Story of a Sandwich Man.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 366, 8 May 1889, Page 6

Story of a Sandwich Man.

Among the curious incidents in Colonel Mapleson's ' Memoirs ' is the story of an officer in the British Army, who told the substance of his down-grade career in social position: — 'I was formerly,' he said, 'a captain in the — Regiment, and many a time have I paid my six guineas for a box in your opera, both in Edinburgh and in London. Subsequently 1 began to take a great interest in the turf, and soon met with heavy losses which compelled me to give various promissory notes. This at last came to the knowledge of my colonel, who recommended me to leave the regiment without delay. Having nothing to live upon, and being a fair performer on the cornet-a-piston, 1 joined 'a travelling circus, and ultimately came across your opera company in Philadelphia, where I was one of your stage band. Later on I joined a party who were bound for ths diamond fields in South Africa, where I was most unsuccessful ; and I had to work my«passage home in a sailing ship, till I got to London, where I became a supernumerary underyour management at Drury Lane. During your third season an aunt of mine died, and I found myself the possessor of £10,000. My cousin, who was largely interested in buiJding operations, which he assured me paid him at least 60 per cent., induced me to place half my fortune in his speculation's.' His houses were in the west part of London: which had been considerably overbuilt ; and, being mortgaged, they would have been lost but for my paying avay the remainder of my fortune with tie view of saving them. In spite of this the mortgagee foreclosed, and I again became a supernumerary, when in the mimic fight in the second act of " Trovatore," oie of my companions by mere accident wita the point of a spear put my eye out. I was no longer qualified for engagement even as a supernumerary, and I became a * sandwich ' . man. My duties during the last four und a half years have been to parade Bond-street; and Regent-street, receiving as payment 9d. a day.' On my handing the poor man his salary and settling up, he at first declined to take the money, eayin* I had done him go, many kindnesses at different periods of his. life,, that now, when I >vas in trouble myself,, he could not think of caking his week's pay. I, however, not onlf insisted upon hisac-, cepting.it, but gave Mm a sovereign for him-i-self. The unfortunate gentleman, as he showed himself fco too last went a,way blesa i ingr inc.