New-York tribune., 1910-02-07
EAST SIDE SH0D
BIG TIN" SULLIVAN
GIVES AWAY SHOES.
Lame, Halt and Blind IN Line
-Legless Man Gets Par
), 900 Tickets Issued.

White went down the line of castaways
waiting for Big Tim Sullivan's annual
gift of shoes yesterday in front OF the
headquarters Of the Sullivan clan, on the
Bowery. they picked out for first ser
vice the halt. the lame and the blind
Many a lmping leg and many half
closed eye appeared and developed
alarming symptoms right in front OF the
leaders. but these two philosophers o.
the Bowery were not to be deceived oy
the sudden apparent lameness or trou-
BILE, for they knew well that with those
who were not fortunate enough to nave
a place among the first hundred or SO
it was a usual trick to develop the
trouble so they would be picked for the
first batch to be given shoes.
Thirty-odd honestly lame and blind
we're finally lined up and marched or
! dragged their way up the steps aheao
OF even the first men in line, and not
until these unfortunates were fitted out
we're the regulars permitted to get by
the door.
Midway in the first line of partly lame
and blind wrecks was a cheerful lace
that seemed at first glance to be that OF
q bov. a stray Bowerv kid who had
somehow got mixed up with the three
thousand wrecks who were for the most
part upward of thirty-five years olo-
Closer inspection, however, disclosed
that the cheerful face was built on
stumpv body from which the legs had
been torn in some accident, ano IN place
of the missing parts the man had 1T
tie square platform on small Wheels Oh
which he propelled himself by. the alo
Of a pair of scuppers on his hands.
What's your name, boz" queried
Joe" Dunn, leader OF the Muiilsan
Club
Just 'stumpy BILL boss.
eHuh-well whatll you do with PAIR
of shoes. or socks, either, for that mat
ter?"
stump Bill looked mournfully at
his little platform.
Couldn't use EN- much myself, boss,
and that's fact he said. but y see.
/ JUS heard you were givin' 'em away.
an l thought I'd get pair for me pal
He's sick and he'll need 'eTn when he
gets out lookin' fer work
"sTUMPY PILL, GETS A PAIR
IT'S ten 10 one Dunn explained TO
Police Lieutenant Mike" Summers, who
was helping out on his day off by keep
ing the men in line. that he wants 70
sell them. but the Big Fellow says he
don't blame them, cause you certainly
can't eat shoes, so I guess Wen let him
have them"
Got your ticket. 'Stumpy''"?,' he asked
the abbreviated specimen before him.
But that only served 10 stir up more
trouble, because "Stumpy" said he hadn't
heard anything about tickets. didn't
know any one had to have ticket
"W'ot is this, the-ayter?" he asked
with sneer. Me pal told me that Big
Tim Sullivan said he was goin' TO give
every man what wanted 'em a pair OF
shoes. an now youse say ticket DyuA
have to buy tickets"
So they took 'Stumpy Bill off IN 4
corner, and told off man to explain that
if thcv didn't have tickets there might
be fifty thousand instead OF five thou
sand men waiting for shoes, and nnally
they sent him away happy with the reg
ulation pair of brogans and the pair Ol
woollen socks
II was a long wait for the regulars
in line outside while the men inside nj
ted out the thirty cripples, and it was
close 70 2 O'Clock before the long line
really got started. Meanwhile, tltzger-
aid and White, who were managing the
distribution, sent their helpers down the
lines that stretched out half way around
the block on each side of the door with
nails of hot coffee and baskets of buns.
Twenty dozen pairs of shoes and socks
were taken out of the first boxes opened
| and sent 10 Father Evers's Holy Name
Mission and to the Bowery Mission to
he handed out later when needed. ana
then the distribution went forward
speedily.
"Bie Tins" henchmen were careful
to impress on what few casual callers
dronped in TO sec the workings OF Inc
Bowerv statesmans scheme that 1t was
his personal charity, and though given
in the rooms of the Metamora CLUB, at
No. 207 Bowery, the Sullivan headquar-
+crs politically. the club furnished moth
ing more than the men to handle the
LITTLE TIM MISSED.
In other years the late Little Tim
v.ae usI,allv to be seen around the plat
| for,., not taking any part in the dis
,rir,+iou hut looking on and frequently
| talking 10 one or another in the line OF
,,,er 4 talk that customarily ended with
J delye into his pockets and the passing
If a little change to the unfortunate. or
| in some cases with a sreenback or two
| pig Tim" was not there yesterday
| and his men say that he never drops IN
u.hen his shoes are being distributed.
| Nor at the Christmas dinner. either,
! ,rbon these tickets are given out, they
eaid was the big fellow" to be seen,
+ axcent only last Christmas. when ne
came in for few minutes because Lit
,Ia Tim before he died told him the
.n,o,,s,, ought TO see one of them around.
! fitzgerald said they had five thousand
,,.ire of shoes and socks and that there
,rera suuposed to be five thousand
tickets given out. The supply, however
,sualIv proved to be much larger than
,be demand, at least the demand on
17ahr,,arv G. but the tickets were good
fo,. one pair OF "Sullvan's shoes" any
,in,a thev were presented, and they
! ,1.5 -, he exOIaiued al! through the