The morning times., 1897-03-02
HARVEST FOR THE FAk|Rs
Crowds on the Streets Eager to
Buy Their Wares.
VICTIMS FROM THE COUNTRY
The Rural Visitors A re Ready Pur-
chasers-Novelties to Catch the
Passers-by-A Woman Vender-
Beggars and Other Undesirable
People Coming in Large Numbers.

The army of fakirs who infest Broad
way, New York, and other thoroughIares
in the metropolis have been temporarily
transplanted to Washington. Last night
Pennsylvania avenue and Market space
appeared like Broadway on holiday
and rang with the cries Of these itincrant
curbstone merchants as they tried TO
induce the crowds to stop and buy their
wares
There were some boys among the num-
Der, but the majority were men-shrewd,
plausible fellows, who could almost make
the average country cousin believe the
moon was made of green cheese. The
crowd that passed the fakirs was truly
cosmopolitan one Darkcomplexioned,s stal-
wart fellows, with their gray slouched
hats, from the Southland; rugged West
erners; keen-looking men from the East
and countrymen from Wayback. To the
rural visitors the street merchants and
their funny stories were revelation ana
they stopped and purchased novelties
until their pockets were cramIned full.
CouLkry maidens and the older females
proved easy marks for the merchants OF
the street.
Tie fakirs occupied the doorways of
vacant stores, corner reservations and
the old reliable curbing. They sold ''yel-
low kids Mckinley Jumping jacks,
photographs of the PreSident-elect and
Mr. Hobart in all sorts OF fantastic de-
signs, ribbon badges, parlor Mckinley and
Hobart banners in silk and satin OF various
hues, the eyer-present inaugural souvenir
medals, kincteScoEes ana other articles,
too numerous to enumerate.
one of the novelties OF this hustling trade
was culoIed fakir, with q resonant voice
and picturesque gestures, who moved up
and down Pennsylvania avenue crying
his wares in deep bass voice.
Every up.to-date street merchant is ac-
companied by a plug" which, in the
language of fakirdon, means a confeder-
ate, who helps him to make trade lively.
1t the duty of the plug to stand among
the spectators and when business becomes
slack to remark loud enough to be heard
| by the surrounding throng That is Il
good thing you're selling, Give me one
or words Of similar purport
The effect / s usually magical, and the
| crowd chips in its nickels, dimes or quar-
| tiers to buy whatever the fakir is selling,
1
| ''put n a plug he uses the word plug
erena,' and his companion, who is pro-
yided with money for the purpose, comes
| forward and makes purchase
The police estimate that there are at
| least 300 OF these itinerents here and
more are expected today AS yet but
| one woman has arrived who has the
| nerve to stand out in the atmosphere and
cry her wares. She is selling silken
badges with McKinley's picture woven
into them. Last night her stand was al
| Seventh street and Pennsylvania avenue
near the Temperance Fountain.
The colorcd people Of the city, not to
be outdone by the brawling visitors, have
| established temporary lunch stands at
Convenient points and are reaping mar
vest selling hot lunches, pigs feet, oyster
| flapjacks and other viands-
cit 'em while Gcy's hot was a famil
lar exclamation last night in the viCniit!
| of Market Space.
Hot sausages,' - oysters in de jacket,
and other cries in the well-known mono
tone of the negro gave a Southern cast Il
the busy, whirling, busting scene dowr
town.
The little German bands" are not miss
ing this opportunity to gather in shekels
Three such organizations have alread,
received permits TO go about and tCot the
latest airs on street corners or in front oi
saloons While playing they are usually
surrounded by gaping crowd ready t
chip in when the hat is passed.
The Salvation Army is also taking ad
vantage of the presence Of the big crowd
| from nowhere in particular and everywher
in general Last night, with bass drum
and cymbals it held number OF meeting
| along PENNSYLVANIA avenue, and attracte
| large audiences, especially fl ON among tn
rural contingent who had frequently rea
| of the work of this religious organization
but had never actually seen its street worl
| The most undesira visitors of a.
| comprise the street beggars and women
who were largely in evidence upon tn
streets last night The mendcants, me
and boys, have been flocking here fo
several days. Now that the crowds ar
pouring In, these human derelicts ar,
getting in their work in a lively manner
There are one-legged beggars, some wit
one arm gone, the lame, the halt, and tn
blind The members of this latter clas
are aware that it is against the law t
beg here, and usually carry small stoc
of cheap pencils or some other chea
articles and trust to their infirmitie
to touch the sympathy and purses {
passers-by.
The police were notified last night tha
many women from the big cities are her
plying their vocation on the streets. Ais
that several shrewd shell workers haI
drifted in with the incoming throngs an
; are seeking to find victims who will ris
, their cash on their swindling scheme
, 1t was stated last night that "sweat,
shell games and other forms of gamblin
were being openly practiced at Jackso
City. and that the gamblers had out rul
ners to lure susceptible strangers to thu
dangerous settlement.