River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-08-29


BEGGING ON THE SIDEWALK
given substantial aid; and, third, if
impostors can draw living from the
public bounty. OF course, shall make
n newspaper story of my experiences.
a beggar could not succeed so well in
Baltimore or any other city as have
succeeded here.
ITO begin with, this is the only city
in the country where ST 000,0 900 are put
in circulation twice a month. The gov
eminent employees are paid off on the
fifteenth and thirtieth days of the
month, and they are prodigal people
as class. They are also good-hearted
and generous. Government money
comes easy and it usually goes easy.
That is not grammatical, know, but it
Is vernacular and true.
ANY respectable looking woman,
with clean face, clean hands, shabby
dress, patched and darned, can gather
in number of dollars on these pay
days by looking meek and whispering
plea for help as the clerks come forth
to their luncheon at noon, or when
they leave the departments at the close
of office hours in the afternoon. The
young men are easy marks, and so are
many of the young women; but men
give more freely than women do 1t
may be that women might be disposed
to aid respectable looking male beg
gar, rather than to give aid to one of
their own sex; but that is only a sur
mise.
There are no policemen about the
state, war and navy department build
tngs. nor are they always standing
around the interior department and
post office department They are al
ways on duty at the treasury, and a
oeggar should avoid working the game
when they are near by, because some
people are prone to call on policeman
10 take charge of the case, and that
might ultimately lead to exposure or a
term in the workhouse. en- the 18th
OF last month | managed to gather in
$40 at noon, and about SIT in the
evening. On the 3oth of the month I
collected little more than $14, but T
did not get in any work in the even
ing, because the policemen were
about and l was working the treas
ury clerks. BY steering clear of the
buecoats, / am very sure that I could
raise not less than $50 each month,
and this could be kept up for an in
definite time without discovery.
posters can draw living from the
public; and / have also learned that
the worthy are given real help and
urgent eases are relieved. The asso-
ciated charities could not be better
organized. My story there was lis
tened to, and an agent went to my
dingy room to find that my story of
poverty was true. My rent was paid
for two weeks and work was found
for me. The pay was small, but it
was living. Begging, however, is
easier and brings four times the in
come of honest toll. The associated
charities, by a system of visiting, en-
deavors to bring every poor family
into contact with some charitable
person who can visit the needy at
least once a week and exert some in
buence to effect n permanent i'm
provement in the condition of the
worthy. This is better than aims
giving, for it is real charity. | have
visited many cities and investigated
many systems, but l believe that
Washington's system is well-nigh per-
feet. 1t is much better than that in
vogue in cities with larger popula-
tons and greater business enter
prises.
although one may make a living
here by begging. | must say that
there is no substantial excuse for
street begging in your city because
homeless men and homeless women
can always be provided for in proper
institutions. The ladies and gentle
men engaged in the charitable work
of various organizations do not 20
far enough in their efforts for indi-
vidual cases. Their system of vista
tions is good one, but it needs ex-
tension. 1t needs church cooperation.
so that the law of love may be exem-
plified Gifts of old clothes and cold
victuals do not bring self respect to
families. Something ought to be done
TO raise the children to higher level
by surrounding them with better in
6uepces."