The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-08-17

THE ks TRAMPs" OF NEW oRk-' hiChs.'
sJoE.n-yagraDcy and pauperiSm decrease 10
New York during the summer season ae.
cording to the following figures III tue
work-house on BlackwelPs lslsnd tue aver.
age number OF inmates during January was
GAO; 10 February, about 63l IN marcn,
about 57s; in May, June, and July; aoon pow
-475. In the alms-house on Black"e en-
Island the winter average is 1900 or 1900,
1ph;Ie In the simmer the number decreases
70 about 500. The summer months bring an
advantage TO the "tranps," and they count
Sc as enormous; they cannot freeze to death.
This is the only winter misery they are eX-
empt from. "Rckety Joe" is typica!
sDecimen of this class, and ne is thus de-
scribed in The Herald:
He is an old man, owning up 10 siXty.n'e
wears, but is hale and hearty still : weather
beaten. sun.dried brunette. His real name,
Se saws. is Joe Dixon, and he claims 10 have
been born in New York city. He IS iuli OF
"reminiscences and is very garrulous. lie Is
the beau ideal Of summer yagrant. he
loves warm weather. lie sleeps IN Tue
parks at pigbt, or in barrels, or in wagons,
or along the docks, and says he has plenty
of COMPANY in fact, be complains OF being
sometimes I. too crowded on rainy nights
He tru6ees to the station-h houses, though, IL
he can find one, he prefers to sleep, or at
leastito pass the night, in an areaWay or
doorway. In the summer he sleeps on Filth
avenue. on the outside Of the easements, I'M
der the steps, or down town, aVailing him.
self OF some of the local opportunities pre-
scented by the huge warehouses. lie mas
passed eight after night in the public parks,
and has slept many moonlight night among
hidden bends OF the lakes in Central Park.
Having slept where and how he can, KICK
ETY. Joe breakfasts as he sleeps. Sometimes
he begs a meal, sometimes he gets penny
here and there; but his main dependence IN
the summer time is on fruit ana the apple
women. He and literally bundreds like him
live in the summer lime ON fruit, and mostly
picked up and rotten fruit, at that. He picks
up the leavings Of ruit-stalls, gets an apple
now and then from some kindly. hearted
dealer-if BY any possibility he has few
pennies 10 spare be invests them IN fruit.
Rickety Joe prefers apples to all other fruit,
they are 80 "sold" and so "tillipg." Healso,
regards pear as a specially good invest
ment. Having slept and breakfasted, Rickety
Joe Is not under the necessity of either wash
ing or dressing. He wanders about, and if
in luck may pick up quarter by doing some
odd job; for like many Migrants, Joe is not
averse to working spasmodically. at noon
he rests under the trees In the parks, and by
this time he has generally managed to pick
up stray newspaper, which he reads with
gilsto. Joe is pretty well posted" on the
news OF the day. His noon siesta will en-
dure for hours then towards evening he be-
gins to tramp, tramp, tramp; one day one
way, another day another, US the Whm selzes
him, gets his dinner as he got his break.
fast, and then proceeds to enjoy himself
In the evening, for even Rickety Joe does
enjoy himself, aud the evening is his
special time for pleasure. Then he wanders
along the cool streets, then he lounges on the
benches at the park, then he sees whatever
sights are to be seen; then, if he feels like it,
he goes to The docks and takes plunge, not
being afraid that anybody will rob him OF
his wardrobe. If he Is in luck he begs or
buys glass of lemonade from some stand,
or even INDUCES 10 the luxury OF pipe or
q auid, conyerses with such Of bis fellow
yagranis rs he chances to meet, and then
goes 10 bed, rs be did the night before.
"Rickety Joe" contriyes to get summer
suit by bits or instruments. At present be
wears an cid brown straw; hat, which he
begged, and has discarded al old vest in
which he was arrayed last winter. But as
the summer advances he will contriye to get
pair Of summer pants, light if possible; be
prefers light clothes. He now wears an alpaca
coat, however, black but faded. His press
ing need, he says, Is pair Of shoes, bis
present pair are not only patched but
bursted.
Such is Rickety joe" and such are hun.
dreds like him in this city Of New York to-
day. Sich Is * Rickety Joe" and as he lives
80 live hundreds OF others this hot weather.
Homeless, hou,eess, voorhees,, hopeless,
aimleSs, and yet even thus not, during this
sphiinna uenfhar Of Ieasf lltlerlp Rrafnhnd