The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-05
GRAFTERS BY The SEA SHORE.
PEST THAT ATLANTIC CITY COT
TAGERS MUST FIGHT.

The Doubter Tries 4 Morning 1T Home n
Is Approached by Every variety or
Easy Money r-Quick Getaway
for the .'Who's Who Book Man.
ATLANTIC City, August As the height
of the season approaches, this place Ia over
run by q queer lot Of Eeripatetic grafters,
fakirs and beggars. Some OF them look
like characters in vaudeville. Most OF them
confne themselves strictly to working the
Gotta ees -"cottage" down here being an
unnecessarily modest word In its appllca-
ton to the splendid and ornate residences
that 70 by that name. The beggars are
the rawest ever. The grafters are almost
ludicrously bold and unafraid. The fakirs
are laughably lrable charletans.
A man maintaining a fine cottage here
couldn't quite believe all the tales OF mis-
women folks about the swarm OF dough
seekers who work the cottages here on
week days. He was a bit under the weather
a few DAYS ago and so, instead OF commute
ing up to Philadelphia to his business as
usual, he decided to loaf around the cottage
for the day.
He was reading his newspaper on his
front porch at half past 8 o'clock in the
morning when a stolid looking German OF
40 or 60, a mighty rugged seeming chap
with a fine color and the look OF somebody
with a good breakfast in him, walked up
the steps. The German wore a pretty
good brown sack snit and his straw hat
wasn't unduly sunburned, considering the
advanced season.
1Well?" said the %cottager.
The German shook his head, making a
rlatrlu Indicating
or meant to indicate. that he was shy OF
English, and produced a gummy letter
from his breast pocket and handed 1t to
the cottager. The letter professed to be
from the hand OF an Atlantic City clergyman,
and it set forth the statement that this
deserving German had had a lot OF do
nestle and other trouble in the old country
and whatever little amounts OF money
nothing but money was mentioned-might
be bestowed upon him by charitably In
clined persons wouldn't be wasted. The
cottager took another look at the lumpy,
we'll nourished carcass Of the German and
handed him back his letter.
.They need roller chair pushers on the
Boardwalk, and 20! look pretty husky"
no said to the man. "on your way
.Me push Won oof dem t'ings?" snorted
the German who had no English, indig-
nantly returning his letter to his breast
pocket, and then he hustled down the steps
to escape the cottager's rapidly approaching
shoe toe.
The co.tager had barely resumed his
paper before a trig. but exceedingly cal
cimined and otherwise made up woman
Of middle age tripped up the porch steps
with a fine stimulation OF youthful lightness.
The oottager put aside his paper and rose
and bowed.
-The lady-can I see herr" inquired the
calcimined one.
She's breakfasting in bed-I'm the only
one up yet, said the %cottager. Anything
l can do for your"
The madeup woman considered for a
moment as she tapped her foot, and then
abe gazed at the cottager. a portly middle
aged mar with a great assumption Of
girlish winsomeness.
"You have trolbles2" she asked the cot
tager, with her head cooked to one side.
None that a dyspepsia tablet or 80 won't
Ak said the man. -Why?"
I'm healer Of TROUBLES. said the woman,
producing a card with mental healer"
under her name. Il teach repose of mind.
/ eAOTClSe cares ny tcttCniuS pcoplc W tdho
the opposite thought. l."
You'll probably do better on the oppo-
site side Of the street, madam" said the
man, somewhat annoyed because he'd
been salaaming rather unnecessarily, and
she went down the steps with a toss Of her
head.
A rough looking chap, evidently a for
eigner, with a bullet head and a heavy
layer of fat on the back Of bis neck, wheezed
up the steps a few minutes later.
"Palms2" no said to the cottager, hoarsely.
'Hey1 Palms in midsummer What for
fort" said the cottager.
Il mean, do you want palms ret alretty
yet" said the bullethead.
DO I want my palm r~ead-especially
before I've so much as read the front page
headlines in my newspaper? Get out!"-
and the palmist vent down the steps hur-
riedly and In an obvious state Of alarm.
A little while later a puffy faced young
woman, decidedly bedraggled looking as
to her raiment, walked up the steps with no
great amount Of steadiness.
Good morning. sir" she said, with an
attempt at the ingratiating manner. Beau
tiful, isn't it, this weather."
Fine said the man. rafting his p
suspiciously. whats the"
I'm going to ask you to do something for
our angels said the ~bedraggled and puffy
faced woman, producing a notebook with
some m scrubbed In 1t. "The darling
little tenement tots Of Philadelphia, you
know. We have q home for EN- here, you
know, and we fetch EN- down here for a
week; and they have the grandest time,
the preoiouses, that never see anything but
the baked and sordid streets. All OF the cot
tagers are giving literally this year. Now
what shall put your name down forf Pull
lease make it generous for the darlingsl
Do l q the money at onoei Oh, yes
there is immediate need for it, you know"
you must have overworked yourself
yesterday, madam said the cottager,
whose memory for fnoes is excellent. -You
looked overworked or something, any way,
late last night, when you were being pushed
down the Boardwalk in a roller chair, with
your feet hanging over the dashboard and
your arm tossed quite affectionately around