The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-15
ONE BEGG4R,S RECEIPTS
Ten Dollars an Hour the Estimated Income
of n Legless Man.

Charity is not dead in New York Any one
with doubts on the subject would have been con-
WINGED had he seen richly dressed woman drop
quarter into beggar's box the other afternoon
and noted the things which followed on Twenty
third street.
The beggar was in the middle Of the block NOV.
ing slowly toward Sixth avenue. He moved on
stumps only about eight inches long. There was
something plainuve in the short steps he took and
In the way he rested for a moment after each like
a tragedian crossing the stage
A second woman stopped and threw dime into
the wooden receptacle for coins A third instantly
followed suit
The beggar was stout and burly. His neck
was thick and powerful looking 1t seemed pite-
Gus that so sronl, man should be so crippled.
\ poorly dressed woman and little girl paused
long enough TO pity him and add their mites TO
his assets
The bcggar was laboriously pushing a little
four wheeled cart In II was hand organ, which
he ground increasingly
\ shabbily dressed man paused TO pay a cash
tribute To the beggar's misery
Sentimental strains poured from the hand or
gan. The time very slow. There was moth
ing CAV about that music 1t almost drew tears
from the eyes OF the pedestrians 1t also drew
their dimes
Three prosperous looking women opened their
purses and dropped silver into the box
The organ pushed along at the rate Of
twenty four feet minute, and the contribu-
tons fell at the rate o! one in every four yards
The man with the rubber snakes, the man with
the toy balloons, the man with pictures Of the
Dewey arch, the banana man and the vender
Of hot chcstnuts. looked on with bullying eyes
My! whet graft" they muTmured
The organ man looked very weary, and rolled
his head from side to side, as il life were indeed
burden. And the rain OF money continued
The thirty eighth contributor within eighteen
minutes was well dressed youth. Above the
organ was q banner upon which WAS inscribed
ladies and gentlemen. having lost both my
legs and being unable to obtain employment !
and nv family and 70 raise money To buy n pair
Of artificial feet" This appeal fairly magnetized
the dimes \ Cabman standing by the curb ran
forward and dropped something in the box
Poor chap" he Said. its hard thing To be
| like that
MY friend" said bvstander, that man will
| make more money in half an hour than you will
| in a whole day
The beggar and his organ had reached Sixth
avenue lie had gone $50 yards from the point
| him % minutes During that time no fewer
| than, fifty nine people had dropped money into
| his box. Most Of the contributors were hand
| Somev dressed women. Doubtless some Of them
| tr!butions averaged 10 cents each, and II that
| was the case the hcggar cleared up So 90 while
| going half block but in case some Of the wo
| men put in 0nly pennies II might be well 10 call
| II 50 for twenty FIVE minutes or say $40 an hour
That one box You see Srl special officer
! "S only one Of his boxes, He has three like H.
| on" under the other When the money partly
| fills one it drops into the others"
! But the beggar was out Of sight lie had
| gone TO conquer another world west Of Sixth