The herald. [microfilm reel], December 15, 1895, Image 21

About The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
THE BEGGARS'
HEADQUARTERS
Well Supported by the
Prosperous Fakirs
of Gotham
THEY ARE A MERRY CROWD
The Deaf and Dnmb Man Answers the
Telephone and the Checker
Experts arc Two "Help
the Blind" Rogues
New York, Deo. 9, —With the advent
,of cold weather the be ging industry
always takes a big boom, and the mem
bers of the "perfesh" manage to live
pretty comfortably until the spring
comes along.
There are two classes of beggars in
town, the really needy and the fakirs.
I'ae legitimate beggars bave a hard
time, while the fakirs enjoy life. Every
one knows uior > or less about the
former, but the lutter are a mystery.
Iv the summer time they haunt the
country districts, and the funny pa
pers call them "Wandering Willie,"
"Dusty Rhodes," "Weary Waggles"
aud "Rusty Haggles." The fake beg
gars of the wiuter season in New York
are lazy, nealtby tramps during tbe
warmer months.
They have to do something during
the cold season to be comlortable iv
their own way, and begging is the
pleasanteßt occupation, to their mind.
A few of them regard ibis as too ardu
ous, and to secure a warm sleeping,
place and enough to eat they heave a
brick through a store wiudow, are ar
rested and lent to Blackwell's island
for three or six mouths. The disci
pline aud tbe systematic mode of life
on tho island is repugnant to the ma
jority, however, although they ac
knowledge that life there has compeu
sat ing nd vantage.-.
There is a grimy and dirty saloon on
lark Row, half way between the
bridge entrance and Chatham square,
which is supported by the fake beg
gars. Outside patrons are frowned
upon, both by the regulars aud the
proprietor. The lutter bas a good
thing iv catering to the wants of his
peculiar customers, aud he fosters it
carefully.
This saloon ia really the beggars' ex
change. To them it serves the same
purpose that the stock exchange does
to the financiers of Wall street, or the
produce exchange to the grain and
llou merchants. It is also their club,
and they have a happy faculty of min
gling pleasure und business. They
handle heavy financial problems and
get drunk at the same time. Tbey
have their competitions aud rivalries
like other solid business men. Wben
one strikes a "rich graft" he guards it
carefully, so that the others will not
interfere. If one has more "grafts"
than he can haudle It gives a tip to a
particular chum and enjoys a rake-off
in the profits. But if a certain neigh
borhood becomes dangerous by reason
of the vigilance of the ollicers of regu
lar charity organizations, tbe news is
sent broadcast aud all the members of
tbe exchange warned.
The busiest hour of the exchange is
after 11 oclock at nigbt. By that time
tbe theater crowds have gone borne,
and there is no need of displaying
deaf-and-dumb or blind signs. Many
of them knock olf work at (i o'olook
;nd spend the night pleasantly at the
exchange, which, by the way, is called
the Uetreat. The ones who knock oft'
at 6 work tbe business districts during
tho day and the uptown shopping
e'reets. Few of them are avaricious.
Fifty cents a day means unlimited
pleasure, and not many of them work
after this sum has been collected.
Five-cent whisky is sold iv the Re
trout, and one dose of it is enough to
knock tbe average man into a stupor.
Wilh fifty cents the merry beggar can
sp9ud forty cents on whisky or beer
at. the rate of three cents per schooner.
Those who are in haste to seek forget
fuiness use a combination of the two
beverages, and tbe work is speedily
done. 'Jen cents pays for a plaoe to
Bleep.
The beggars all meet in the room
back of the saloon, as tbey are partic
ular about privacy, and as one of them
put it: "It would hurt the 'perfesh' if
a stranger went iv there and saw two
'Help tbe Blind 1 men playing checkers
or the 'Deaf aud Dumb' guy at tbe
boss' telephone. It don't look nice."
There have been so many arrests late
ly among the fake beggars that they
have been forced to adopt unusual
methods to throw olf suspicion, A
little do<> and a pair of goggleß were in
tb.s old days sufficient to oarry out the
blind dodge. Now the "blind" men
take a hypodermic injection of some
drug wnich gives the eyes the glassy
look peculiar to the sightless.
"maimed workman" is also fixed
up scientifically, aud the man with the
injured spine is similarly treated. Que
of the regular visitors at the Itetreat,
and by far the most important man iv
the place, ia a clever rogue who knov s
sometbing about drugs and surgery.
Ue is kuowu as "Doc," aud be is get
ting rich. He Axes up a broken arm for
$2, a broken leg for $3, a sprained wrist
for 75 ceuts, a dislocated shoulder for
$1.50; a sprained ankle, $1; blindness,
$1); rheumatism, $H, and paralysis, $5.
The paralyzed mau looks down upon
the blind man, aud it is tbe same
through the scale to tbe sprained wrist
man, who is at the bottom of the beg
gar ladder.
The paralyzed man if he is a bard
worker can make $8 and $10 a day, but
it is quite expensive to keep the dodge
up, as he must hand over $5 to the doc
tor every two days for treatment. "Doc"
IN THE RETREAT
gives the applicant an injection in both
arms. They quickly bee me lifeless,
control over the muscles is lost and
the skin loses its color and becomes
shrivelled. There is no pain, and tbe
"doc" says tbere are no detrimental
efter effects. The nails become blue,
and the hand looks dead.
The "Doc" is a past master at mak
ing fake wounds, and he knows how
to fix them so that tbey have a pe
culiarly ghastly look. He is some
thing of an adept in the make-up line,
ami in a short time can transform a
very tough-lookiug tramp into quite a
respectable appearing workingman
suffering ir.om a bad accident to bis
arm, leg or back. The "Doc's" inoome
amounts to almost 1200 a week, as he
has a monopoly in his own particular
line.
Very few of the patrons of the Re
treat are downright crooks, not from
conscientious scruples, but because
they value their easy-going liberty.
They give a crook wbo tries to mix
with them tbe cold shoulder—getting
him drunu aud then beating the life
almost out ot him and pitching him
into the street.
One of the star men of the Retreat is
now serviug a long term because he
was found out He was the champion
tit-thrower of the oity. He used to
wander through the millionaire dis
trict and have a fit where he was sure
to attract lots of sympathy. He was
making so much money that he became
reckless. He would walk up the front
stoop of some millionaire's bouse, ring
tbe bell, and, when the butler came to
the door, he would throw one of his
best tits aud roll right into tbe hall
way. When the tit was over he would
tell some pitiful tale and usually de-
WHERE SIGNS DON'T COUNT
part with a fiver. In time the police
got on bis track, and when he was sent
up to hard labor fit-throwing went out
of fashion.
To Detect Forgeries
Dr. Bertillon bas discovered a new
method of identifying handwriting.
The letters are enlarged by means of
photography and the irregularities,
due to tbe beating of the pulse, are
then measured. By comparison a val
uable clew is obtained.
Try our port and sherry wines at 75
cents per gallon. T. Vache .V Co., Com
mercial and Alameda streets. Telephone
309.
LOS ANGELES HEKALD: SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 18, 1895.
HANDSHAKERS
NOW ON DECK
A Presidential Aspirant
Has a Picturesque
Style
M'KINLEY'S CONFIDING CLASP
Reed's Genial drip.-.Harrison Has a
a Particular Shake for All
Classes and Conditions
of Men
New York, Dec. o.—The handshak
ing season is now in full swing. The
presidential race has passed the in
cipient stage and candidates are be
ginning to uncover. A few months
ago they were very shy, but now they
are coming to the front like a troop of
dragoons. The personal boomers of
each candidate are all expert at hand
shaking. In fact, men of broad po
litical experience know full well the
importance of being surrounded by a
band of strong and fir less handshak
ers. And the latter know the reward
whi h a ."aits them if they do their
work well. By dexteriously shaking
the baud of the nation more than one
man has found himself in a nice cabi
net job, where he could luxuriously
watch the antics of other handshakers
to win his favor.
The princes of handshakers are the
men who aspire to head the Republi
can 'ioket next November. The D m
oora'io handshakers have not sp
peared in tlie arena yet. It is to early,
according to their point of view, with
no hing to be accomplished but a
Wttßte of euergy aud a sea uf ussiest
heartburnings. Not so witb 'he blithe
and numerous Republicans who bave
the presidential bee buzzing under
their hats.
The best plaoe to observe the Repub
lican handshaker tn all his glory is the
corridor of the Fifth avenue hotel.
Every night one or moro of the aspi
rants can be seen there, vigorously
coining friends with his "glad hand."
Each oue haß a different Btyle, aud the
New York politicians already know
them all by heart.
The Hon. William McKinley has a
brand new shake this year. He had
what he thought was a glorious one in
1892, but subsequent events showed
him his error. He bas discarded the
1892 hand, and also his Napoleonic
mien. When Mr. McKinley greets a
man who may be of service to him he
takes a step forward aud, lifting his
hat with his left hand, swings out bis
right in a semi-circle and tilting his
head outward at a confidential angle,
silently presses the band of tbe visitor.
Tbis ie known as the ''confidential
clasp." It makes the visitor believe
that he is one of the few real friends
McKinley has on earth. It says
plainer than words: "Stand by
me, my boy, and all will be
well. It ia a pleasant, manly
shake, reassuring and graceful, with
out being boisterous or presuming. It
is said that Mr. McKinley has endeav
ored to teach Mayor Strong, who is
running the New York end of the Ohi
oan's campaigh, this accomplished
handshake, but without result.
Mr. McKinley has another greeting,
MKINLEY'S CONFIDENTIAL. CLASP
which he uses on men who he knows
are opposed to him. Let a Harrison
or a Reed boomer drift into sight and
the major hurriedly assumes his Na
poleonic face. The bland smile fades
away and two perpendicular lines show
on his forehead. He throws his bead
back and his chest out and looks the
visitor sternly in the eye. He extends
his band slowly and keeps his elbow
olose to bis side, as if he wished to
withdraw his band as quickly as pos
sible. There is no gentle pressure or
energetic shake. The major raises bis
band once and tben lets the visitor's
band drop.
The shakee feels as if be had been
greeting a man of ice. Tbe shake im
parts a creepy feeling, which rune
from tbe band up the arm and chills
the whole body. Men who have gone
through this ordeal have been seen to
walk swiftly over to the nearest steam
radiator and lean against it for half an
hour. Others have been observed
slipping into the cafe and saying
"sometbing hot" to the man behind
the mahogany.
Nearly all of the McKinley boomers
can duplioate these two shakes down
to tbe smallest detail, an the resem
blance is so true that the rumor is
afloat that they bave been tut ore * in
the work by the major himself.
Big om Reed of Maine has ohanged
tremendously since the days when be
was known as tbe ozar. All sum
mer long his friends bave been
impressing upon bim the neces
sity of squelching his unpleasant hab
it of eaying saroastio things and losing
some of his self-aseertiveuess. They
bave worked bard to make bim suave
and diplomatic, and have succeeded
fairly well. It has been a tremendous
■ ■
I Christmas Present I
Q 1 gm
~~| We will continue to give this week to every purchaser of $2.00 worth
t 1 1 ,)f £Oods one bottle of FX EG ANT PERFUMERY, worth in any drug
P( )V Fv VP iTV I)( )fl V store 50c - our P rioes 0,1 Toys and Christinas Goods are the lowest in
* _/ ./ town. No more high prices on Christmas Goods since the Broadway
Department Store opened.
Jewelry Department
Gold Watches, sold everywhere for $20. our Borneo Diamond Shin Studs, rolled gold, warrant-
? rK r Ir'ij'r-'i..' -V V,,*- worth ©» oul ' P ric < SloO
Ladies' Gold Chains, worth $5, for M.2->
Ladies' Gold Chains, worth $2, lor *t.25 We will sell you a SUA ER '1 EA SET lor $12.50
Brooch Pins, worth S2, for Sl.oo that you can't buy elsewhere under $20.
Toys Gents' Furnishings
5 25c Dolls, only 20c Underwear, worth 51.25, per suit one |?
© Large Iron Wagons $2.00 Underwear, per suit, extra quality 5i.25 W
# Velocipedes, only 82.00 Underwear, all wool, per suit, very tine $i.<x> #
mm c)ur prices on Toys and Christmas Goods are the lowest on this 50c fancy Neckties, only 25c ■
Coast. Fancy Silk Handkerchiefs, only 50c 1 1
Dress Goods Confectionery Dept I
38-inch novelty all-wool Dress Goods YX Gum Drops, per lb 7C
38-inch camel's hair Dress Goods YX Fancy Mixed Candy, \ lbs for 25c
1 Double width Jasguard Dress Goods, worth 30c, for 20c chocolate Drops 15c
Only a few Dr«ss Patterns, worth $9.00, for $6.00 Hand-made Creams 25c
Notion Department Comforts
Thread, per spool, best Jc We have just received a big- lot and will put them on sale for
Christy Knives, \ in set 20c the Holidays at the lowest prices ever seen in Los Angeles for
40c Embroidered Handkerchiefs, for 25c such fine goods.
Windsor Ties 20c Remember we are headquarters for almost everything you
Pins, per paper ie want. The Only Modern Depaitment Store on this Coast.
Come early in the day; we can serve you better. Will be open evenings until after Christmas.
8 _ ■
S Broadway Department Store 5
S j. a. Williams & co., Props. 401=403 S. Broadway, Corner Fourth. •
IHfUlji "•Q" _ ""~J^l.M+i»*
trial to the Maine statesman to keep
his tongue from wagging, but his long
silence during the summer and fall
showß how well he succeeded.
Moreover, he can shake hands as well
as the best of them, a statement which
will be a surprise to those who knew
him only in the days of his speaker
ship. Mr. Reed has assumed a benevo
lent, kindly attitude towards all man
kind, ana his great height aids him iv
this great work. He bas shrunken
Bomewhat about the girth, and instead
of wearing a nineteen-inch collar he
manages very well with an eighteen
inoh affair. He used to weigh 300
pounds, but he has got down to 275,
and confides to his friends that be feels
as light as a feather.
When Mr. Reed sights a likely friend
he walks towards him briskly and.with
a large smile of delight, exclaims:
'•How are you, my boy?" The Maine
statesman's right then describes a rapid
circle in the air and closes with a
hearty whack upon the palm of the
other. Mr. Reed shakes the hand vig
orously, as if the new-comer was a long
lost brother. He keeps np the shak
ing process until he has had time to
place the left on the other's shoulder
and whisper in his ear how delighted he
is to have met him.
This is the shake given to the aver
age politician—the man who may have
some influence at the next national
convention. When he meets one of
the powers in the party, a man who
will have considerable to say about
who shall be nominated, be gives his
diplomaoy full swing. Moving grace
fully forward, he lifts his hat and ex
teuda his band as if he were about to
help a lady into her carriage. He
shakes the other's hand gently with a
short up and down movement.
Benjamin Harrison has had such a
long experience in the field that he can
give the others big odds and then beat
them easily at handshaking. He has a
particular shake for the millionaire pro
tect ionlst, another for the solid busi
ness man who bas free trade ten
dencies, a special one for a minister or
church oificials, and others for the big
politiciau. the little politician, the old
soldier, and particular greetings for
the leaders of all nationalities.
Mr. Harrison's ordinary every-day
haudsbake is classic. It is timid and
modest, and makes the visitor feel tbat
he is conferring a grea° favor upon the
ex-president by acknowiod ingacquaint
an • -.iiup witb him. General H i rlson
fir it extends his band, then withdraws
it a trifle, and then aliows it to rest in
the palm of the other, who must do all
the shaking. This responsibility
makes the visitor feel valiant and
brave, and is gratifying, particularly as
the ex-president always turns his face
upward with an "Oh! Thank you"
look.
Mr. Harrison is a strong believer in
HARRISON'S CHI-liRY SHAKE
tbe power of bu uility wben judiciously
shown. He has got an iron hand for
his enemies, but he rarely shows it.
On his last visit to New York it wst
hinted that Secretary of the Treasur
Carlisle had a handshaking tet'dencj,
which led some ot the experienced pol
iticians lo believe he woold not refuse
if selected as the standard bearer ol
the Democracy. Mr. Carlisle has only
one handshake for all styles and condi
tions of men, and tbat is a bard grasp
and an energetic shake. He clasps the
hand of the visitor firmly, and bis long,
nervous fingers bave the strength of a
steel vice.
David B. Hill, who has been gazing
towards the presidential horizon for
REED'S GENIAL GRIP
some time, is a clever handshaker and
bas bad even more experience than
General Harrison. Tbe senator has a
nervous temperament, and his styls of
greeting his fellow men undergoes
many changes. Ordinarily he is cour
ly aud dignified, and shakes bands
somewhat after the manner of a Fifth
ay dim dude. But wben be meets bus
uess-like politicians tbe greeting is
short and hearty.
:MGIIIi
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