The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-09-03
HOMELESS IN NEW YORK.
Plight of Man From HawaIi With
$4,000 Cash.
New York SUM


New York SUM-
Ten days in this town with SIS, 600
and not able To get place 10 sleep in
doors or bite to eat is something that
may not seem possible, but 1 can make
my affidavit of case TO that effect"
remarked the man with the tan shoes
and white spats. as he smoothed do N
a rough spot in his silk hat With an
expanse of silk handkerchief. sit was
In the days when I was in New York
fresh from the land OF superfuous
vowels, Hawaii. just this season of the
year. when vacation stalks wide
through the land.
II was walking across Madison
square soliloquizing on the bench pop
ulation of the metropolis, Whsn a 3irIy
figure jumped up from a seat and
grabbed me frantically by the hand.
wasn't feeling any too cheerful and
was about to shove the fellow away
when 1 caught a fieeting, familiar look
in the CRIME of his face.
1T took me q second or so 10 make
proper soundings, and when 1 struck
bottom | nearly tainted away. 1t was
one Of the biggest sugar planters in
all the islands, a man worth his mil
lions today.
Don't ask me to explain now he
said. but lead me to a place where
they have soap and towels and beef
steaks.
Il thought my hotel filled the bill
pretty Well and, curling a curiosity
that nearly gave me apoplexy. took
him with me. In an hours time ne lad
finished eating and was looking mere
like his old self.
How under the heavens die you
sink TO this in a months time? I
blurted out when the suspense had be-
come too great for me to bear any
longer.
Then he unfolded a yarn that /
wouldn't have believed from any other
person in the world, even my grand
mother.
He had come TO New York to see
the city a fortnight before and like
every one from the Pacific his idea Of
seeing ,tsSy York was two weeks COM
posed of days about twenty-three hours
long.
Not being carried away with idea
of his own ability TO take care of him
self here he very wisely went to
first class bank down on Broadway and
handed ever $4,000 of his roll to the
cashier, banking 1t in the ordinary
manner. After that he started out to
see what might be seen by an OBJ
servant person with a pOcketboOk of
abnormal size.
1.-TWO days later he found that he had
IS in his clothes, and he had not seen
his hotel since he bade farewell TO the
register clerk. Naturally, he made his
way down TO the bank and made out q
check for a thousand in order TO save
himself the trouble OF another visit in
day or SO.
He walked up to the paying tel
ler's window and showed the check
through, asking for it in small bills. A
chilly stare and a blank look ut the
order was his reward.
81 don't know YOU said the clerk.
We'll, sonny. send for the cashier
who took my account said the planter.
THE cashier came, but he failed to
recognize my friend. He was not,
however, the man who had taken the
account
THE official began to be suspicious,
but after an effort he succeeded in de-
scrihing the person with whom he had
deposited his money SO graphic were
his words that the cashier and teller
both exclaimed, Billings
THE Hawaiian was relieved.
"'Then trot out Mr.. Billings he said.
ITO his horror he was told that Bill
lings had left on vacation.
THAT ended his attempt to cash the
check, and he started to go to his no
tel. There another difficulty confronted
him. He had found the bank by the
address on his check book, but he had
no way OF identifying his hotel.
''As the only places he knew were
the bank and Madison square he went
to the latter and spent the night on
one of the benches. The following
morning was given up to a vain search
for the hotel and eXpostulatiOns at the
bank, where he was finally elected
forcefully by d porter.
"Penniless, he went to a telegraph
Office and tried to get a wire through
to his agents in Frisco. Unluckily his
clothes had been torn and soiled dur
ing the affair at the bank, and the
telegraph official would not send the
message collect. BY noon he was with
out cent.
1.-THE remainder of the time until Le
met me was spent TWISTING hotels,
| telegraph offices and lawyers. The
! latter, to a man, would have nothing TO
do with him.
His clothes were traded for others OF
a cheap sort and a few cents to boot.
Each day lessened his chances of pull
ing out of the hole he was in.
There was nothing of the gutter in
his makeup, however, and he deter
mined to get work. That wasn't an
easy Job in a summer month, but on
the morning when 1 met him he had
managed to get a place tending a
switch on one of the street car lines.
I at took me twenty-five minutes to
get some one to identify him and ten
minutes to find the hotel, which was
In a part of the city he had left I'M
touched in his wanderings. I don't
think he went a block away from
Broadway during the whole time.
THE way ne finished the thing up
was a fitting climax. He chartered a.
coach and pair, with footman and
coachman, and decked himself out III
jewelry as only q South Sea man can
do, and then he paid personal visits
to each of the places that turned him
down.
"It was one Of the most artistic
things I ever listened to, and some OF
the people We're scared enough to throw
| up their positions. After he had given
| the successor to his job as switch
| tender $50 he chartered a special to
| Denver and I don't believe he would
cross the Rockies again if they made
| him senator from Oahu"
A Russian Portrait.