The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-04-02
SMALL MEALS, But HIGH PRICED.
A Quick Lunch for Insects Run by n Hard-Up
Man In Search of Light Work.

a IN ASuh ny II
Man in Search of Light Work.
This nfteen-dollar dinner Of Senator limo
thy DIS now" remarked the lame man with
the plaster-soiled hat as he put his feet on the
lodging house window sill and rested his pa
per on his knees. while he stuffed his briar
pipe full OF cut plug: Il suppose It's about the
highest priced thing In its line. eh?"
WELL. no." answered the elderly man with
spectacles who was playing a gam OF soli-
taire at the table. In ancient times. I'm in
formed, the handuets were considerably moro
costly. l remember a series OF dinners which
/ gave myself that were higher priced. COM
pared with the quantity Of food that made q
portion"
Caterer you were once2' asked the lame
man.
We'll. yes. In o way. and I was the dinners.
too. l Was what you might cal a contin uous
performance Of meals. Some years ago-a
good many years ago-I was in about the same
position that | am in to-day; l had nothing to
do of any account. aud nv appetite was work
ing overtime. l happened 10 see in a news
| had fed horses ana cattle, and 80 forth, and |
supposed that feeding feas WAS about the same
stand s" i 'apniie ID ir SI the j S'n'e' there fHa sn We're
ABOUT il'ty others anplied. all OF them willi"R
TO feed teas or do any other light WORK that Of
fered a chance OF making money. When the
man that had advertise asked about my quail
fl atoms. had TO admit that | was inexperi-
others. 1 was hired. no said. because ] was
Of good physique and didn't look like drink.
ing man. a drinking man. he said. was OF no
Ny sai,ry was to be a quarter, a day; my
i found lie idea Was TO let the lieas out to pas.
viii eat; sonsidersj II a iii;tle and took the
trained lleas. He made a living showing them
under a microscopic; and they could DO some
ut the Well. and the duelilsts and tho tight
lope walker and the post-chaise outfit. and
and coiSred p tM S'''Tf hev had .d"1 been a9 srain Is%i
not to InmTl and when they were put
were kept half starved to make them livelyv'
and when the professor Judged that any lea
had, had oil tnat was good for him he Just
yanke5 him away from his happy feeding
tweezers and shut him VI, In his particular cell.
And the look Of misery on the poor tiea's fnce,
sn lked away only half satisfied. would have
made your heart ache,
q little redness AMI irritation my boariers
didn't make Il very serious drain on me. When
you con ider the amount that twenty-four
only allowed half they could eat, and that they
we're uaying % cents for it. you can zee that
Il calculated that II | could only get enough
feas to feed | could make a good living and
glNH up. nIllllR Ouu JOBS OUT on IPeiing hours,
so laid out 80 cents IN an advertisement ask
ing for work AS a flea feeder. got an answer
and an engagement from the only other man in
New York, ! guess. that would rather have a
flea alive than dead; | never GOT any other
answers and never heard Of any others who
was a doctor who was with the
little beasts. At his house he used TO ct out
about a hundred at me for a-meal, Some we're
big and lat and some were lean and some were
lazy and some were, lively. Depending on the
PARTICULAR course Of sprouts the doctor was
putting them through. The were Just com
mon. uneducated tieas. and | had to hold a glass
lumber over them while they fea ,ted So they
wouldn't lump all over. Most Of them were al
l)wad TO eat all they waited To. all bur a
few that the doctor was starving TO see Tho
effects. So they got more food out OF me for
their quarter than the prnit ssOr's ieas did.
But the doctor gave me some stun 70 rub on
my arm after ward to take the sting ont a little,
ment. He would have given mo some strong
or stun that would have taken the sting out
entirely, but he said it would not he good FOL
the tleas.
gave up the ,teas. But | though, they de-
served a good blowout before | left them for
services rendered. for II was only those lleas
that kent me from starvation when | didn't
want 10 s'Hrve. Before ] made my last visit |
took. two or three huokers OF Bowery whiskey,
and | rubbed. some more on my arm. and the
tleas snIDved IL, ! know. Aud I'll bet the unedu-
Gated ones puzzled the doctor by their differ
ent kinds 81 fts after ! was gone. and II Re-
becca didn't scrap with the duellists and tile
the. next Performance l miss nv guess.
Il don't know whore they are now. The
doctor's moved. and ths professors dead. for
all know. 7 they were 10 the city now aud I
old Job, for I've done harder work since then
that / got less money for"