The Morning herald., 1875-12-07
TEE CXFY'S HOSPITALIrY.
Among the Ledgers Last Evening.

I
now TIE gTRAMPs Look in rHEfR NEw
QUARTERs--A BAND OF NASAL MUSIC g
THE STORY OF, 4 TRAMP AZ RELATED > {
HlMsELF.-DowN AMONG rHR RAGGED
AND DIRTY. a n
sWHAr the lodging room Of station
house looks like but few know, and those
who do cannot revert to II withvery pleas
urable smotions. Last evening represer-
tative of Tue HHRALD visited the Ciiy
Hall, where he found Chief O,Tpole drum.
ming tune on n'the desk and waiting ii.
some fresh case to- I've brought IN. In &ls
prisoners dock an officer sat clothed In fus 1
uniform, and everything bore ain appearances
that business was rather dull about poli,s
headquarters. At the entrance of the newr-
paper fraternity the Chief arose, extende
his right hand, and haae all welcome. "st
is understood tkM you have some board
srs," said the newspaper man. $50 No
have; step this way and I will show yol
the sights. First we will ascend to tbs
parlor." This III large room on the secon
floor which is especially devoted to the bet
Ter class of lodgers. Last evening It wal
full The floor was literally strewn with thenA
Some had on coats and others were almos
without shirts, such poor apologies wers
what they had for such, amt
when the Chief turned on the light such .
scene as that presented was sufficient u
have proved good subj It for the pencil Of
d Mast. .3l med IN NJ
First we take this many ,sin the corner,
who is lying prone upon his back, his legs
are stretched wide apart and his arms foldea
across his breast so that be looks like !,
warrior laid out In the embrace of desth.
EIis mouth is wide open and from 1t escapes
sort of kissing sound that resembles very
much the musical combination produced iii
cooling soup. Then we take this young
man next to him. He is prone upon his
a stomach, iesfoot is pointing to the world
above while the other points towards the
Masonic Temple, one hand Is in the whis-
kers Of his companion in sleep, while the
other clutches his shoes for fear that some
one will walk away with them. In the
great orchestra of nasal sounds his is thn
base, and such base; it maketh the very
walls to trembIe and the silence without to
echo back the sound. Here was an old fell
low who gave the baritone, another fat fell
| low whose stomach undulated like the
waves of old Neptune, gave the tenor and q
diminutivc little fellow curled up in the COR
| ner into bundle not much larger than
coarse pair Of boots gave the alto. III h. I
l,e The Ghtaf hA3 ASsEpki kes. rs - .TA
STATION House that gave combination OF
musical sounds that might have pleased
some mighty pOtentate with its sweetness.
They all slept as sorndly and snorcd as
lustily as though they were lying upon the
softest beds, and their heads resting upSM.
The downiest of pillows. Whatever cares
or whatever sorrows they may have had,
were lost for the time in the balmy srestorer
sleep. But only for the time Aeing to one. :
Suddenly groan escaped from him. Such
an unearthlv sound that for a moment the
Chief and his companions were absolutely
startled and man whose, head and beard
were frosted, ,rose upon his elbow and runs,
ming his hand through his hair, fell back
upon the rude pillow formed by his coat
unconscious of those who we're present. =
It was but an instant before the Chief was
lv his side. He besought him to tell his
trouble. r@'- " ~'"~,
/ "No;',s be said, ''it, i enough for me to
know, without buriening others with the
| ales of such sorrows" -t"But tell u.s."
something to relieve your trouble" "The
|
much interest "a, YOU, but it you could feel
the pangs that feel, know what ! know,
feel what feel and 60 thro Ugh with what
I f'hsge been through, then sir, you would
not wondsfa why 4 an hone, Why ara ons
Of the. ulcers Of society, known, as a tramp,
why ] am d,barred from gen eel society and
form the mere refts II humanity. Why I
| am here to night, Why this, hard board
forms my bed, and why these low hesotted
beings around me are my companions !"
"If you will but listen to me / will tell
/ YOU my story. Ten years ago l was =
thrifty merchant in Bangor, Maine: ! camo
ont of the war With the rank of Colonel,
loved and Cherished . woman who was
4 dearer than all else to me in the world, She
was beautiful and accomplished. Her
father occupied high official position, and
she was the petted child sof HIS fancy; her
whims were his capricss..s Her aims his de-
sires to accomplish. il was upon me that
! This woman bestowed her fahcies of the
ideal lover. To her was my life to be
! linked, but the debarrer, of all happiness,
like a grim visage in.ervened -
drank - slowly but surely this in
si,lious poison gained its way into the very
life Of my being. It was the mould in
which my manners and habits were to be
cnSb. lb CnanycU ui6,lrOIu fOMT ana prluc
10 baseness and the level Of the drunkard.
The grand c6nsummati6h Of life wee
wrecked upon the breakers OF my own dis
solution, and l, from that time have been
The common drunkard, the tramp, the out
I est, the prematiIrtly decayed- old man that
you see in me to..1gbt.l y "Nothing further
would he say, and, reclining npon the door
!. noancd himself to Sleep" 8ss,
II 7"Now," said the Chief, sswc-will goiose@
a worse class, !" and nd led The way INTO tht
cellar. Through dimly, 1T passages, that
emitted sickening stencil, we finally
emerged into narrow contracted cell
where number OF men were ,congregated,
some smoking, some sleeping, and others
who sat with their hc.d bowed between
sheir hands as though in sorrow for the nn-
fortunate die upon whichthey had cast their
fortunes. The Chief said this room is filed
nightly and We have had as many as ninety
with us at. one time. N'There are some sad
: stories to1d by them, sir, and many Of then,
are no doubt true. But the stamp Of the
ramp is upon them and We cannot discrimi-