Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1870 — Begging as a Speculation. [ARTICLE]

Begging as a Speculation.

There are two classes of beggars—those who beg from sheer laziness, lack of self-respect-, and a total want of the courage necessary to make a thief; and those to whom the misfortunes of life present the alternative, beg or starve. The former may or may not be in the majority, but they are very numerous, and it is extremely unfortunate for the large clas3 of worthy and respectable beggars who are eager and willing to earn an honest living that there are so many imposters in the business. When a man by industry and frugality has accumulated a stock of crippled limbs or obscured optics, and sets out to do business on them with a conscientious intention to deal fairly with the public, it injures his prospects of pecuniary success to have another man come along pretending to be lame or blind when he ain’t, especially if the public finds it out. The public don’t like to be taken in by beggars. It is astonishing, though, how the severity of the operation of being taken in is mitigated when the swindler has money. It is not our intention to enter into an elaborate classification of the different varieties of beggars, but simply to speak of the manner in which professional begging i 3 systematized here in Cincinnati. We have it from a gentleman who claims to have investigated the subject closely, and to his own satisfaction, at least, that there is a man here who hires beggars who are blind or lame, or who have other infirmities which excite the sympathies of a feeling though somewhat hurried public, paying them a percentage on their collections, or by the day, he controlling and directing their movement I" Our informant avers that he has watched the man, and seen Mm locating his forces early in the morning, an operation which lie performs with consummate tact. Long observation and experience in the business have enabled him to judge of the value of certain corners and stairways, and he can figure to a' cent just what a doorstep is worth. There is a nice discrimination to bG used in stationing his men. For instance, beggars with deformed limbs must be placed in a position best calculated to make the deformity conspicuous and noticeable. Sore-eyed beggars are located where the sun will shine in their faces, as the sun increases the wretchedness of their appearance. A sore eyed beggar has about twice the commercial value in the sun that he has in the shade. When the sun gets around in the afternoon the boss'goes around and moves his sore eyed mendicants to suit-. They don’t like it,'of course, but that is the way they are compelled to have it. The rules of the boss compel beggars with one leg to stand all the time they are on duty, leaning painfully on a crutch. Wooden legs are strictly prohibited, impairing as they do the idea of helplessness. Very old beggars command the highest pay. A young and vigorous beggar might obtain money of the passing .public by the aid of a club, but, temporarily successful as that means of begging may be, it hurts the business in the long rap. The young and vigorous beggar must be content to work for smallwages until such time as age and infirmities overtake him, when, if he is industrious and persevering, he may be able to make a very comfortable living. Tumors are in demand with this speculator in mendicity, particularly if they are on the head and large. They are better, too, on Children. If in passing by yon pause * moment, Wondering which is the head and which the tumor, there is an opportunity for your charitable 'feelings to be worked upon, don’t yOu see? One of those extreme and (thank heaven) rare eases of inflammatory rheumatism sometimes seen where the joints are so swelled, distorted and drawn up as to make the man look like a heap of log chains, would doubtless command a big price from this singular speculator. —Cincinnati limes.