Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-24
PITCHED FOR PHLLTES
NOW FIGHTS TO HOLD
CITY HALL NEWSSTAND
Friends of Blind Man, and Grip
pied Former Athlete, Rally
to Aid of Their Imperilled
Business
CAN'T AFFORD PRIVILEGE

Ono day in 1882 n stalwart young man
stood on the hurting mound OF the Phil
Hes ball park and hurled a baseball
across the plate with a bathing cOmbina-
tion OF speed and skin. II was his first
game in the big leagues. He was coun-
try boy, from Sunbury, and he wore witr
pride the gray shirt with the black letter
p. He felt eNuberantly the strength and
perfect health of his young body and he
pictured with confidence his future as a
BAH player.
Ho made good at once and signed TO
play with st. Louis next year. He pitched
two games for ST. Louis before the
season closed The second game was
the last time he ever wore a uniform.
for when next season opened he was
on crutches. Rheumatism had gotten
into his Joints, and the activities of his
young frame were checked.
The future of that young man never
came out Of the dream stage. He was
doomed to be a physical wreck. Now he
stands, with his back bent almost double,
ekeing out n bare existence by the sale
of newspapers at stand In the east
corridor under City Hall. Today the
bowed back seems more bent, for the
hope OF life that would be n series of
fights against the athletic flower of big
league has been reduced to the reality
of a struggle against a municipal order
income, averaging So week. Such is
| Chris Nen at the age of SO.
Around the corner, in the south corri-
dor, is blind John Miller. His usually
placid face wears a disturbed frown.
lie has heard the news of the latest
calamity in his life of hardship. The
| city envies him the pittance he derives
| from the newsstand he conducts in the
south corridor under City Hall and wants
to take part of his fortune" from him.
FRIENDS TO THE RESCUE.
/ An order issued by the Bureau Of City
Property calls for bids for the privilege
of conducting stands under the Public
Buildings But the earnings of the men
| are SO small that they say 1t is impossible
to pay anything for the privilege, and II
the city insists in carrying out its inten.
ton, they say, they will be driven out OF
| business.
Fortunately however, for the two Grip.
Piles, their friends are aroused to the Sc
riousness of their plight and have an
nounced that they will rally to theil
defense. Miller originally obtained per
mission to stand there through Senator
Edwin II. Ware, and the latter declare.
he will do all in his power to preven
the man from being driven from business
II will go to see Director Porter" tn,
Senator said yesterday, land see wha
can be done. And IL the city won't ALLOW
them to stand there 1 will help them bic
or else enable them to get permission I,
stand elsewhere. They cannot afford Il
pay anything for stands of so littl
value"
Miller. who is SO years old was asked
whether he intended to bid for the privi
lege.
How can 1 bid anything?' he asked II
his soft tones, tinged with the faintes
trace of German accent. II earn hardl!
a dollar day here
HAS BEEN BLIND 12 YEARS.
Miller is the father of seven children
He has been blind ~ years. For five q
those years he availed himself of tn
charity of the city hospitals and tried Il
be cured. For the last six years he ha
maintained his stand. Before he starte,
to work his wife was forced to go ou
every day to earn enough to keep then
from starvation. Now he is afraid sh
will again have to return to the old hard
ships.
why do they want to interfere will
two old cripples?" Miller asked. "I hav
trouble enough as 1t is. / get here at
in the morning and stay until at night
Sometimes when go home am so tiret
in the knees 1 can hardly walk. There u
no money in II. My son has to bring M
here and stop for me to take me home
That's 20 cents carfare q day.
There are nine of us I'm the family
Two of my daughters are almost blind
| -Four OF the children work, but they max
so little-s16 in all. II is hard to live, 70
there is rent and food and clothes. It I
hard for nine people to live on that. The
haven't given us notice yet. They Nigh
at least tell us that we are going TO b
| put out.
Thousands of people pass here ever,
| nd FAM 90 OF
to buy a paper or a postcard" Here
man interrupted him to ask for tw
nickles for a dime. Miller gave II 4
him. "See." he went on, chats all som
people think I'm here for-accommoda
tion. Nobody realizes what / am VI
against"
EARNINGS ARE MEAGRE.
once Miller was a tailor and mad
enough to support his family in comfort
Then his eyes went back on him and hi
troubles commenced. Now he sees moth
ing but misfortune In store for him.
what can / do IL they drive me ou
of here?' he asks IT cannot bear L
think OF making my wife go to worl
again, yet / could better sit home thar
come to work here IL / have to pay tn,
city money"
Chris Nef lives in a room at 10th an,
Cuthbert streets, and eats his fruga
meals I'm a restaurant He is all alone II
the world.
81 wouldn't pay a cent for the prlvi
lege," he said. why, in winter / max
hardly anything. sometimes no more thai
80 or 60 cents a day. l have gone ava.
with as little as IL cents In my pocke
as the entire days receipts. In summe
/ do better. once, on a Fourth OF July
, 1 took in S.
81 make hardly anything out of news
papers, and have to depend on the post
cards and maps. live from hand Z
mouth, for ! spent all my money tryin
TO get cured of rheumatism. / have
H. saA