Page 4 Advertisements Column 5

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 52, 29 September 1900, Page 4

FOBTUNES ACQUIRE© BY BEGGING. fEwepfc in oases where fortune? are-inheritea or acquired *thtou«»h some lucky speculation, theaspira°n4 basto work hard if he wishes to make one. But there are a -certain class 61 men, who Ho not'believe i Q working for that which can be hafl for fche asking, although it may take fchem a considerable time before they amass sufficient wealth ta warrant their living" in the lap o f luxury. But 'by patience anfi perseverance, several Tiabitual beggars have acquired thousand of poua jj in the oourse of a few years ~by soliciting alms from passers-by. Perhaps the wealthiest living professional beggar is Simeone Oppaasiah, who, in 181)8, was sentenced by an Italian conrfc to seven years' hard labour for perjury. He was born without feed or hands, an 3 T his physical defects, coupled with his adeptness,' brought 'him in exceptional sympathy and cash In 1830, at the age of forty-seveir, he had saved over £12,000, and i a 1888 he iraS increased his 'fortune by speculation and begging, to £25,000 in cash, and owned estates valued at £40,000. Since then ~bß has trebled his wealth by speculation. The New York pofice have recently arrested a gentleman known as '• LearjrLawson," who is recognised by the medicatffc fraternity there as the " Frirme of Beggars." Tfes-system he adopteS was to work the rich with a pathetic story, for which he suffered 'tfce peftnlity of the law. Copies of a guide-book were Tmmo! on 'him in which wealthy folks were classified under e uch heading as " excel lent> "good," etc. His -ba-rik >bodk showed that be"ha"a a balance of no less than £20,000 standing to his credit when arrested. \Vhen Tori, a well-knownitaFaß professional beggar, "died last year, there were found hidden away ia his rooms "barfk books, securities, gold and silver amounting colleotively to the value of £80,000. Hiaheirs were two nephews, who for years had teen living in a state of pitiful poverty. In 1895 an old beggar -svomko named Marie Dufour, who occupied a 'wretched garret at a house in the Rue de Severe, Paris, was found dead in 'her "be^. Ia a buntlte belonging to her were found a receipt for 80,000 francs in ffie name of the deceased, and Government securities, representing an j annual income of 530 francs. In the same year a beggar who dietHn Auxerre, France, Tvaslouncl to have I,ooo,ooo 'francs in bonds in a trunk, and in his cellar "4oo "bottte of wine of the vintage of 1790. A professional beggar namefl Gttsttve Marcelin, who-diea" in 18$ in his room "in the Rue Pay Guiliaume, Avignon, left 'hoods and- various securities J;o the valire of '£20,000. m left a papet requesting that the savings might be equally divided between the city and the Bureau-dc Blenfaisance.

LORD SALISBURY. ". It is not . generally Jknown tb«ft Lord Salisbury once visried lb» tbo Wairampa. Mr James MHnv, n his biography of Sir George Grey,, represents the letter as saying, (< 4* il recollect Robert Cecil in Netf JSealand, fee' was not mior»;fond &

exercise than Lord 'Salisbury appears to be to-day, always being studious. He did not oare for long walks, but once 3. persuaded with another -young Englishman, fco -go and see the beaufciM Wairarapa Valley. T3*ey walked there and back on the last evening, while returning; were, caught in a terrible rainstorm. They nought the atielter of some rocka, contrived to make" a fir?} and over it dried their shirts."

IN CHICAGO.

Mrs. Wabash — She -never takei a man seriously. Mts. Dearborn — Indeed ! Yes, she^s gigglea on evezy wadding day she ever r-h&d.