Evening star., 1909-05-16

very Threshold OF poverty. and that
amid all the wealth and splendor that
BELTS nations capital.
six dollars now represented the total
of my worldly assets. The gracious land
lady of an unpretentious boarding house
here soon relieved me of this sum and
within ten days Of my first appearance
there ] was elected without ceremony.
my trunk being retained as security for
credit given to the extent Of $50. The
day before the inevitable occurred l left
the boarding house wearing two suits OF
clothes, the pockets thereof bulging with
diverse articles of salable value. Though
] felt as though | were forming a prece-
dent to the discredit of an honored name.
the facts in the case seemed to justify
my actions. An INSCRIPTIONS second
hand dealer relieved me of all super
f1uous wearing apparel and other para
phernalia. giving cash value in return.
Adding this sum to few odd dollars
earned in various ways the total amount
ed to $11, with which ] have eked out
a precarious existence. In sQualid lodg-
ing houses among a vicious and ungodiy
element for the past FIVE weeks
"To live on $11 for five weeks would be
difficult matter anywhere. and much
more SO in Washington. / did not have
SI1 to start with, understand, but that is
the total amount was able to earn in
that time. I obtained it in this manner:
Window cleaning and gardening, S1.5O:
charity from individuals. S1.JO: sale or
clothes, $3.50; sale of scarf pin. cuff links
and razor, $1.35: sale of watch and fob,
$3-gfving total of $1O.S5.
IAN itemized list of the expenditure OF
this amount may also be of interest. For
the last five weeks. 1t Will be seen, IN
dulged in more luxurieS than most people
would under similar circumstances, but
rnc fbot 7 keen per-
sonal appearance IL hoped to obtain en-
ployment. At the Central Union Mission
there is plenty OF water for bath, but
no soap or towel, 1t being the practice of
dodgers to steal the latter articles. Hence
my visits to the barber shop once week
NJ expenditures were: Shaves, 81; shoe
shines 80 cents; shoes repaired. 20 cents;
beds paid for. $3.50; meals, $3.50; laundry,
30 cents with a total of $1O.15.
Three nights in the municipal lodging
house and two nights out of doors COM
pIete the story of my hand-to-mouth ex-
istence for the five weeks just past. IL
may be to my credit to mention that the
charity was not actually solicited. but
was given to me by people whom
asked for work and who understood my
circumstances One way In which l
practiced economy was to go to bakery
and buy 10 cents worth Of stale bakery
goods This would last me an entire day.
II is the amount of food rather than the
quality that counts sometimes. At one
time / had nothing to eat for thirty-six
hours.
"The professional vagrant would have
spent this whole $11 In two days or less.
Very few of this class have more than
dollar at one time, and that soon burns
a hole in their pockets, as the saying Is
Personal appearance does not concern
them, as they are not looking for work.
After exhausting their credit at the vari-
Gus charitable institutions they visit the
back doors of private houses for the pur-
pose Of securing Handouts" They de-
plore the fact that there is no free bar
Der college" in this city and that work is
required at the missions and municipal
lodging house in return for meals or bed.
Many go down to the yards and sleep
in a freight car, often waking up to hnd
themselves a hundred or more miles
away, for the Weary Willies sleep very
sodndly.