The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-31
Their Expenses Are Paid by the
General Public.
HOW THEY WORK Their CRAFT
Get Transportation and a Little
Money and Move On.
Topeka PrOvident Association
and It's Queer Cases.

The rich have nothing on a certain
class of persons who lack coin, but
who possess an almost unlimited sup
ply of nerve, when it comes to travel
ing. In fact there are many among
the poor who make a business of trav-
cling. 1t is true they do not ride in
private cars or even go so far as to
indulge" in tourist accomm odations,
but nevertheless they travel thousands
of miles in the course of a year and
see lot of cOuntry-and of life.
Many of these persons blow in at
topeka and soon depart. The Lord
only knows where they go; they have
no objective point. To keep on the go
is part of their game
At each town where thew stoD thew
put up a pitiful story to some charity
organization or citizens who are in
cl1ned to believe their tale. In this
way they pocket railway transporta-
ton to some other town-they care
not what one-and incidentally enough
cash to buy food and necessary cloth
ing. In other words they live off 9TH
ers-are leeches in human society.
They make business of this sort of
th1ng-alwayS have a sob story cal
culated to soften the hearts of men
and women and loosen their coin.
Poor Picking in Topeka.
But they do not get very far with
their game when they spin their
yarn at the Topeka Provident build
ing The secretary or his assistant
will listen attentively to the story and
then inform the CRATER that if he
is willing to wait a day or two or pos
s1bly longer until the case is investi-
gated help will be given-that is if
the case is found to be a worthy one
The manor woman as the case may
be-will make a getaway in two cases
out of every three where transporta-
ton is wanted. Their yarns will not
stand Investigation.
One man who applied for transport
tat1on the other day stated that he
had come from Illinois and his des-
tination was Randolph. He said he
had been sent this way because of
floods.
The general public is warned by
Louis Floyd, secretary of the Provi-
dent association, not to give to beg
gars on the street because as a usual
thing their cases will not stand in
vestigation. Begging is as much a.
business with many persons as is prac-
ticing law with others. Giving in
discriminatory simply encourages
them.
One of the Cases.
OF course the beggars do not con-
fine themselves to street work A
woman wearing a white shirtwaist a
blue skirt and hat to match called at
the Provident building a few days ago.
She claimed she had an abcess of the
lungs and asked for transportation to
Colorado Springs. When she was told
that she would have to be examined
by doctor before the request would
be considered. she replied: ooh, 1
carry my own medicines with me. I
guess L will be going on. l don't be-
lieve 1 care to talk to you any longer"
That same evening she called at the
house of the assistant secretary of
the Provident association but did not
recognize her as the person to whom
she had been talking in the morning.
She wanted some clothes to wear
while working" CLOTHES like those
you are wearing will do she had the
nerve to say.
Where do you live p" was a ques-
ton asked.
ooh. right here in town at one of
the hotels" was the reply.
She subsequently got money from
two business men, but through the
assistant secretary of the "P. A the
police department was given a tip and
the woman was required to move on.