| Show professional BEGGARS amicus advises that they be discouraged editor jeveret Je seret news salt lake city can no longer boast that it is free from beggars not mot only can the halt and the lame and the blind be seen on main street accompanied by the usual amount of aud and execrable music but ou on the side streets the professional beggar can be found soliciting alms from the loot foot passengers on monday last the writer was met on brigham street by a woman about 35 or 40 years of age she was carrying an empty purse in her hand band and commenced a tale about having coming coining to the city from springville Spring ville to see her son only to find that he had bad left the city and gone east ease she was now destitute but bat only wanted her railroad tare fare to springville Spring ville surely the kindhearted kind hearted gentleman would oblige her there was nothing very improbable about her story but it was told in true professional fess ional style which was familiar famil larto to the ear of the writer added to which he had heard of her and knew some who had been imposed upon by her story which was not new by any means while residing in england where professional beggars can be numbered Eythe by the thousand the writer spent a good deal of time in endeavoring to tind find one genuine ease case of really deserving poverty begging in the streets but he never succeeded professional beggars make a great deal of money one ot of that class who used to jingle ingle some tins on his bis shoulder and make a horrid noise trying to sing a nursery song he be never changed the taue often boasted that he be made thirty dollars in a day and when he only made five or tun ton was greatly disgusted when he died he left real estate worth thirty thousand dollars another had what lie he called tae father caper or dodge he used to wait in a saloon until some miserable looking lookin old man came in when he be would ask ast him if he be would like to get a quart of beer he invariably was answered in id the affirmative he would then tell the old man to follow him and instruct him when he put his bis hand on his shoulder to stand still only if he walked on any distance he be was to follow slowly and beep him in sight but on no account was he to listen to what he said they then proceeded together into the street where the professional began to look earnestly for some lady or gentleman sent lemau for a mark having found one he would lower his voice to a kind of whine and say excuse me sir I 1 am not in the habit ot of asking charity and I 1 it it were for myself I 1 would die first but theres my poor old fattier father there he has walked twenty miles today and hadnot has not tasted food and not even a pipe of tobacco please help me to get him aim something bior for heavens sake he e seldom failed to get two or three dollars in an hour he would spend this and then find another father and repeat the same old thing it may seem incredible to many that so much money is made in the streets let me mention another case A lame boy used to play an accordion accor deon on the streets of liverpool and he be played well he was offered fifty dollars a week to play in a music hall ball which offer he declined as helmace he made a great deal more his name was arthur forwood A gentleman on one occasion offered him ten dollars to play for one evening he declined but acceded lor fifteen in london and in other large cities there are institutions where beggars are prepared tor for the streets and and are gotten up in all styles as sailors soldiers cotton operatives sufferers from colliery explosions etc the hiring of children is an old dodge twins ahn can be had bad for 75 cents a day in london and generally brin bring the woman who hires thema profitable days return those who have seen the play of the two orphans might alay think thin it unreal or exaggerated they were never more mistaken A number of these professional beggars are here in our oar midst shall they be permitted or encouraged to infest our oar cit city this glorious city where thank ad god none need want and where move mors ral charity is given than in any city of its population on the face of the earth no one wishes to deny to the aged the blind the lame or the infirm the necessaries or even the luxuries of life nor to question the motive which prompts many good and kind men and women to give alms to every importunate port beggar who accosts them or appeals to them but bat they really do harm and not good give charity chanty by all means and give as liberally as you can afford but bat see e to it that it is given to the truly needy and not to professional beggars make it a rule to give no money in the street to any person if you think any one is really hungry go into the nearest restaurant and pay tor for a meal ancelet and jet us by wisdom and prudence rid spur ur beautiful city of adventurers and professional beggars beg gare that we may be able again to truly say that there are no beggars in our midst AMICUS |
