The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-07-20

Roy P. Gates, Executive of the Join,
Application Bureau Of the Chart,
Organization Society, Declares He
| Knows Of One Mendicant Who Has
Good Home in Suburbs and Com.
mutes to His Business Daily and
Keeps Profession" Secret.
| Jobs in general may be scarcer than
usual, but the wily-minded beggars
who work" New York are reported to
be doing so well that their profession
is taking in recruits at an unparal-
leled rate.
One gentleman who nightly pours
hard-luck stories into the ears Of
passers-by is said to own a country
place, kept up by the cash his appeals
bring in. Another professional pan
handler is credited with having one
Of the best-stocked liquor cellars in
New York. These, of course, are pro-
fessional men who have made pro-
found study of the business Of getting
something for nothing.
from hunger, or is facing the prospects
of carrying the banner" all night for
the lack of the price of bed, cannot
tell so convincing a story as gentle
man who lives in the country and has
his money in the bank. Especially in
to reports issued by the New York
joint application bureau of the Char
ity Organization society and by the
Federation of Jewish Charities, pro-
fessional beggary has increased until
1t is carried on today on a greater
scale than ever before
Pick Up $50 an Hour.
1t is perfectly easy for an active
beggar or panhandler to earn S. an
hour or more, whereas earnings up
to $50 an hour have been reported,
according to Roy P. Gates, the ex-
ecutive Of the joint application
bureau who is considered to be the
greatest authority on "panhandling"
In this country.
To test begging conditions and to
estimate the number Of profession
ais at work. Mr.. Gates frequently
does a little ''panhandling" himself.
At recent experiment at Herald
Square he collected 1892 in 40 min
utes. Conditions are nearly the same
in other big cities, according to Mr..
Gates, who on visit to Boston pan
handled for an hour on one corner
and picked up S5,31. a.
us Beggar Has Country Home.
81 know one professional who has
a good home in the country and com
mutes daily" said Mr. Gates. Il do
not believe that his business Is known
where he lives. After trying out many
occupations he found begging the most
profitable and stuck to it. / am not |
in his confidence to know |
lust what his methods are, but l |
think he makes changes in his clothes |
in the morning when he arrives here |
and before he returns to his country |
home, where he is apparently re-
garded as solid and substantial
,itizen.
IL know one-legged beggar who
works the South ferry district who
las one of the best-stocked liquor
CELLARS in New York"
"victims" Of Disasters.
Times Square now harbors the elite
II the mendicants Of the East, who
AVE applied modern publicity methods
o their professions. Most Of them got
,ut Of the hospital after being in
ONE disaster which has figured
argely in the news
''The great amount of begging to-
lay is due, of course, to widespread
During times when
here was plenty of employment the
eggar was unpopular.
''The case of the blind is some
ny real work. A very large per-
entage of the blind beggars turn
ut to have pretty good eyesight when
hey are investigated. The case is
lso different, Of course, with those
opelessly crippled OF the crippled
eggars very few are World war
eterans, though number wear pants
military, uniforms. ,
Holds Worlds Record.
The worlds record for fast beg
ing is believed to be held by Thomas
ampbell, who lost an arm in a rail
,ad accident and raided Times Square
'owds in khaki and soldiers hat,
18th row of medals across his breast.
e was arrested and found weighted
18th several pounds of pennies, nickels
I'd silvers and sheaf of bills. He
he had made $50 in one
our. Campbell's methods were
aique. He went through Times
Iuare crowd as a crack half-back
yes through an open field, thrust
g the stump of an arm into face
ter face, holding his other hand
zen and exclaiming:
'You understand Come across r
His one good hand was hardly fast
ouph TO take in the money thrust