The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-19
THE SOCIAL .HIGHWAYMAN.
His Method Of Making q living without
Hard Labor.

hAFu LaDoFs
Your thief is often as nimble fingered
as a Cinquevalh; in your burglar in good
practice may be found HapOleonic strata
gems; your forger is sometimes gifted with
the instincts Of an admirable engraver. But
these low class folk says the London EI-
press, are dolts, bunglers and greenhorns
compared with your scion Of the aristocracy
with expensive tastes and a bank balance
represented by an overdraft.
An education at an historic public school,
a popular career at the University, many
friends Of both sexes, membership Of the
best clubs a pleasing polish, and the alb
Sence Of any vestigs Of moral sense combine
to render the modern society highwayman
a peculiarly dangerous individual.
The social highwayman to whom refer
has a keen eye for a likely victim. 1t may
be an elderly dame whose husband repre-
sents newly acquired and shining coins,
and plenty Of them, OF youth with fat
! legacy at his back or man OF commerce
! who has become a parsonage Of political
/ and social ambition. But whoever and
whatever he may be, the highwayman
| settles down upon him with the sympathetic
kiss Of the inquiring horse hy when 1t
nestles on the back Of your hand In the
summer weather -....
Our highwayman begins by treading
delicately like a second Agag. He is content
at first to feed, shoot, and perhaps sleep
at the expense of his entertainer. II il
only gradually that he develops his many
schemes for transferring part Of the coin
| above mentioned into his own pockets.
| There "a, first, the political game to be
| played well born friend OF mine, in
! the post Of secretary, has made a steady
| income for years from a rich vulgartan,
| who left TO him the selection Of suitable
constituency, the engagement Of agents,
| the allotment Of subscriptions and the en-
| tertainment of the proper men in the
| division.
Then, again there are those most golden
| Of geese, the men and women anxious to
| cut a figure in society, The social high
| wayman who can claim such victim ac-
| uuires an assured income. There are com
missions from score Of t~adesmen; there are
| commissions from other highwaymen who
| are DESTROYS Of an introduction to the golden
/ goose in question; and, last, there Is the
! expense which the highwayman alleges be
/ has incurred in securing due publicity for
| his patrons doings.
Let me give an example. My friend A,
| the heir apparent to peerage, was
| shepberding Mrs. B from the States. Mrs.
B had bought at AS suggestion a wonder
we'll, said the astute A, 'but now we must
| get the collection advertised Mrs. B con-
| sented, and A sent an invitation for dinner
| to c, a writer Of some note in the art world.
] {, came, Was SHOWN Iue CHINA WIS bNiu
| by it's beauty, and out Of sheer admiration
wrote a column about 1t in weekly paper.
| Some months later G met d, a friend OF
Mrs. BIS. Hello, c. said d, i hear your
| prices have gone upf What do you
| paw you ElOO for that article on her chinal'
| A always said acted like q cad in telling
! the facts to Mrs B. True, A had pocketed the
! EiOO, and c had never asked for OF received
a penny; but all the same, A considered
| that G was "a low writer fellAh and no
! gentleman He'd have given him ten
ner" out Of the spoils il had asked for IL,
! The social hiRhwayman has sharp ears.
/ At the club, on the racecourse, at the smart
party, he is ever on the watch for some
| thing convertible into ready cash An
| oficial secret Is always worth something,
II YOU know where to place IL. Therefore
no secret is safe with him And Official
dom goes on Illuminating against untrllst-
worthy editors and mythical rePorteIs,
impecunious IL honorable Billy, or my Lord
Jack the Earl's fifth boy, who Is really
| the offender
The social highwaymRn as a oonnoisseur
Is the most amusing type, His method u
simple. His rooms are furnished with an
| extravagant beauty Colored prints, tap
| estry. pictures, china old furniture, adorn
walls and floor. But they don't belong
| TO him. Not a stick nor frame Is bis.
To this / can swear by the shade OF Dick
| Tirpin They are furnished by the dealer
! round the corner and our friend gets rs
| per cent. on anything he sells 70 his guests,
II was said of one Of these -cOnnoisseurs
that you could not admire so much as
| warming pan in his rooms without finding
II on your doorstep when you got home
with a neat bill stating the price, attached
| 10 the handle.
The CITY man often finds employment
for the highwaymAn. The connection re-
| sembles the shark and the pilot fab. The
| pilot introduces the shark TO its prey All
the expenses incurred thereby are paid
| by the shark and a percentage goes TO
| his ally. know Of q man whose dinners
are the talk Of sodety. The Savoy, the
Carlton, Claridge's, hold his name In high
esteem But be does not pay the bulls,
bless your innooencei Among his noh
and distinguished guests a quiet little
| Hebrew IL ever present Scores OF most
useful acquaintance has he made by those
recherche repasts given by his dashmg,
| open handed, popular friend But II Il
| the little man who pays,
Such Is the social highwayman, And
! remember that, II there Is not plumber for
him in the exploitation az politicT or social
ambition or articles Of vertu, he will have
at the man with money, with wines cigars,
motors, house properties, and who can
| saw what besides. For hs is q robber, Hs
| l have said, Of incredible ingenuity. Almost
l.. l.. ...sak $3.50 aVaTA