Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-20
ONLY INWARD FIRES

very large percentage of the persons
who were burnt out by the Baltimore fire.
seem, curiousiy enough, to regard Pennsyi-
vania avenue after nightfall as about the
best thoroughfare on which to redeem their
broken fortunes Oddly enough. too, all
of them seem to have been reduced to the
very last extremities by the disastrous con-
fiagration. The fire. it appears, bereft them
of simply everything th, v had in the world.
1t literally put them on the street. not TO
say, more colloquially. ION the bum. An
other odd feature in connection with these
unfortunate individuals is that none OF them,
by his looks, really ever seems to have had
anything to lose. Those Baltimoreans who
were burnt out by the fire" must have
been a sorely struggling lot and queeriy
unwholesome ad untidy-looking crowd, 10
boot.
man who walked from 7th and the av-
enue to the treasury building few even,
ings ago, to get the benefit of the fine. cold
air. was braced by half a. dozen beseecning
victims of the Baltimore fire. Iney
wanted but little. Ten cents was Inc
usual request preferred. All of them. natu-
rally enough had resorted-judgfng from
their breaths and their shakiness-to drink
to drown out the gloomy remembrance OF
the fire in their bosoms.
Hey, Cap" said one of them to the
stroller, at 18th street and the avenue,
"have youse got dime t spart FIR duck
wot went t. de dump troo de Baltimore
fire?''
The man spoke thickly and he looked
cold. He had no overcoat, and his UNDER
coat was buttoned tightly around his neck.
He was, in fact, a typical hobo in appear
ance, but the mention of the Baltimore hre
caught the stroller's ear.
Burnt out. hey?" he said to the unfortu-
nate. Suppose you were the owner OF
IL nj
wholesale jewelry establishments. Ell?
Say, quit y'r kiddin', Cap" said the
hard-lucker, with greasy smile, nuogine
some closer to the stroller. Bank, notnin !.
But los me job, homes 1 did-look at me
hands," extending a pair of palms that GER
tainly were grimy enough to be convincing
II was a fireman in one O. them Dig pulid-
ms that they had t blow up wit dinny,
mite, an O. course wen me wages stopped
l was on TIL blink, see?
But you've managed to keep a pretty
good edge on ever since, at that, ney?
said the stroller, willing enough to give
up but DESTROYS Ct letting the pannanoief
know that he wasn't being fooled up any
well, feller's got t. do somethin' t
fergit his troubles, haint he? SAID the
panhandler sentimentally, and he received
the dime with visible joy that was more
than worth the money.
Another one of the same type, furtvely
looking around to watch the cop out OF
the tail of his eye. halted the stroller at
18th and the avenue.
Got dime, boss, that amt workin' %
he inquired airily. although his teeth were
chattering with the cold. He, too was the
typical panhandler in his exterior.
Baltimore fire put you all to the bad,
suppose?" said the pedestrian.
The panhandler stepped back and eyed
the stroller with quite sincere-appearing
establishment.
Boss" he exclaimed, chow did youse
know that?'
illSf ipoo pin col ha CTR or
fiippantly.
WELL youse is all t. TIL good on imag-
inin', them said the panhandler, with
visible admiration in his eyes. Il sure was
put t. tn bad by tn Baltimore fire; put
down an out, in fact. Was workin' at
them big malt works that burned down, y
know"
Il thought it might have had something
to do with malt" said the pedestrian, sep
arating himself from another dime, and
passed on.
Judge" said the next one mournfully
Il hain't had bed t. sleep in since tn
Baltimore fire-hones' 1 hain't, and if youse
could stake me to a few pennies, why
I'D
Burned out by the Baltimore fire. too
We're your said the stroller. But ! don't
consumed by the confiagration thought
only business houses went up in smoke
yes, was the quick comeback of the
panhandler, but was bar tender at one
v eiSA.i oiu hotCiS tIdt went up an mad q
room in the hotel, judge-a comfortable
room, at that-an' wen 1 wasn't tendin
bar wy, on cold nights like these I could
jes bunk off an -
He got the dime, too, and in the course
of the return walk the stroller delivered
up three more dimes to needy victims of
the great blaze. Then, with an eye to the
retention of enough change to get him
lunches until next payday, he boarded a
car and went home, rejecting upon what
a matchmaking lot those Baltimoreans
must be.