The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-29
BEST OF ALL BECGARS
PITTSBURG HAS A PROFESSIONAL
VAGRANT WHO HAS MASTERED
HIS BUSINESS
JEKYLL AND HYDE CAREER
While at Home He Poses as a Gem
tIeman of Leisure-Awny on His
Business Trips He Is n Mendicnnt
of the Ordinary Type as Far as
External Appearance GOes-HOw
He Does 1t.


beggar of the country. His name does
not appear in the city directory, because
while the city is his home he is there only
part of his time. He makes periodical
trips TO other cities, and boasts of having
been in nearly every place of Importance
In the United States. About two years
ago he made a steerage trip to England,
and remained in that country for about
two months. Business did not prosper.
and he came back to New York, where
he remained for four months before
returning here. He Is in Pittsburg now,
hut is preparing to start for San Francis
co. When at home he Is dude, and in
Variably wears black clothes made to fit
perfectly, and of good material. His
shoes are always patent leather, and his
hat a Derby That is how he dresses
there tut elsewhere his attire is that of
beggar That is his profession and he
makes a living at it, and he says it is a
pretty good living, too.
Many people have no doubt seen this
man, for he is great frequenter of
places of amusement, and often prone
nades down Fifth avenue. He is prob
ably thirty-tiVe years old, and five feet
eight inches tall, has a black mustache,
heavy black hair, brown eyes and an ex-
tremely pale face. There is a small scar
the left side of his face but otherwise
he is nice looking. His name is Robert
Nanslow Shields, and he boards in Oak
land.
He is one of those men who never work,
and he declares he never will. He has
spent an inheritance of $4,000 and now
,.l.,i -
was q foster son of an Alleghenian. who
died some years ago, and who cast Shields
off, after the latter had squandered the
fortune left him bv an old uncle in Ire
land.
PROFESSIONAL BEGGAR
The man is not an illiterate fellow. He
Is Well educated, having once studied for
the ministry. He could probably be as
much of n success at some more Iegiti-
mate calling as he is at begging, were he
so disposed. He has few intimates. be-
cause he says he has no use for friends.
Whlch means a prying into his business
winch means a praying into his business
A reporter who has known him since
before he spent his Inheritance more
IMAM dozen years ago, met his o!d-time
acquaintance few days agoyon Diamond
stfee~ Just as the professional beggar
was giving hungry street vagrant a
quarter. turning to the reporter Shields
SAID. That man is either chump or a
green hand. IL he knew his business he
would get out of Pittsburg This town
is a poor place for 'hari-luck' folks
jhere is too much hustle and hurry here.
anu people are too preoccupied to listen
10 tales oil Woe Try to tell a man your
trub!es On the Pittsburg streets and he
wont listen. And you can't get a-manss
sympathy unless he does listen. No sir
-1hat chap just s5aked is either a novice
or failure, and had better go to work
at aeIhing else. Begging isn't his
But how do you succeed at it p, tho 10
POI ter asked. -
Look here, he said, stopping suddenly
pelieVe you are just pumping me to
Write me up. Still that matters but IT.
tie' Tor | m not proud any more. and am
time. " -+'
BEGGING IS A BUSINESS.
Mine is a business in which competi-
tloh don cut much of a figure, and NAV
pe can give out few pointers that NAV
De OF value to lot of poor devils who
don't understand how to get NEXT TO Other
peoples money without stealing IT. IF
you VIII come out to my boarding house
TINS evening I'll tell you all about begging
as Il profession
Inc house where Shields boards is not
TAR from Schenley park, and is owned bv
httle German woman, who holds title to
three other houses in the neighborho1d
me beggar is the only boarder she bas
ana he declares she knows all about his
method of gaining livelihood She keens
her mouth shut, for Shields paws her *
week the year round
m a Dr. Jekyll and Mr.. Hyde in real
HE, Shields said, seating himself on a
trunk at one side of the room. The latter
was small and had only a bed. dresser
and one chair In 1t, not counting the
trunk. In P1ttsburg I'm a gentleman #
leisure, but everywhere else I'm what q
generally termed bum This trunk
which | am now holding down is fIlnd
with the worst-looking lot of clothes i'm
aginable They form nv stock in traJe
ana are my capital. I take some of them
with me wherever I go, and sometimes
BUY new ones at secondhand stores. Do
l disguise myself? Well, hardly A dis
guise is easily detected, and, besides. it
ISM needed A dilapidated appearance is
all that is necessary, combined with a
woe-begone expression.
KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE
m a student of geography, physiog-
nomy and general social conditions
avoid cities where prosperity seems Iac;,-
Ing, and also cities too far north. Ros
ton Is about the most northern town
nave ever worked, and it's a good one
Many of the people there are of aid
quaker and Pilgrim origin and have
sympathetic blood in their veins But
the average northern city is too much
like Pittsburg. The people are too wrap
ped up in their own affairs, and are also
TOO energetic to waste time on street
charity or anything else that has no
money In 1t. In my opinion this is due In
great measure to the cold climate In
the South, where warm weather predoni-
mates, the people are slow and indolent,
and will listen to an appeal with more pa
thence, and usually with more satisfaction
to the applicant. San Francisco is about
the best begging city in the West if a
man knows his business. Pennies are
scarce there, and nickel, dime or a
quarter. and occasionally a half dollar Is
the reward of a hard luck story.
Where common beggars make the
greatest mistake is in not studying people
before approaching them. / have learned
never to brace man who walks with
his chin In the air and his shoulders
thrown back. Such man is too dignifisd
to pay any attention to a beggar.
Women are the best givers, or young
men accompanied by young women.
Strike a young couple who seem chummy
and the man Will produce literally nearly
every time. Not that he pities the beg
gar, but because he wants the girl 10
think well of him. The middle classes
give up more freely than the swells. and
the average preacher is a poor producer
Wealthy people, who have never felt pow
erty, to my mind, cannot sympathize with
those in need. Preachers are too accus-
toned to receiving donations to think
much of giving any. There are good rea-
sons why different classes are liberal and
Others the opposite.
ONE RICH HAITI