The record-union., 1897-05-22
NOTES OF A RICH MAN.
Some Peculiar BesgarS and Their Odd
Performances.
A Bouquet of Anecdotes = Strange
Appeals Attempts
to Deceive.
<Sir Richard Tangye, in Chambers
Journal)

<Sir Richard Tangye, in Chambers
Journal)
Experience shows that beggars are OF
various kinds; for, as in the old days
there were footpads and mounted nigh
waymen, so now there are beggars ON
foot and beggars on horseback. Indeed,
have known them to come on begging
expeditions riding in vehicles of various
kinds
On one occasion man rode up to my
house on tricycle., and, promising that
knew his father, requested me TO give
him money to buy horse, as he found
cycling too hard work, and his doctor
had ordered him to take equestrian ex-
ercise
Another man, dressed as gentleman,
an entire stranger, sent in his card de-
string to speak to me. When appeared
he greeted me with the greatest famlh-
arity, as though he had been an lntl-
mate acquaintance, and at once pro-
ceeded to ask me to loan him couple OF
pounds to take him to London. or
course declined, and on showing him
out l found he had cab at the door,
the charge for which from the nearest
cabstand would have nearly paid his
railway fare.
On another occasion a young man
came to thank me for having rendered
some pecuniary assistance to his brother
while on voyage to Australia, and
promising to repay the loan advanced
by me. Before leaving, the young gen
tleman requested and obtained little
loan on his own account, and the U
which he gave me in due form is, OBJ
serve, nearly twenty years old,s and is
still unredeemed-
QUEER BEGGING LETTERS
AS a rule, begging letters are not
pleasant reading; the most objectionable
are those from persons who vigorously
protest that they are not begging-in-
deed, that they would not accept char
ity; but being in want of temporary as
sistance they would like a loan, at fair
interest, purely as a business transac-
tion. AS a rule such people never in
tend to repay. But here is a man no
scruples on the point-he will either take
money as a gift or as a loan, and this is
what he says: Il am young man, %
years old, wanting a start in life, which
/ can get if I can obtain a loan or gift
of t60 at once. / would rather borrow
than beg, but do not wish you to think
L NOulQ Insult YOU ". T1OplIlS SIldli
not appeal in vain for a start in life,
and asking for an immediate answer, I
am," etc.
A man, describing himself as ''mon-
umental sculptor in a considerable way
of business, writes: THE writer of the
inclosed letter is a half-sister of mine,
but know little of her, as for years she
has been an invalid. 1 am sorry to say
she seems a poor, thoughtless, helpless
creature. 1 ask you in her name if her
case comes within your kind benevo-
lence?"
"A Workman asks me to send him
money to enable him to buy pair of
boots; but his letter was so saturated
with tobacco that 1 declined, telling him
if he could afford to buy tobacco he
could afford to buy boots.
Some years ago a firm of auctioneers
wrote to my solicitors, informing them
that they We're commissioned to sell
property adjoining one of the public
parks, and suggesting that the matter
should be put before me in the hope
that L should buy it, and thus add an
other to my many bounties to the pub
lic.'