The Washington weekly post., 1900-04-10
CHUCK CONN0RS' SPEECH.
Contrast Between Tive HishIy Dramatic
Appeals for Charity.
rrank p,vl.v IN ctic,,. r,,,o,- rI,,.,,


In New York the other night had the
pleasing Of hearing two highly dramatic
appeals for charity. Both were well done.
but what a contrast there was between
them. AT the Garden Theater Mrs. Lang
try recited kipling's Absent Minded
Begsar," with all the theatrical aids
which it WIS thought might touch the
American pocket. There was a great
waving of American and British flags: a
band played martial airs; a bugler sound
ed series of calls between the stanzas
and the Lily-no longer a lily of the VAL
ley, or Gala, but a Tiger lily--wore a
khaki gown by Worth There was a
great deal of applause: but not one cent
went across the fOotlights to help the
cause championed by the English beauty
A8terward L accompanied a party Of
friends to a meeting of private BO-
hemian club downtown. composed of art
lists, actors, actresses. musicians, poets,
newspaper men. politicians. and men
about town. A fine vaudeville programme
was rendered. In the 1aidst of it there was
an interruptiCI-the door opened and a
queer, ungainly young fellow came in
! hurnedly and stTOde into the middle of
the room. My nearest neichbor nudsed
me and volunteered the nfOTmattion that
the newcomer was "Cnuck C0nR0rs, the
mayor of Chinatown" 1t may be neces-
sary to introduce Mr.. COnnofs to Chicago
readers: but in New York everybody
knows him. In appearance he is the
toughest tough that American slum
life ever produced. In comparison with
him Steve Brodie, the bridge jumper. is
a Fifth avenue swell. He it was who
served as a model for f. w. Townsend 5
rah1aSS M TTaT1ar'b hot
imagine, if you can, a closely crGppel
bullet-headed chap with the outward
characteristics of the tramp and the de-
generate, who punctuuteS every sentence
with wonderfully made oaths and cilat-
ters g1bly in a slUm p2tOis Whic.s at
times 1t is difficult TO translate into Eng
/ llSh. There you have Chuck c0nnOrs-the
man whose word IS law throughout the
whole BOwery district, and whose heart
most woefuiiy bellies his appearance
Ii appears that a Bowery woman known
as The Rummager," who picked up
precariOus lifting by rummaging in ash
barrels and garbage boxes, had just died
and ConnOrs had started out TO raise
enough money 10 save her from the pot
ter's field. Somebody suggested that per-
haps ne could get some money by pass
ing about the hat" AMI he had bOlted into
rhe Bohemian club FOR that purpose. At
the moment he entered a pretty english
actress had the floor and was giving
clever ccclIney limitations. Connors gave
her single glance. Hey. dereW he
shouted. Cheese il, will yep The young
w5men sgbSided and the mayor Of
Chinatown" addressed the audience
say, youse blokes," he cried, I've got
a spiel comm to- me, and ii won't eat up
mOre'h minute. Do | git it?'
No one said him nay. and ne continu I'd:
Il amt teelin' none too much { de good
tnlght, and | wants Z tell We how ae
games a-runnin' wild me- See? De Rum
mager' g croaked and it's. up L me =
plant 'er. She's goin under de turf and
she's got t go under Tight. I've got L
make good now. Understand? It's me fer
it, Wot tell else could I do? De woman
WIZ good Z me. She WaZ White-clear
trough, she WuZ. Many a time she's
staked me when / wuZ agin It, good and
hard, and she'd always split 'er last nickel
wid ye if ye needed lift. Maybe some o.
yOuse guys never knowed De Rumunager.
I've kn0Wc3 'er ever since she blew In
When she first struck de Bow'ry she wuZ
as pretty peach as ever tumbled off a
dagO's cart-dats right IL wuz de same
old ting wid 'er as it is wild 'em all-some-
body over in England done 'er dirt 'eT
friends trIin 'er down. 'er folks give 'er de
run and she Slid across de pond where NJ
one couldn't rubber. Den she began I hit
de booze. Bimsbv she begins Z cry and
nope. and when she thinks Of what she left
behind 'er she goes agin de bottle harler'n
overland Gats de finish. fer a woman,
every time.
well, now she's quit Let's give 'er a
big buryin', ! says L de bloke what's got
'er: 'Bucky, youse fix 'er and youse fix
'er right, and III stand fer IT, See? Now
It's up L me-Ive got Z stand De gaff
clear from &c icebox 70 Calvary 1 went
down de lire and / touched de bunch fer
twelve. and I'm still sl5 . de bad. Under
stand? De gangs busted. Ye couldn't
shake de price Of a match outen ny
clothes, and dat's why I'm singin' dis song
10 yoUse blokes. I'm goin' Z git dat ff-
teen IL | has I 90 out on de street kick
some silk-bonnet dude In &c shins ard
take il away from him OATS met De
Rummaeer' got Z go under right
''It don't cost nothin' to- live; but Il takes
coin L croak. We've got { have a bunch
o posies. ! don't go much on posies: hut
De RummageT liked EN- and she's a-gOin'
L have 'em. Den well need a couple o
pretties and a rattle two hansoms and a
cab) & chase out L Calvary aid. Terry
de duck what runs de gospel mill az De
Bend, says he'll have all de giims QightsD
it, and yOuse can git yer lamps on 'er
(see herr once more II yOuse wants T.
Wot tell yOuse guys settin' still FER now
We'se ali got { play out de same game
De RummageTs' finished Ye can't ehass
up an alley and dodge it--its a einch
Dig Up. Wot are ye good fer? Drop ger
dough in me bonnet"
When his battered hat came back 70
him there was 81 In II, and the face Of
Chuck Ccnnors was as radiant as the
dawn OF pay day