The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-05
SNARERS OF THE OOF BIRD.
PURSUIT FOR HICH REMITTANCE
MEN LEAVE ENGLAND.

A Glass of Young EnRlishmen Found All
over tho World-Device to Which They
Resort to Get Aiong-Some who Succeed
Touching Tales Sent Back to Families.
A few Sundays ago THE Sun described the
experiences OF n young Enelishman Of good
family and education who had come to New
York to earn his livelihood. That the descrip-
ton was a true one is shown by the fact that
quite a number OF young Englishmen went
among their friends expressing wonder as to
who had put them in the paper. Now. there
is another class OF Englishmen that come here.
1t Is composed Of linen who are also OF good fam
lily and education. but who differ from THE
SUNS example in the fact that they receive
allowances from their people in the old coun-
try. which they generally receive in either
monthly or quarterly remittances. These
mon are to be found not only in America,
where they form quite n considerable factor in
the fruit population Of California and
Florida. but also in Australia. Africa. India
and in fact in all the English colonies. wnere
they are generically known as remittance men.
The amount OF the remittance. OF course.
varies considerably. but as a rule It Is small.
Just sufficient, as one man put 1t. to create a
disinclination for work and a burning desire
for more money.
The majority Of remittance men are mem
bers OF well-to-do families OF the upper middle
class. together with a considerable sprinkling
OF younger.sons Of the nobility. The reasons
which cause them to leave their mother coun-
try are as many In number as the men them
selves. though in most cases it is pretty safe
to assume that the families at home pursue
the tenor of their way more evenly In this alb
sence OF these young men: in fact. It is by no
means uncommo to. meet men who frankly
own that they.receive their allowances only on
condition that they shall keep away from their
relatives. From this it must not be inferred
that they have been guilty Of any criminal or
even serious offences; on the contrary. they
are for the most part honest. simp hearted
young fellows whose chief fault seems to be a
certain happy Ro-lucky shiftlessness combined
with a geniality which leads TO their carrying
somewhat longer than is advisable over the
wine cup. This in turn leads to the perform
ance Of many wild pranks which. while harm
less enough in themselves. are considerably
disturbing to the staid respectability OF the
a average British. household.
There are. of course.smany steady. sensible
young fellows. with small incomes. who cross
the seas with some definite object in view and
prosper accordingly. but the typical remit
lance man simply starts out for some place
which he feels an inclination to visit. with a
blind trust that Providence will so arrange
matters that in n few years he may return to
confound his. unappreciative family by u law
rives in New York which does not contain
among its passengers at least one OF these
bly, be-. Why, I'm going to try L can't snare
which is his way o., expressing the fact that he
Is Is Foi IN nt to try and a. LTD make 4 n m3 3Tt y Az TO h how
as as Ignorant as You ar are. - In ali probaoiiit yo he u
has never in his life done work Of any kind.
n mSn h SSntia5s d f fn fnE IKE sr that se of T taG yo san!
sists OF good manners and appearance. the
knowledge OF one or more foreign languages.
together with moro or less ability in music or
Upon landing; the probabilities are that he
g~rasping the fact that he is really in America.
he discovers that his store of ready cash is
diminishing et an astounding rate. and so one
fine morning he starts out with the vowed in
f He IS IiG Ge ,'f to INA the the b 19d 9 more to Rd its l 9bGn
he expected, and the success attending the
chase will depend entirely on the ability and
work is somewhat lukewarm. but when he
poets for a month or possibly three months 10
come his true nature asserts itself. II he is :
quentlv becomes hopelessly resigned 70 the
and starts borrowing from his ac-
qua nr1Iysi sgfi tSs to k + e him going I'LL
finally this docs arrive he finds that after his
debts are paid nothing remains over for him
or quarter to quarter. as the case, may be, al
ways hard up aud miserable. until at last. in a
burst OF penitence. he ieturns home resolved
TO sin no more. Cases like this are rare.
There are many wars by which the remittance
man can add sufficient to his income to
to realize his ambition and make his bile.
Newspaper writing seems 10 have n special
for the remittance man. and he not |
unfreguently does we'll, There is one man In
New York whose mother was so agreeably sur
prised at the unexpected industry oil n son
whom she had despaired Of as n ne'er-do-well |
that to encourage him she promised to pay