San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-21

the larger cities. He travels with bird
like regularity from north to south in
the fall and from south to north in the
spring. While many of these beggars are
horribly crippled, some are blind agd
others incapacitated in other ways, ]
majority of them are capable Of earning
livelihood by honest effort. There prol-
ably is not ten per cent of the beggarS
who loaf upon the streets OF the big
cities who could not use hands or feet
sufficiently to do something useful
The plain truth of the matter is that
begging is one of the most profitable
occupations known to the professional
mendicant. On a good corner on good
day a beggar will clean up anywhere
from ten to fifty dollars. Beggars have
been arrested in some of the larger cities
who had bank accounts. Others have
been found with several thousands of
dollars sewed inside of their tattered
clothing.
The bcggar, when he makes street-beg-
ging his profession, soon becomes an eX-
pert in human nature. He likewise be-
comes adept at judging faces. He knows
almost instinctively, the approaching man
or woman who will give or who will not
give. Likewise he becomes very clever
in presenting his case if he belongs to
the group known in beggar parlance as
talking beggars."
1t has been found in some Of the larger
cities that schools for professional beg
gars were conducted where merdicarts
were taught how to beg, where they were
provided with signs to hang about their
necks, where they could secure appro-
pirate costumes and even were disfigured
with acids for the purpose OF promoting
In San Antonio Of course, begging on
the streets has not been reduced to quite
50 scientific a basis but there annually
arc a number of professional or scmi-pro-
,cGsional beggars here from northern and
eastern centers who spend quite comior-
able winters on Our sidewalks in the sun
shine without losing income in the
process.
Most people give aims on impulse.
Few people conduct their charitable
works Systematically and mcthodica1ly.
Perhaps there are times when impulsive
giving is in order. There arc sudden cases
# di,trcss when the - 1mlsi,e givcr OF
IN is indeed IN angel Of mercy. Put
unfortunately nine times in ten, the giver
vhn acts on impulse tails to provide real
charity. Such gifts not infrcquently fall
nto the hands of those not really in need |
u who are wheedling, professional beg
Jars who never have tried to work and |
will never make an effort to ameliorate
heir conditions so long as they can get
money by begging.
In such cases il not infreQuently hap
'ens that very deserving people who eith-
r are ashamed TO beg or incapable of |
begging so as TO attract the attention |
to secure aid, go utterly neg
ected and in dire distress while the pro-
essional beggar prospers.
Probably it is better to give on i'm
,ulse than not to give at all and even
mistaken charity, when well intentioned,
$ better than to shut out all compass
ion and charity from the heart But
,eople who are accustomed to dropping
lines and quarters into every out
stretched hand or hat would do well to
ponder whether, in their own immediate |
there may not be cases in
ar more need OF helping hand than
hose exhibited by the professional bcggar
N the street corner.