The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1897-06-11
OUR BOSTON LETTER.
CITY Has a Fine Collection of
Wrecks and Relics.

WRECKS anu NC11SSs
This Is Opinion of a Western Hustler.
Referred to Men ana Not to Buildings.
Men to Proud to Work and Others to
Lazy-One Scheme That Has Worked
Well The Franklin Fund-AtmOsphere
of Fraud-Big Fish Escape City Aud
Martin Amusement Notes.
A shrewd, sharp-eyed busting west
erner, visiting in this city last week, said
to me: You have finer collection OF
| wrecks, relics and magnificent ruins In
Boston than can be found in any city OF
the United States, and L am not referring
to your historic buildings and places OF
interest nor to your crooked, marrow
| streets, but to your men. There are more
| fellows here, to be seen in one day. VINO
| have gone to seed, as it were, and are
! living on their past than you could ma
in city like Chicago in month II you
! had a sheriR's posse and a search war
rant to assist you" And the Westernel
is right. There are dozens of men here,
generally found in the Hobbies of the
! best hotels, or some other public place,
who are trying to drift through the
world ON the fact that they are of some
old Boston family. They daily brush up
their shiny suits of black, arrange theit
hair and beard in the accepted style, and
place themselves on exhibition
According to almost any standard,
physical or financial, they are SIMPLY rel-
les of better days. They expect to be in
vited to lunch with you, if you know
them. and assume that you will feel hon
ored in paying their bill for food. WheH
too hard up they strike some old frleho
of the family for loan-a mere matter
of temporary accommodation, you know
and would feel insulted if payment was
ever suggested or limited at. They are TO
use an old express, too proud to work.
too honest to steal. They belong to the
shabby genteel." One by one they are
dropping off and it is to be hoped no
newcomers will rise up to fill their places
Like the barnacles on a ship, they STICK
fast, but they only impede progress, ana
If there could be a little section some
where set apart for them it would De
good thing for the city.
Another class of citizens that would
not be mourned, if missed, is that when
will not work so long as they can exist
by begging. l do not mean the seedy
looking individuals who stop you on the
street and ask for dime to get plate
of beans, but really desire money TO puy
beer or something stronger, but the
well dressed man, who, with tale OF
woe, touch the pursestrtngs or the well
TODD in stores offices and at their homes.
One of the most successful of these peg
CARS was pointed out to me this week IN
the office of a friend. AS we sat engaged
in conversation an elderly man, accom-
panied by a woman, entered the room
Both visitors were well dressed, and the
face of the man indicated both good
breeding and intelligence.
The man soon began to pour into tn.
car of my friend a tale of woe, but was
quickly stopped and told in plain lam
7 guage that he was a fraud and unwor-
thy of assistance or charity. The couple
moved out with considerable diligence
and then l learned their history. The
man was formerly employed at fair sal
retail establishments. He was well
liked, except for the fact that he was not
inclined to work. The Discrimination
grew on him as he grew older, and he was
finally discharged, being given a letter
of recommendation for honesty and in
tegrity that would please the most eX-
acting. From that day to this that letter
has been his stock in trade. 1t has fur
nished him with food and clothing, anc
even allowed him. with his wife, to live
a good part of the time at a leading hotel
He has been offered work time and
again. but always manages to avoid la
Dor, and no doubt will do so for years tc
come
1t is now 31a years since the trustees
of the Franklin fund turned over to the
city treasurer $34S, 900, the amount of the
fund which. according to the will OF
BENJAMIN Franklin, was to be used "fol
che encouragement of young married
mechanics" but which at the end OF the
first 100 years was to be laid out at tht
discretion of the managers of the dona
ton to the town of Boston, lin pubic
works which may be judged of mos
general utility to the inhabitants sucf
as Notifications, bridges, aqueducts
public buildings, baths, pavements OF
whatever may make living in the towr
more convenient to its people and render
1t more agreeable to strangers, resort
= ing thither for health or a temporary
residence"
All that seems clear enough, but ne
progress has been made in expendlns
the money other than to advertise bld'
for furnishing a lot to be used for th'
erection of a Franklin trades school,
The trouble is that the trustees of tint
fund although they have turned th'
cash into the city treasury, still claim
partial control of it, and the city having
received it, thinks its Representatives
should expend the money. The result Il
a lawsuit, and nothing more can resul
from the gift of Franklin until the su
preme court decides who shall handle
the funds. 1t is conceded that TIT
Franklin bequest can do great deal
good if wisely expended, but how how
slow the progress when once the cour
it called upon to adjudicate.
The Ancients, as the Ancient and Hon