St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-05-14
! Four Clever Beggars
Al Had Good Stories. and Two We're
Successful.

COMEH0W the talk drifted around
- to the devious ways Of the pan
handlers, the loafers who prey upon the
sympathies of those persons who be-
ieve that it is better to give money to
many undeserying professional beggars
than to let one poor fellow go in actual
want. Each of the four men had had
more experiences than one with street
beggars, and among them they had met
some unusual games.
The other night, as | came down oil
the bridge at the New York end. said
tho merchant, Il was approached by
very good-looking young fellow, appar-
emily about 25 years old. His clothing
was all apparently tailor-made. and ne
looked like man in fairly comfortable
circumstances His hat was good and
his gloves were not much worn. lie
wore a little mustache, and had been
shaved within 36 hours. His overcoat
was of this winters style, and alto
gether his appearance was that OF
tress of the acute type that forces man
to beg. He stopped me by going
squarely at the point.
Tn McDowell,' he said, John Nc
Dowell, of Milwaukee. Ny father is
John Mcdowell, of 65 Wall street. Mil
waukee. I get remittances at 19s
Broadway, but it hasn't come, and
L. 1,x,l ,1,s,y.
rassed but pleasant little laugh. This
is absurd he said, and by that he won
me. I don't know what my father
would say if he thought l had to ash
any man for money He pulled out .
card case as put my hand in my pock
ct. If you'll give me your card he
said, I'll be very glad 10 see you
There's my card He offered me I
card, but / said didn't want it, it was
all right and was glad to help him out
Then I gave him dollar. III be GLAD
to send it to you,' he said. if you'll give
me your card. Well, them as | sale
again that it was all right, i assure yot
I'll give it to some poor devil who need:
it worse than do ordinarily
"Now, that's fairly complete report
of our conversation, and | realize as
think it over now that the least ques
tioning probably would have poked tha
young fellows story full of holes
There was no explanation at all salts
factory of his reason for begging. Fo
the small sum he needed to tide hin
over until that remittance from Mil
waukee' came along, he surely hat
something to pawn. There was no rea
son apparently for his being absolntel,
without money! 1t was his manne
that got me. He seemed so frank an,
honest and so genuinely embarrasse,
that he convinced me. | suppose if
met him again I'd give up another dol
lar. 1t has always been my theor,
that the man who begs for the first tim'
I is very much embarrassed. / know
should be. and if a man began to ask m,
questions should just go on. This fel
low acted just that way"
"That isn't a sure test" said thi
clergyman, "as / know from expert
ence. There came to my house not Ions
ago a clean-shaven, smooth-looking
well-kept young Englishman who tolt
me perfectly straightforward story
But as soon as l began to question hin
he replied at once that he wouldn'
trouble me, but would try to get alon.
in some other way. He had been but
few days in the country, ne said at first
and he was en- route to little tow
near Toronto. He had carried hi
money iii wallet, and he had lost tn
wallet. He had letters to persons il
Toronto who might have been person
Of Importance, he said, for all / knew
Well, he won me. largely as your youn.
man won you. by his manner, thougl
that was not the actuating considera
ton. / was about to send him ava,
with the advice that he try the Britisl
consul, when the thought of the posi-
bic situation of my own boy came t
me. NV son had been in the west TO
some time and was coming home. ha,
telegraphed some money to him a
Council Bluffs. where he was to sto
over to see his uncle. Well. there wa
an epidemic of some sort at Counci
Bluffs, and while I was talking to thi
Englishman, / suddenly thought
what if my boy should get caught on
there and be unable to get his money
Suppose he should go to clergyman Q
his fathers church, as this boy says h
has done, and should be turned away
Well. I didn't pursue that any further
lust gave the Englishman the none
he needed and sent him away. O
rourse. he made the most faithful a:
rurances that at once after his arrivs
= Toronto, where he had friends an
i relatives, he would return the money
md. Of course, he hasn't sent a cent an
never will
.sIhat was good game said th
newspaper man. He didn't nave I
~,ork it very often. because every tim
- succeeded ne got good sum. I'll
~he.p MISUNDERSTANDING beggal
undoubtedly get good many copper
md other coins. but they have to wor
- hard for it and endure too muc
h.n5ehip. It's the odd story, the ne
-.rn~I that tells ard produces substal
s:.l results. There was the fellow WI
s,.d rot a job for that day but hated
S., unshayen, and got is cents TO GO
barber shop before he appeared b
+.re his new employer That fellow g
lnt Of money until he was expose
thoroughly
q met man in Broadway late Oh
-:~a,t who had very good game. The
-. hardly flaw in it. in fact the
- ,-... ,r,> and that one most persol