Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-06
IN HARD LUCK.
His Sufferings Caused by the Absence
of Snow Law.

Va O ShOW Law.
There is at least one man in the District
besides the Commissioners, who wants to
see snow law a snow ordinance-it
the utmost strictness.
This man walked up to policeman the
other day and wanted to know what he
could do to be arrested. He was tired, he
said. of starving and sleeping on door
steps. The policeman told him just to sleep
on doorstep when he the policeman was
around and he would be arrested. And
the man promised to do it.
He was ''pinched'' two nights afterward.
after having almost given up hope that
even this ruse would work When he ap-
peared before the clerk in the station house
and gave his name as Charlie Loom" he
wore an expansive smile and saw visions Of
a cot to sleep on and some bread to eat
before he got into court he impaired to
Ohcer b. who had him in charge. that
his forlorn condition was not his fault He
was that way because he worked at trade
that was out of fashion.
"How's that?" said the officer
You see, I'm private snow cleaner" he
replied.
Private snow cleaner2 What's that?'
Clean off snow from pavements fur peo-
pie as has to have it done by the law"
Great business that must be-" said the
officer named. How do you get along
when 1t doesn't snow for long timer
"Oh. you see I'm used to loafing and starv-
ing them times and I don't mind 1t be-
cause 1 know it's comm But whin it does
snow real deep and then folks let 1t stay
right there, why I'm cut out of my Gus
tomary treats. They come a good many
Teller for kickin' at that, can your"
Don't have very many treats like that
in the summer time. I guess?" was the
policeman's rejoinder. -
bat 40 toll Ill l..
Don't you s'pose he goes on the road in tn
summer"
"Of course I do. 1 Just forgot that for
the minute" said the bluecoat, wondering
who was SO unfortunate as to be stranded
In a frozen city without snow and ice
law.
In answer to further questions Charlie
plorable condition of affairs that was cut
ting him out of good many 10-cent pieces
whenever 1t showed.
1t seems that he tramped over the town
with a piece of shovel the man he stole
it from would have been ashamed to claim
it, and asked at house after house:
Pavement cleaned? Ten cents"
And got only chilly answers-"No!'
BY the time he had inquired at the fif-
tieth house he was beginning to feel some
what chagrined and to wonder casually
what was the reason for the repeated re-
fuSalS. He knew 1t was not because some
U
could see that the snow was several inches
deep in front of each residence and that
people We're blowing through to their shoe
tops.
The end Of the day brought no change
of either kind-and the warm bed In 23-
cent lodging house that he had pictured to
himself when he first saw the signs of
snow in the heavens was now only gaunt
memory. That night and the next he slept
out-that is in some corner. sheltered from
the wind. Then he went to an officer and
intimated that it was time for him to be
arrested and sent to the workhouse.
This was the substance of the story he
told Officer b in the wagon on the way
to the court house. He had not yet found
out the true inwardness' of those refusals
which. were the results of his inquiries.
The officer told him that it was because
certain snow and ice law. formerly used
to make people clean their pavements of
snow and ice, had been declared null and
void by the courts. He said, however. that
the Commissioners of the District were en-
deavoring to have an ordinance enforced
that would bring back Charles periodical
trade.
Charlie did not know what null and
yoidr meant, and had very little knowledge
of the word Commissioners. but then and
there he Gblessed those gentlemen. and
swore by them in his rough way-"them for
mine'