The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1912-12-13
PROFESSIONAL BEGGARS.

1t is about time to put a stop to the
invasion of the cities of the Calumet
region by professional beggars from
Chicago. These beggars learn when
there is pay day at the mills and
time their visits accordingly.
Most of them have regular routes
They have the business of begging so
systematzed that they always happen
into the right place at the right time.
A beggar who does not clean up six
or eight dollars day is failure.
May of the objects of our charity
are the owners of fine fiat buildings
in Chicago and could buy out the man
who pitingly drops a dime into his
hat
There is no more foolish charity
possible than to aid these profess
sional beggars who adopt every posi-
Bile means of arousing the sympathy
of pedestrians.
In the city of Hammond George W.
| Jones. known as Popcorn George, y
trudges about the city feeling his way
with the billiard cue he uses for a
| cane. He works from early morning
| until late at night He is getting old
and yet he persists in his efforts to
earn an honest living. And the very
| people who are giving six or eight
| dollars day to the beggar who may
have an automobile, for all we know,
overlook the needs of our own Blind
| Gerge.
Then there is Richard Taussig
who, in spite of his terrible deformi-
ty, earns living every day selling
papers He is faithful to his work
| cheerful in, the face of conditions
which make it impossible for him tc
move about by his own efforts and is
deserving of all this community can
do for him
Over in Gary Bill Rugh sold
papers all day long and earned an
honest living until the time came 70,
him to make the heroic sacrifice
which cost him his shriveled up les
and eventually his life. We overlook
the needs of such and give aims t.
impostors
The police allow these people t.
obtain money under false pretense:
because they are afraid of public
opinion. In Chicago these beggar:
have been driven from the loop dis
trict by the order of the police.
In justice to the needy in oul
own cities there should be some in
vestigation to determine the WORTH
ness of these beggars who make thei
periodical appearance.
The police ought to get up nerv,
enough to run professional beggar
out of the city regardless of the hui
and cry of the few who might no
understand the true situation
!. That woman who has been comm,
. here for years with a six weeks oil,
baby in her arms ought to be investi
, gated as well as some others. Some
body ought to find out why that bah
never grew to normal size.
1t sets bad example in a com
munity like this where everybod
takes 1T for granted that they mus
n earn an HONEST living. If a leg OF
v is worth SO a day to the professions
I beggar, leg and arm off is wort
+ 81 day, both legs off worth S.
Y day and both legs and one arm
a worth $40 day, there is no wonde
that charity is commercialized.
. Illinois has institutions for the car
g of the poor but the professional beg
, gar scorns to be supported by til
4 state. He can make too good a thin
out of the general public right her
), in Lake County
: The police ought to make it a rul
that none but residents of this count
, are entitled to it's charity and put
, stop to the invasion of this region b
! professionals from Chicago.