The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1908-02-01

notsurprising th at New Orleans should
likewise touch an original note in the
matter of her street beggars. Fore.
most among these is the picturesque
old chap minus leg, but plus q
very sweet and winning smile, who
traverses the principal thorouahfares
of the city whistling like bird and
attracting general attention by his
striking appearance as we'll as by the
exquisite melody of the bird-like notes
that issue from his wonderful throat,
His hair is snowy white and falls in
long, loose waves to his shoulders,
! and while he is essentially masculine
in figure, he has the refined, sweet
face of woman. I have been given
to understand that he is widely trav
elled, having been all over the world,
and is a man OF culture and education.
Yet he is q beggar Of the streets-a
peddler of pencils; bit of dotsam in
the great sea of humanity. | pointed
| this old fellow out to friend OF mine,
a newspaper man from Missouri who
idled away few days in New Orleans
last week. tHe is the most cheerful
beggar you can imagine, . / explained
to him, always smiling, always
whistling, always beight-eyed and
alert and seemingly without q care in
the world. 'sNeW Orleans is a great old
town. laughed my friend, t.even your
beggars are different; cheerful ones
are rather the exception than the rule,
| must admit.
And it certainly is a fact; very few
of our beggars really belong to the
down in-the-mouth class. One famil-
lar figure is q cripple who peddles
pencils on a certain street corner and
| who sits in his roller chair and laughs
and jokes merrily with fruit vendor
on the same corner. He talks slang,
sings snatches of popular airs and
gossips in the most light-hearted fash
ion, and if you drop q coin in his tin
cup he tips his hat and acknowledges
the generosity with all the careless
ease and aplomb of wel-bped man
of the world.
Among the Objectionable beggars Of
the town is the mis-shapen paralytfc
boy whose territory is the shopping
district of Canal street and who never
fails to accost the man he chances 10
see pause on the busy thoroaghfare to
chat with some feminine friend. This
willy beggar knows thai under such
circumstances it will be embarrassing
for man to ignore plea for charity.
Yet / am told that this same. pitiable
looking boy expends the money he
gains through the medium Of his phys
ical deformity in playing the races.
HDon't you ever do anything but
eat in this town." asked my friend
from Missouri after had explained TO
him that some of the things he mustd o in
"doing" New Orleans included break
fast at Begue' IS, luncheon at Antoine's,
dinner at Galatoire's and a gin fizz at
Ramos. "Oh, yes, I said in reply,
s'we go to the opera and the theatres
and have beautiful Carnival, and fn
between times, Of course-we work =
"And die he added fippanfly, for
goodness knows I never saw SO many
cemeteries in any one place before in
my life. Restaurants, saloons, the
atres and cemeteries, y he continued,
"you certainly seem to excel in these
industries; but, after all, it's the nat
ural sequence-you eat, drink and
| make merry, and apparently on the
morrow you die!n "Well, don't you
ever forget that we LIVE first.n said I
by way of the last word. In spite of
the fact that he took great delight ia
knocking New Orleans to me, he en-
ioyed every moment of his stay here,
. and spent the time sampling our in.
comparable Creole cooking, nosine
about our old curiosity shops and Wis.
ting the numerous spots and places oi
interest made famous in history, SONG
and story.
Election day-mild and spring likt
in temperature and bright Hish sun
shine passed quietly IN New Orleans
Up to a couple OF hours after the polls
, closed the result of the voting wa
doubtful, but later il The night altflen
, tic inform alton from a local newspa
/ per Office declared J. Y. Sanders
elected by q possible majority 0
, 10000. Z. 3.