The times., 1898-02-20
TIE PROFESSION OF BEGGING.
-Aa Interesting Object lesson From
New York.


CFrom, What to Bat,)
I once got rather curious confession
from a professional beggar which, if
true, and / believe it was, opened my
eyes to the reckless ways in which
American beggars are made. Il had
been keeping ao,sidewalk stand for
years" said he9G n worked hard and
earned from three Ito four dollars a
week On that lived. One night when
l started to go home by the Mission
street cars | found that my pocket had
been picked. 1t WAS too far to walk, so
i decided to borrow "a nickel. The first
man to whom / told my story, gave
me d quarter without hesitation. All
the way home |, thought over it. A
quarter was as much as l made clear
at my stand many day. 1t all ended
by my selling out and going to beg
ging. always telling my first story.
have done pretty well since then, and
like the business"
Thus says the Overland Monthly in
an article on begging. In the same
article another instance is related of
Il besgar who would walk leisurely up
Montgomery street, continuing his
stroll as far as the new city hail. re-
turning by way of Union Square, where
ne would rest and nap in the sun.
"One day." says the writer in the
Overland. Il met him in Union Square,
'HoW's business / asked. He was
leaning against a tree. deeply intent
on some figures in book. He slipped
the book into his pocket and began to
whine. Never mind your regular story,
/ said L know it, Answer my ques-
tion like a man and you may add a
dollar to your bank account After a
little preliminary sl1irmshing, he wax
ed confidential. I make it a rule, he
said, never to walk less than 100 blocks
each day. 1t is very poor block that
doesn't average two and one-half cents.
Two blocks Will more often net me ten
cents. He consulted the book Yes.
the average of the past six months is
five dollars day, that is just FIVE cents
q block / have been on this beat nearly
q year now. and / have my regular
customers. Excuse me a minute
He passed through the fog to the
other side of the street and touched
his hat TO ar elderly acquaintance of
mine. who was coming down the broad
steps of the Pacific Union Club. In
a moment he returned with bright
new quarter in his haad.
I told him my wife was better to-
day, he said, smiling pleasantly, and
that she prayed for him night and day.
Well. so long. your dollar passes the
limit today-and business is over.
Can you blame him? Five dollars
day is the wages of a first-elass me-
chanic. Why should not begging be-
come a profession when people are
such easy game"
This reminds the writer of a profess
sionaI often met on the streets of
Minneapolis The first time he is very
apt TO deceive even the most expert
enced. He stops, and being a man of
very respectable appearance. his evi-
dent intention to accost you causes you
instinctively TO pause. His first words
show him to be an Englishman, and an
educated one. He stammers and hesi-
tates but finally says; Il scarcely
know how to tel you what ] set out 10
speak about. 1 assure you it is very
embarrassing, but L have met with a
and | am positively without
a shilling to get a meal. / confess that
| had enough to buy me a modest
lunch, but | am very particular about
my person, and L paid my last change
to get my clothes from the wash. And
hereupon he exhibits the cuffs of a
clean shirt and suggestions of clean
underwear. which indicate that ne is
man of scrupulous neatness.
The first time the writer met him he
took out dime and said TO the man,
Il suppose you want it for beer instead
of bread, but take it" Upon which the
man drew back raised his hat, and
said very politely, but with an injured
tone that narrowed the hearers feel
ings and placed him at a great disad-
vantage, L beg your pardon, sir. but
| cannot accept anything If you have
that opinion of me- The first impulse
was to ask his pardon in return and
give him quarter as penance, but
fear of being humbugged induced us to
turn away, saying, Very well, as you
please
For two or three days that gentle
manly stranger came into the writer's
mind with a feeling akin to remorse.
Was it possible that a noble but un-
fortunate soul had been nisjudged?
But a week had not passed before, with
precisely the same air and the same
story, the Englishman again begged for
a pittance to enable him to appease his
hunger. Quietly handing him a dime
the writer passed on, to be saluted in
side a week with asimilar story Fin
ally it got so monotonous that the beg
gar was advised to seek another part
of the city for a time and give that
ward rest, which he probably did, as
he has not been seen for a month or so.
That he is plying his vocation in some
part of the northwest with tolerable
success, however, is not to be doubted.