THE AMATEUR BEGGAR'S EXPERIENCES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1825, 18 March 1884, Page 3

THE AMATEUR BEGGAR'S EXPERIENCES.

Mil H. S. Maolahchlin, the journalist who was taken up by the police the other clay, aud charged with being a suspicious character, gives an account of his begging experiences in the Echo, fiom which we make the following extracts. After describing his visits to a Jew dealer in the neighbourhood of Houndsditoh, hesayt>; — I had not muc'i difficulty in getting a suitable ' rig out.' There -was a buttonless tweed coat, with lacerated sleeves, and a ruptured breast pocket ; a pair of faded trousers, bearing no trace of the oiigiual colour, and as jagged at the extremities as the outline ot the Alps ; a greasylooking slouch hat, and .1 pair of boots that some poor iviscahnay have thrown aside in j despair. I felt I could do much better than that, so, with many strange an- j ticipations, I divested myself of rcspectabiiity for the day. A few touches, such as a liberal expenditure of dirty cords overboots and button-holes, and an irregular slash by way of a ventilator down the back of my coat, completed my toilette ; and with sooty face and a fortnight's growth on my chin, I launched myself, nnrecognised and unrecognisable, into the familiar Strand. At that time my woildly goods consisted of a shilling and six boxes of vestas, for which I paid twopence. If I am ever reduced to selling matches as a general thing, I will frequent a railway station. One would soon make a small foi tune there. Tenpence a day piofitis nothing to the man w ho stays about until the last train comes in, tenpence a day (lam speaking as a tramp) is affluence. There is thieepence for your bed, another 2d for a cup ot coffee and a slice of bread thiough the day, amLx pennywoith of tea and sugar at night, to help clown the pennyworth of fish, with something left for the morning too. That just leaves enough to go on with, and * if a man cui't cadge his bear and twis>fc he's not fit to be in the business,' as was lemaiked to me by a tcmpoiaiy colleague in misery, It was just tinning daik when I saw a man w ith a banjo. He was a bad looking fellow, with a battered hat aud spidery limbs, but I was thirsting for vagi ant sympathy, and I fi\ed on him. He didn't like me at fit st— thought I was too low ; but the pioduction of the shilling inspired a sudden friendship, and the melting of a portion sealed it. He would go with me to tho end of the earth, this most obnixous musician. He would play and I would sing— he felt sure I could sing somehow or other ; he had a gift in divining thing? of that soit. This ai rangement just suited me ; so without ado we went off towards Oxford Street, cilhiig at one or two public-houses on the way ior a little harmony. I soon disco veied my companion to be afraud. The only seiious tune he knew was ' Thehaip that once thiough Tara's halls, 'and if ever I tried to soften the huaits of our thirsty audiences with ' Came back to Enn." or to inspire them to heioic thought with the 'Minstrel Boy,' in would come the same old strain, until I felt inclined to take stage libeities with the wretched instrument, and smash it over the head of my offending partner. Oui outdoor effoits were little more successful fiom a musical point of view. My first attempt was a doggerel song about tho Stoke Nfc wing ton murder. At the end of the second verse a little boy told me to go home, and I felt discouraged ; but my partner said it was immense. In two hours we took two and tenpfnee in halfpennies and pennies. We might have taken twice that if we had managed the c owd better. Everything depends on taking them by &ui prise. For instance, if you come to the natural end ot a soiy, and look as if you intend to make a collection, the ciovvd dispsises. Those who have pennies in their hands put them back again, and those who haven't biuLlenly lecollect they must not waite time. But if yon come down on them all of a sudden it startles them, them, and reluctant coppers reward the musician for hi? stiategy. As for publichouse singing, it is of bttle use except to the man who is willing to take his chaiity in beer. Any number of bar-loungers will ask the 'old man 1 'to give it a name ;' but, rs my friend remarked, 'they won't pait with the pieces.' At six o'clock it was raining heavily, and we were forced to seek shelter for a time. All at once the banjo man developed an unexpected spirit of providence. We must get beds, he said, so long as we had mmey, and i-traightway we madf for the narrow streets near Seveu Dials. It is not everybody who can go to the common lodging houses about there. They don't like the downright tramp — that is, unless lie has something more than mere vagrancy to lecommsiul him ; say, a recoid of three or four convictions. Then, of course, he becomes interesting, and gentlemen feel honomed by his com pany. In addition one has to pay fourpence a night; and there is an air of elegant freedom about the kitchen manners that makes the stiansjer feel uncomfortable. But the banjo man never paid less than fourpence, and I was foi cod to follow suit. The fiist house we called at had only one bed vacant, and the ii strtiinentalist, with worldly wisdom, prompty secured it foi himself. There was another house in the next street, lie said, where I could go, and wheie they had always some spare uumbeis. Having first seemed fourpence — for my friend had by this time become cashier — I sailed out in search of a place for myself. ' Mind the step,' said an ancient-look-ing party, with a distinctly theatrical air about him, as I went sprawling down the steep ladder that led to the underground kitchen. I had purchased my ticket at the door, aid had gone downstairs to warm mj self before the lam cleat ed off. The lodgers weie scattered thickly over the room. Soiiip were cooking heiring at the two huge fit as, others were greedily waiting th°ir turn for teapots and fryingpans, and others who were ' down on their luck ' were mood ly sitting apa.it, trying to shut out fiom their ears the hissing of boilinsf tei and the spluttering of I) icon. 'I could d) with a soldier,' said one huugiy individual, meaning thereby that he could eat a heiring. ' That s what we oills it.' he exclaimed in surpr eat my ignorance, { though some folks calls it a Billingsgate pheasant.' •Or a w oeyed steak,' added a companion whose vocabulary was more complete. The ( lite of the party were gathered round a table at which sat fome smartlookin i young fellows, playing cards for pennvpoints. About this time I bethought me of tny banjo friend, and hurrying away to the other house, I \earnecl that he had gone out [immediately after my departure. He look with him three shillings and twopence, the proceeds of our combined industry. Ido not wish that buijo man any haim. He was a funny fellow, but a great rogue. My position now was desperate. I had not a penny in my pocket, and I had boasted that I could wasily make five shillings. There was nothing for it but to commence begging. Oxford -btreet was the line I decided upon, and for six hours on end did I parade Oxford-street up and down, and through streets and squares adjoining, until I actually found it hard to free myself from the belief that I was really a tramp. The experience of these six hours leads me to believe that begging is much more profitable than people imagine. I knew nothing of the tricks of approach, or of the winmng whisper that marks the accomplished mendicant ; and yet I netted one and teupence before the last lingerer in the Circus took pity on my supposed misery. The darkness aided my disguise, and made me bold, and I was utterly astonished at the freedom with which I accosted people, some of them my own acquaintances, and succeeded in exacting coppers from them. I found young men deaf to all ray entreaties while standing or walking alone, but when chatting wjth .women they were much more approachable, moved partly, perhaps, by the wish to appear generous, and partly, no doubib^by the desire to rid themselves of so objection/»ble m ioteyrnption, ' ',