The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-04
SAVANNAH's BEGGARs.
The Number of Them Is Steadily
Growing Larger.

Growing Larger.
Savannah. Ga, March Editor Morning
News-Barnum, the great Snowman. while
having in mind the freaks of his shows
said. The American people love to be
humbugged." The careful observer who
is about the city on Saturday morning
can parephrase the sentence to The Sa-
MAMMALIAN loves to be humbugged by beg
CARS" For its size Savannah has, I'M
doubtedly the most beggars of any city
its size in the United States. No other
city would tolerate the able bodied beg
gars to parade it's streets that parade Sa-
vannahs. If they could be brought to-
gether they would make a small army.
Savannah has a beautiful forest of trees
and an ugly forest of beggars.
This morning, while passing on bust
ness street before business hours, in one
block, on the same side of the street.
saw nine beggars, all within two min
utes. Strange to say eight We're women,
all able-bodied and without visible de-
formity. Three white women were in
one bunch. two in another. two negro
women together-at least one was a
negro, and the other mulatto
with CLASSY eye and red nose. The
other was a white man "a newcomer. be-
ing led by boy. Out of the nine there
was one with white hair, but quick step
bread more honestly. After passing sew
eral blocks at a rapid pace. met two
more regular white women beggars coming
out of a barroom. They were not any OF
those whom l had passed before, because
they had not had time to cover the dis
lance. / used the word regular be-
,ause l have seen them begging before
Neither was deformed nor bent. Neither
had gray hair. but both had red faces
caused by drink. They saw / noted them
closely, and perhaps in their humiliation.
SO great a shame came over them on be-
ing seen to come out of barroom, that
maidenly pride returned and caused
bushes TO chase themselves on the drawn
flesh. Or more likely Hubby was very
sick, and needed drop to help himself,
so like a loving wife she went to obtain
1t, but the noble and gentlemanly dis
)enser" refused to give 1t to woman.
hat her anger rose and REDEEMED her face
and that was what l saw.
| In certain stores and with some people
every begsar that asks is given aims.
The giver may think he is doing good
but in fact. he is doing harm 1t is al
right TO give to the needy, but it is all
wrong to give to the lazy and able-bo
ied The moral side Of the question is
far more important than either the bust
Unfortunately encourages beggary and
laziness, which themselves produce va
grancy, and vagTancy is a crime. SO
those who give aims to the able-bodied
and unneedy are helping 10 make crim-
nails for the chain-gang
There arc a man and a woman here
who pass for being blind, and solicit coins
on the principal streets. These people are
often led by the same person, so they
I=t he. rnIn fnA
The leader of these blind" people is
always well dressed and looks Ike the
woman. About the woman's blindness 1
know nothing, except it seems to be a
curious case. But here are two facts
know about the mans He was going.
alone, westward on Broughton street,
few feet in front of me and as he was
about five feet In Bull an automobile
came along. l neither saw nor heard the
vehicle until 1t was almost
opposite me, but the "blind' man
either saw or heard and walked back
ward to the sidewalk and remained there
until the way was cleared. He then cross
ed. Here is the other: He was about in
the middle Of the sidewalk when he
coughed, loosened the phlegm and wished
to spit. q am glad to say he is gentle
man enough to spit in the gutter. A
man with rubber heels on his shoes was
koltiS III AHt ulTeCLlOn opposite TO him
and was diagonally between the curb and
the blind man. The blind man turned
his head toward the gutter, held the
sputum, waited until the man had pass
ed and then spat. Whether it was in
stinct or good eyesight hidden from the
public behind green goggles, the reader
may Judge
In the business section of Barnard
street, between the market and State
Of hal
blind; help the poor ring out above the
din and cries of the hucksters, fast
enough to compete with a rapd-ire gun
| TO the crier 1t is "a linked
sweet sweetness, long drawn out"
with accent on the long drawn
/ out" TO the nearer 1t is not a
| sweetness. but it is "a lugubrious whine
There are charitable Institutions enough
in the city to take care of the needy. The
lazy need money as well as the diIigent.
| so they get il the easiest way-by beg
| gary. If an observer wished to find out
| anything about these beggars and inves-
ugated their lives he would be startled
There are quacks in every profession, and
the beggar is no exception.
! / have been attempted to enter. after
a beggar has left a store, and ask for
something just TO see what answer would
be given, and If refused. 1 would have
/ dressed myself a little more untidy put
on coIored goggles. tied up wart that
IS on my finger and then put my arm in
a sling; put on ragged shoes to ease my
corns and, with a stick or pair OF
crutches. hobbled along the best I could
and whined out in tones that would have
melted Kruppized-steeI heart
"P-l-e-a-s-e help a poor k-r-i-p-l-
! half k-i-l-le-d in "A r-a-i-l-r-o-a-d
w-r-e-c-k." What would have been my
success. Good2 Nay, phenomenal! Yet
am glad ! was born and live In Savannah:
/ Il Is great city despite les faults.
Let some of our city fathers introduce
an nu-begging ordinance and see that
| II Is inforced and cut down our forest Of
beggars. How much better. with comfort
20 heart and car and eye. could the Sat
urday stroller and shopper go along our
streets. Beggary IL lszlness. DO not en-
courage II. Cut down and destroy our
forest Of begagrs. Eclrp.
LnH Over ElffU KanNa