The New York herald., 1874-08-14
vACRANTS,
How Our "Tramps" Live in
the Summer.
The Out-of- Door Life Of Our
City Paupers. 81
The Poor Who Seek Work, but
Cannot Find It.
GER Il OK ETY JOE"
Facts and Figures Of VaRa-
bondage.

We al know how much misery and degtltutton ID
to b found IN our great centres Of population In
the winter, but unfortunately those who are
wrstchedly poor in the winter do not become any
better Oh, pecuniariy, BY the mere fact Of the
weather getting warmer. They cannot freeze to
death. One misery the less IL thus saved them.
bus that v all What becomes, then, OF our poor
In the warm weather What do our vagrants and
paaDsrs do In tne summer
From November till April the Commissioners Of
Charities administer olicial relief to the needy,
and our various private charitable societies arc
busy st their phtlsnthropc WORK; but about the
middle OF spring this charitable work almost en-.
ttrely ceases. but then the opportunities for out
ofdOor life and for out-oi-door work begin.
How the warm weather Affects the numbers Of
our metropolitan paupers can be seen from the
following hsures:--ln tho workhouse BIackweu's
Island, In an average year, the average number&sa
about 90 In January, in February about $751; In
March about SIS; whereas In April the number de-
creased 70 ahout 6as: in May the number WAS still
less-sbout 80; In June there were abcus the
Same number and IN July. In the latter part OF
August the number began to swell to nearly 600,
and In September there were more than even In
January.
In an average year at the Almshouse Black.
Wells lsand, there are about LOO to 1900 paupers
in the winter months; In April the number falls
OF to 1ooo In May It decreases to about soo and It
remains 1T little over 800 all through the summer
and early fall.
As rule It may be stated that the average of
what may be styled olcisi pauperism Is one-1ourth
less than usual during the summer, while 1t may
also be remarked that such panpers as remain on
Blackwell's Island have comparatively easy time
OF 1t, and are not overw0rked during "thc heated
term" Some OF the 'srsmps" in fact prefer to
remain ION the Island" all the year round and are
''tramps" no more. They know when they sse
well on.
1t Is an old proverh, which, like most old
proverbs has . good deal OF truth In it, that
"anybody can pick up . living when the snow is
on the ground" and with the advent OF pleasant
weather picking up'' a livelihood begins with
great many in earnest. The number OF ragpickers,
bonepickers &C., are trebled and quadrupled
about this time; the canalooats are besieged by
hundreds OF applicants; the wharves and docks
are thronged with men ready to do anything;
carpenter work becomes brisk; there is brick
laying and hod carrying to be done, and strange to
gay, yet palpaby :rue, among the most industrious
these summer w0rkers--amongt these canailers, car.
penters, &c.-are many men who during the winter
passed for idlers and were forced to be paupers,
simply because they could get no work to do.
INVOLUNTARY vAGRANTs.
About one-third OF the population which Nils our
almshouses in the winter and haunts the ante
rooms Of our benevolent societies and depends
upon charity, &C., are really unfortunate" not
idle or vicious and to many OF these the summer
Affords chance to do some sort OF work; 80 that
the very time which is the season OF relaxation for
the rich Is "he busy season" Of the poor. In Eng
land during the summer tnis class OF people
become clock-menders. chair-mcnders, umbrella
members, knife.grinders, &C., and wander all over
the "tIght little sland;" but these psripatetc in
dustries are as yet comparatively unfamiliar to
our winter paupers, who either haunt the city and
pick up odd Jobs or, II they 60 to the country hire
out on farm OF work on the canal.
The important fact Of al this 10 that there are ct
least third OF our city paupers who are 20 per-
force, and who when they get chance at work
But unfortunately, even in the summer this
class cannot be wholly provided for, and cases are
numerous IN which men, abe.b0died men, willing
spring hopeful OF work, but return TO II utterly
dlsplIlted ere tne summer is ovcr-pcnnileM.
%en nopssss Of tGs nsrs are psss @
honorable class, In our institutions to-day. Can.
not the great city OF New York, with oil It's public
works. md some work i0r these men
calT in the minority. Most paupers or vagrants
winter or in summer, the only thing % thsy viii do
is-do nothing.
FACTS ABOUT vAGnANTS.
The majority 0i vagrants are OF Irish birth or
descent, and q large proportion are OF American
birth. Oi late years there mas neen q notable In
crease IN tn, perce ntage oi uerman warrants OF
late years also there has been notable decrease
In the number OF Italian vAgrants. Tne first fact
arises from the great increase OF the German
Immigration, especially Of Germans OF the lower
class, into this city, while tns latter fact arises
from the recent stimulus applied to Italians
ana otner cities IN tue way OF cheap labor italians
nave no trade unions aud would rather work for
nan rates than starve), aud so Of late large num-
Der Of Italians have found employment Taere
are no Chinese vagrants. The Commissioners OF
Charities and Correcton state that their only ex-
perlence with Cinnamon has been In cases Of sick
ness. but that there Is no pauperlsru among them.
HOW can tnere DO when Chinamau can sustain
lie on ten cents dayf There are comparatively
lew negro vagrants. SambV won't always work,
put nc seldom beRs lin the vagrant sense Of the
term and he never starves.
More men are vagrants tnsn women, not Only IN
point 0f mere pumners but OF percentage. THIS
arises from the lact that women can nnd work
more readily ihan men, among tue poorer classes
at least. Though IL Is the most dlnicuk thing IN
the world for woman Of the better class 10 OBJ
tam paying occupation, yet IN the lower walks
ol lie there Is plenty OF labor ready Tor females
VINO are ready 10 do it-cOOkiDg washing, scrub
ring, n0usewOrK, &c.--so thAt woman vxgrAnt,
r p IL av0st tvoIv ra-