The Mena weekly star., 1911-07-06
ALL HE HAD TO
HIS FRIENDS
Jimmie dc Rat Once Pickp0ckct
in st. Louis, Remembered
Those Who Were Good
to Him.

Crowded down by the river in
lawless days of the Civil war, when
pillage was profession and loot
was regarded as legal. Collins grew
up without the pale of law. He was
nimbIe footed, nimble fingered and
nimble witted in his fugitive way.
War was in the air when he was
boy, the Ouantrels and Jameses
were heroes in Missouri and train
robbery was an established indus
try of the state.
SO, in his small way, during the
Civil War and the ruthless days
that followed it, Jimmie Collins be-
gan to corner, commander and pill
lage, just as soldiers and carpet
baggers, guerillas and outlaws were
doing. Only, instead of taking to
the battlefields or woods or the
hills or the statehouses, Jimmie
de Rat" took TO the street. He COM
mandeere1 leather pocketbooks in
stead of the raw hides the soldiers
Communicated as cattle, and lie
lifted money instead of food. He
was in perpetual ARRAY with the
Ipolice.
For years after the war Jimmie
de Rat" like many others, did not
know that il was over. He kept on
| fighting with the police. Finally,
after thirty years skirmish, and
now and then pitched battle with
the bulls" Mike Kinney, who lived
down on Collins street, convinced
Jimmie de Rat that he was play
ling a losing game. Kinney induced
de Rat to quit his losing battle
with the bulls" and go to work.
For years he has been a trusted
Waterman in local constables'
Offices. HIS duty has been to watch
property on which the officers have
liens or on which they have made
levies. Last fall cornice on a
building at Sixth and Pine streets
picked Jimmie out as soft spot
on which to fall. That put him in
the hospital for three months.
When he recovered he compro-
missed with the owners of the prop
erty whence the cornice had fallen
for $500. This was just before
Christmas.
Jimmie de Rat had never had
81, 800, or anywhere near it, in a
lump sum before. Though a man of
much smaller acquisitive ability
than Carnegie, he was a man Of
far greater philanthropic impulse.
for Carnegie gives away only
small part of his vast annual in
come and Jimmie de Rat gave
away capital, interest, everything
| at once.
AS soon as he got the check for
| 81 500 cashed, he forgot the weak
side and permanent limp that the
falling cornice had given him. He
shuffled along to the house or place
of business of every man or wo-
man or child that had ever be-
friended him and proceeded to law
ish money upon them. Not that he
was Goal Oil Johnny" or anything
Hike that in his wild and extrava-
giant philanthrophy. He did not
give any one of his benefactors
more than S25 and he gave some as
| little as 25 cents. He carefully
measured the man or the woman or
| the child, the kindness done him,
| the need for money.
Sufficient it was that some time
in his harried, police haunted life,
they had done him a good turn. To
one woman who had washed a shirt
for him when he was hiding from
his enemies, the police, he gave S25.
To shoemaker who had put soles
on his sorely tried shoes, he gave
$40. Right and left, front and CEN
ter, to everyone who had ever
done him a favor or friendliness
Jimmie de Rat" offered or gave
money.
To Florence, tn. daughter of
State Senator Tom Kinney, he Offer
ed $40 for a Christmas present.
Little Miss Mckinney refused with
thanks. To Charley Higgins, for
merly excise commissioner. he
wanted to give S25. Mr.. Higgins
also declined with thanks. Right
and left, among old friends and new,
Jimmie de Rat followed to the let
ter the Scriptural injunction to
Give all you have to the poor"
It takes time to give away $1,000
liz you are careful and circumspect
about it, and giving away all this
wealth took seven months of the
time of Jimmie de Rat" Old friends
had to be looked up and some of
them had not been seen for years.
But recently he had fulfilled the in
functions of the scriptures and the
initiative of his heart and was truly
ia poor man. He had given away
every penny Of the $500 and was
ireiIIig quite happy.
/ remembered my friends, that Is
ALL" said Jimmie de Rat. Through
life | have had many enemies and
many good friends. | have led a
hard life, but | have found it worth
living. / found that while there
are many hard and cruel men in
the world there are many kind
hearts. many more good hearts
than bad ones.
II didn't need the money. have
no kinfolks who need it. So why not
help some people TO whom it could
do some good? I'll always be able
TO knock out good living for jim
ME. and if | don't some kind