The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-08-05
THE REGULAR TRAMP.
A Vivid Pen Picture of the Wandering vaR-
nbond--IIis Habits and Haunts--Finger-
boards Tor Followers. JOBS


A vivid Pen Picture of the Wandering vaR- |
abond--His Habits and Haunts--Finger-
boards Tor Followers. JOB
The visitor to the country, this sum-
mer, who happens to be of an observing
turn of mind, will notice lounging along
the highways and byways of almost any
neighborhood he may resort to in the
Atlantic States, slouching figure clad
in the motley Of mendicancy, with n GER
tain uncertainty of manner, furtive,
half.defiant, half-cringing air, and a
stealthy, sidelong glance that at once at.
tracts attention and repes interest.
This creature is the tramp. New to
our country side, he is yet fast becoming
a familiar object even in the most re-
tired and out-of-the-way places, where,
but few years since, his very name was
unknown. He exhibits the same char
acter everywhere, or, rather, the same
phases of character under similar condi-
tions, for, though he can fawn and whine
where he thinks abasement will be safer
or more serviceable, yet, st somes lone
farm house, where he has only fright
ened women to deal with, the bluster of
the low -browed brute is savage and i'm
! Fortunate. .e.5.I -rdyr
He is generally seen alone, though q
chance encounter with an old pal occa-
sionally leads to temporary partnership
i'll vagabondage. But the tramp is natur-
ally unsocial, his being form of misery
that does not love company, and drink,
or bad temper, or both, generally forbid
friendships extending beyond few
days. But he sometimes has another
sort of companion, one who cannot leave
when drink makes him disagreeable or
dangerous, one who has no refuge from
his rage but the grave. On summer
evening the tramp may happen to be
seen stretched at full length on some bit
of grass by the road side, smoking a
| stumpy black pipe, while q forlorn,
limp and haggard semblance of woman
hood bends over the brands of a chip
fire, or gathers in greasy old kerchief
the munched and mumbled remnants of
a beggars meal-a second hand and
third-hand saving that stands, in the life
of this wretched being, in place of all
the sweet uses of household economy,
Unless there is something in the pres
ence of the approaching party to forbid
such an exhibition, the chances are the
tramp will take opportunity when two or
three people are passing by to display
his brutality by hurling foul words, or a
stick, or n stone at the unhappy slave
who would fain hide herself behind him.
If such an assault comes, she bears it as
one used to similar attacks, shrinking
and clutching her ragged shawl closer
about her throat, perhaps, but making
/ no moan nor raising her head Her face
is rarely seen her eyes, never. Whether
| those windows of the soul hide the con-
sciousness of awful depths of degreda-
| tion, or whether the light of expression
| has gone out, none will ever know.
Our observer, if faithful to his calling,
will find the tramp has curious habit
of poking about the roots of tree by
the wayside, or the foot of telegraph
pole or gate post, and, if care is taken in
watching him, he may be frequently
seen engaged in this occupation either
quite early or quite late in the day.
Examine the place where he has been
searching, and close scrutiny may reveal
scratched on the wood or stone, a cross
or dot in the center of circle or
square, triangle, signs resembling pho
biography, or other signs looking more
like printers proof marks. These are
the tramps' guideboards, the blazed
trees of the path, the trail of his hunting
expeditions. They tell him that the
next turn leads to rich place, where he
can safely ask for money; that the poor
soldier is good dodge to try in another
direction; that the farmer on the right
keeps a savage dog, that a Gully crib, or
house of resort for tramps, can be found
in the village on the canal. The tramp
not only studies these indications for his
own instruction, but he is bound by
"the rules of the road" to record such
of his own experiences as may be of use
to those who follow.
Crafty, shifty, sly, cunning in all the
tricks of his trade, the tramp will beg,
steal, live in the poorhouse, take q turn
in prison, or starve if it comes to that,
but never will do stroke of work in
this world. He is here in our midst,
and our community has got him to pro
vide for. We ought to see about the
work by proper legal enactments forth
with. He should be taken care of by
such means as will prevent the increase
of his tribe and the waste of his depre-
dations. His destructive thefts, his ter.
rible recklessness in the use of fire, and
his occasional outbreaks of spite, render
his methods of taking care of himself al
together too costly to be endured. Be
sides, he is disgusting and dreadful
nuisance, and ought to be abated.