Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-27
FARMERS OF PENNIES
SOME OF THE UNFORTENATES on
KANSAS CITY's STREETS.
Blind and Crippled, They Are Yet, for
thu Most Part, Cheerful and Too
Proud to Accept Aims
Their Occupations.
A nasty glance, a drawing closer of ones

A hasty glance, a drawing closer of ones
| garments and a passing by on the other
side-hOw few people in the busy throng on
the downtown business streets give the
| suppIiants on the sidewalks any other at
| tention.
AS in all large cities there are many can
didates for the charity of the generous
hearted in Kansas City. The number of
beggars, however, is proportionately small.
Among the most sadly afflicted are mary
who are too proud to beg. or accept the
shelter and comfort which would gladly
be given them in charitable Institutions.
By grinding ha%ndorgans. playing the popu-
lar airs or familiar hymns on instruments
made tuneless by age, or selling their in
expensive wares. they imagine that they
are earning their living. They believe they
are giving something in return for the
money placed in the little rusty tin cup.
and are receiving aymen rather than ac-
cepting aims.
They are not imposters-most of these
blind and crippled ones. Their affiictions
are visible and testify to the worthiness Of
their petitions. Yet. after all, few in the
thousands of people who pass them on
Main and Walnut. and all of the other down.
town streets every day are moved by SYM
patty to contribute the smallest mite. or,
as the afflicted ones would say, to pay them
a small price in return for the entertain
ment' they offer.
To engage these people in conversation
is often interesting. Many of them-per-
haps the most of them-have Travelled all
over the country, although they have been
able to get little enjoyment out OF their
visits. Not a few of the twenty or more
in Kansas City are intelligent and many
of them aeplore the idea that they are bur-
densome to society even more than they
grieve at their bodily sufferings. General
ly speaking, they are a patient lot-much
more SO than the majority OF people who
have the full enjoyment Of all their facul-
ties and are provided with the comforts
in her old black straw hat and faded shawl,
sits in front of the postoftice grinding dis
e % notes out OF her G,d organ gar No Mo-
bent head and stopped shoulders operates
another organ and seeks a share of the
is forced to earn" his living in his declin-
Mrs. Whitehouse has not seen the light
of day for fifty years and in addition TO
using the nickels and pennies given her by
kline people for her own support is forced
to maxi enough for her crippled husband
A placard proclaims to the world that a
6O-year-old organ grinder often seen on
Main street lis a veteran OF the civil wal
and a former member of the kansas mill,
wife and three children to support
Among the most interesting cases OF this
KIND Is tnat OIL an Ou coupLe--HHdi AM
wife-who are recent arrivals in Kansas
City. Both have passed the meridian OF
life and both have been blind since child.
hood. Mr.. ferguson runs his bow over Z
screechy violin and Mrs. Ferguson plays q
small organ which she wheels about.
We NAVE a gSed-s size n Teper almS.t s say:
thing the people want from old hymn:
To-
husband. finishing the sentence for her.
Yes, that's right said Mrs. Ferguson,
ito tunes that are devilish. What tho
people want, the people, git. 1 don't know
going to learn it,"
How can you learn it," asked a by
: taDder.
and | can pick it out on this here organ
People are good to us that away
Mr.. n Mrs. Ferguson are t~raveiinf
| musicians" After they have entertain
E ed" one town for a while they pass OF
\ to another. They get enough money fol
. the bare necessities of life only. but man
= age to save sums to take them to othel
f cities. travelling by small jumps.
An old colored man and his dog are ais
' frequently seen. generally on the sid.
street. The dog is an intelligent animal
i Smith lives in Kansas City and support:
tive small children. He has been blind TO
twenty years and during that long inter
all the money he has been able to ge
hold of.
John Harris. a cripple. sells pencils TO
a livelihood.if that word is appropriat
+ blind and is proud OF it rather thai
t thankful that he is not so afflicted, !
Il few years ago he met with an acclden
on a railroad and lost both legs a shor
distance above the knees. He hops abou
on wooden stumps and makes enough
money out of the pencil trade to keel
= Julia and the baby"