The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-01-03
WILLIAM FAVERSHAM TELLS OF HIS EARLY EXPERIENCE

&
was in the habit OF receiving i tip
| from these appiicnnts--he must hav&
been one OF the original grafters. Tf
always seemed to me such an uninfeA
| ligent system, that this man should
scheme to get tip from n class Of
men, like myself, who were Absolutely
poverty stricken and. as they say now
a-days, down and out" Otherwise
we should not have been there beg
ging for work.
Then the great God of Nature came
to my rescue and the frightful bliE-
card happened. There was such cry
for snow shovellers that I managed 10
make good deal of money clearing
away snow from the front of houses
on 22nd. Dist and Goth Streets, be-
tween 9Th and 9th Avenues They
were all residences in those days. This
did me quite well and gave me. an4
my dog. Sam. very good living But.
as the weather cleared MP and Spring
began to appear and my money again
died down, / had to leave the place
was living in. and not knowing what
TO do. l used 10 wander in the Park.
and found a very nice place up there
where one could sleep under shelter.
There was very digni6ed. fat Park
keeper. who took great exception t.
my remaining there when be discover.
ed that remained all night Then I
told him nav story and he wHE very
good about II. used to help him in
the morning to clean out two very
primitive dressing rooms--one for Ia
dies and one for gentlemen.
Just at this time there wss a miner5i
spring opened up In the Park. frdm
which the city decided the people eoslld
go and drink the newly discovered min
eral water. The keeper used to stand
there and watch the cups and see that
there was nothing thrown into the
water He was ver- tactfui and very
nice. and would allow me to help him
pass the cups Sometimes / used to
receive five and sometimes ten cents
as a tip. / also remember at this time
that l did lot of window cleaning on
72nd Street which helped me to get
along. -
Then Spring came In earnest and / i
wandered up toward the Harlem Riv-
err. Where the Speedway liz now. was
all rocks and trees-quite wonderful
woods. ! remember snakes used to IN
there for l have seen my dog chase
them many times. and have hit ii
them with my stick.
They were building High Bridge.
applied TO q man there for work. The
foreman OF the plumbing department
the man who was experimenting lay
ing the water pipes--was an English
man. He gave me work at $50 day.
worked on High Bridge all through
the summer right up until the end OF
October and lived with the foremam
and his wife In fremont.
One Sunday afternoon in October.
had taken an airing and was lying
on the grass In field alongside the
driveway. which ! believe II called
Jerome Avenue, watching the carriages
and buggies and trotting horses carry.
ing people on their Sunday afternoon
airings. An English dog-cart with !
very nice housekeeping cob came along
driven by friend of mine who had
known my people In England and who
knew Of my escapades there. I found
out afterward that he had been search
ing for me all over New York. mo-
ticed that he pulled un his horses
sharply and began looking at me.
got up to walk away. He threw the
reins into the hands of the lady who
was sitting next to him, jumped OF
OF the carriage and called to me,
I, turned around, seeing there was ~
| escape. We shook hands and had !
long tdlk. He took me dnEn and In
troduced me to the lady.
| We went to the nearest hotel, one 0f
those old-fashioned road houses. Sat
down and had some refreshments. and
] laughingly told them my story. They
enjoyed 1t Immensely, but my friend
insisted that I come home with him
and get my hands and myself general
ly In condition for my work In the the
atre, He was enthusiastic over the
theatre and thought I had@a great
chance. promised TO see him In thu
course Of tha next week or two. H.
used TO drive up nearly every othkr
day after that In the evening. And
finally packed up and left Nj. III. !
grim and his wife. with much rexxet
and was Installed with my friea1S II
10 Fifth Avenuc. Than accor ~
~ ecntfnct 4 beaan nv - = = I
] nt ~ NM m ~