The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-08-04
Concerning Beggars.

The average man has inbred Into his psy-
GEOLOGICAL machinery q tendency to give, a
kind of religious fervor that easily separates
him from his coin when any worthy cause
presents Itself.
A certain class OF dead beats have made
capital of this fact and have preyed on the
unsuspecting public from time i~mmemorial,
and are preying here today, here in Abbeville
They assume different roles in the game.
Now 1t Is an old Confederate Soldier who
wants TO get to bis home in Spsrtanburg: now
1t is a poor woman with a child who wishes
so much to reach her home in Clinton; now
1t is q young fellow Who bangles an arm all
tout of whack;'' now it is a "peg leg" who has
relatives in Kalamazoo, to when place he Ia
going II he can raise the funds; now 1t Is a
robust specimen but he has q sore on his leg
which he unblushingly displays to your In
tense nausea. The role Is varied, their name
Is legion.
The good house wife comes to the door to
meet these ignoble rabblerout with their
greedy paws extendsd for aims, and immedl-
aiely there flies to her mental machinery
something concerning bread cast on the
waters, angels unawares, etc; and she tiles
away for coin OF the realm, and with q smile
that makes the menclicant grin drops the
lucre into his hand.
Not long since we were at the S. A. L. depot
waiting for a train when a mendicant Of the
.'peg leg' variety put in bis appearance. Hav-
ing read "Jack London's Life in the Under
World" we felt a sort OF Interest in this
tramps misery and approached him In a sort
of hard luck, down and out, brotherly man
ner, in order to hear him talk; when q con-
versation something like this occurred:
Hello old neighbor, which way?
oh I'm beatln' 1t to Elberton.
What luck today?
Not much, got enough to max the trip al
right but amt goi9' to give 1t to the Railroad
H. can help 1t.
Don't you get weary OF this thing sometime
Bet yer life, goin' to quit 1t some of these
days.
On the dead level, how much do you make
at this thing?
Oh, what 1 get varies, sometimes high as
ten, and then again l don't get more than two
or three dollars per day there our eyes began
to stick out like a ~snails.)
What! you don't get that much!
"Sure 1 do, i'll didn't; bet yer life I'd stop
the profession Of hobo right here. I expect TO
Quit the thing soon. I've about made enough
TO do roe and when I get my pile I'm goin' tc
quit.
Here he opened up and told how he know
of q tramp that used to make this territory
Red, something by name, why mis- mark II
IN the waiting room yonder." pointing to the
8. A.. L. depot waiting room. Red lived some
where in Maryland, and was worth a hun
dred thousand dollars all Of which he made
by the profession OF 3D." Red was not liked
BY the rest OF the fraternity on account Of biz
taciturnity, he would have nothing to dc
with his fellow "Bos" padded his own canoe
(This made our eyes stick out some more.)
"Say pard. on the quiet, how much have
you NADER"
"Oh, I've rounded up enough to buy me 8
good farm and stock 1t, that's all 1 want, I'm
no hog"
And the scamp had our ten cents, given the
previous morning, to one whom we thought
was hungry! We felt like an imitation ten
cents with q hole in 1t. "a good farm, and
stock IL" rings In our ears yet.
A few days ago one Of our court house OH.
clals was approached by a poor fellow who
lust had to get to his wife and children. He
needed Just fifty cents. J. F., mindful of that
little phrase about casting bread on thu
waters, ect; gave him the nifty cents. R. S.
another official, watched the NEEDY one"
take the money, 90 to the dispensary, and
invest in liquid delight.
A poor old Confederate Soldier(?) has been
going the rounds lately trying to get some
where. The same poor old soldier was here
before and called at the same house a SECOND
time. When reminded Of the fact, he had the
good grace to beg pardon and fade away.
It is about time we had a trust on beggars.
France has just such a beggars trust. There,
IL Ia necessary for a beggar to show his ore
dentials before he can e1pet aims. All those
unfortunates who are really objects OF charity
are given certificates from beggars head
Quarters to that effect, and the mendicant
must show that certificate when he makes
rounds.
The average person does no" like to refuse q
needy one. and as a result he usually gives
to all in order to make no mistake. Rather
than refuse to "entertain an angel unsw ares
he will help "Red" pile up a hundred thous.
and and aid "peg leg" to buy a.dne farm and
stook it.
AS for us when we think OF having helped
..Red" to his hundred thousand, in our mea.
gre circumstances, and having made dona-
lions, as MIR. Galloway would say, TO Peg
Legs fine farm and stock, the evil that bub.
bles up in us more than neutralizes all the
good that we have ever gotten to our souls
from entertaining the angels or casting bread
on the briny deep.
On the dead level we have been against all
trusts but in this one respect all our democra-
cy is slipping from US like a cooter of Of a
slick log. We want a trust, a beggars trust
80 that We can tell when to part with our
meagre cash.
Red, q hundred thousand dollars. Peg leg
q fine farm and stock 1t! The good Lord help
us!
"Hark, Hark, the bull dog bsrks
The beggars are coming to town,
Some in rags, some In tags
And some In velvet gowns!"
We draw the line at this velvet gown varie
ty, and we wish II were possible to tell which
,s which. Nothing but a trust will do 1t and
o we are no more a trust buster but a firm
nd staunch believer in the trust-the beg