The Washington times., 1902-07-13
Secretary Hitchcock's Hall.

DNN~4
fall in individual fortunes. Ma
i poleon Bonaparte fell from his
| imperial grandeur to the posi-
tion of captain on a little island, and
now comes Herman, 1.-The mayors boot
black" as he has been called for many
years, with his sudden tumble from affl-
ence to hardpan poverty.
The scene OF the latter sad episode
Is New York. Herman started out the
racing season at Aqueduct wearing pat
ent leather shoes and riding to the
track in an automobile II he liked. Now
in all concealed melancholy he is taking
his chances with the other bootblacks
in the City Hall Park and shining shoes
for cents a pair. II Herman and his
| friends can be believed, Herman has
lost $4,000 at the racetracks this season.
and now watches for a turn in the tide
of luck to get back part OF his for
tune.
I'll get 1t back-I1l get it back. y
said Herman. I'm a good loser-I-
shine. boss? Shine? ony f. cents
shine?"
Tell us about the hard luck" he
was implored.
| You're de ten wot's asked fur de
tale" said Herman. somewhat sadly.
Herman is about thirty-five years old.
we'll dressed, and over in Brooklyn
he is somewhat excited does he drop
into slang. At other times his English
is first rate.
"It gives me something like head
ache to think of it," said Herman, be
cause a year ago at this time I was at
Gra~esend rollin' in wealth. wild all
kinds o. money. You see, I've bet on
the races more or less all my life, but
last year wuz the banner year. l started
in with SAG earned from shines. and
about as much more won from crap
shooting in the middle OF May last year.
and l struck nothin' but good luck all
the way. Made a KILN at every turn.
Couldn't go wrong if l tried. The longer
the shot, the surer I was 10 land. Well.
as was saying, I had about hundred
to start in on. and everything came my
way. Inside of a week l had $1,000. and
thought l would cut out the layin' o.
bets So came back to CITY Hall Park
and shincd Van Wyck's uppers, and
knocked around whistlin' good luck
songs. and poundin' tn leather with
| S. 900 in my inside pocket.
My wife didn't know thing about
it. or. she'd had half of it, 1 told her
l was doin' my reg lar work, same as
usual stuck to shinin' for a week.
an the money kept burnin' a hole in
my pocket You can beat the game.
little voice whispered to NE, so l
gave my kit away and shook hands with
| the bookmakers that same day Say.
| it was great. Everything my way
couldn't lose. Twenty TO one was just as
good goin fur me as to 4. When l
quit the season last fall I had about
$40. .0G0 to the good. l was reekin' wild
money. You could smell it on me.
hated to go to sleep for fear that when
| | woke up it would be a dream When
my heart beat l could feel it tick
through a waddin' of 500 bills. an that
goes. I wore glad rags at night and went
to the theater. and ate twice at the
Waldorf.
II began to slump durin' the winter.
and l should have stayed out of the
game this spring But I couldn't. 1t
didn't seem right to leave so many good
things around loose. l started in this
sDriug at Auupdict with S24 600 Nv
luck was on the blink from the fall of
the flag. but thought it wouldn't last
1t lasted all right. though. and l was
soon up against it. My finish came on
April 16. The dates burned in. all right,
My tip was Animosity. and I was so sure
that / had it right that l put all M
dough on one throw. The price en- AMI
mostly started at 4 to /. but when |
went down the line the price changed to