brokers of the
neighborhood who have purchased
new ones Billy also loans money a
exorbitant rates Of interest to impecu
NOUS messenger boys, and makes
large profit in this manner. Then he
acts as the broker on commission K
men who wish to speculate in tn
bucket shop, but who do not care t,
be seen in this lone strata of Wal
street society. Every one in the stree
knows Billy, and if he were to an