Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-06-12
AN AMERICAN TRAMP.

He came into the door, after genera
knock that brought no invitation, an,
stood under the mellow light of an Ar
gand burner. He said, Good evening
Majah," and paused on the brink of tn,
conversational Rubicon. He was tb,
typical itinerant Journeyman Printer
He was the representative of II class soon
to become eXtinct-a nomadic reminis-
cence soon to be embamed in history
and printing Office tradition. His shabby
coat was buttoned close to his bristling
chin n pa ,er collar of the Stanley pat
tern eked out shirt of doubtful texture
his cap glistened with accumulated dirt
anf the friction OF time and pair Of
"quizzers" danged languidly in the reg.
ion of his cardiac apparatus. He had
worked on the EnQHirer twenty years
ago he had published papers in every
town and hamlet in the South and West,
and " stuck type" in every office in the
country. He had met now with mis-
/ -
Could we assist him? There was no
response. Then he talked of his connec-
ton with the "Lost Cause" and expa-
tiated On the glorious success OF the Ohio
Democracy. This brought contribu-
ton but it was only quarter. lie walk
ed to the door and drawing himself up
with the tragic air of Robert Macaire,
said Your Ohio Democracy is d--n
fraud. | will cross the river to Kentucky
where gentlemen live. I'm sorry ever
put my foot in your id State" We
assured him that we would not object to
his Immediate withdrawal from the soil
of Ohio, and inasmuch rs no invitation
had been extended him to enter the State,
it was not likely that his seli-eviction
would produce regret within these bound
aries. He went away.
Next night he came in with the same
steathy step the same odor of gin about
him, and he wore the same look of des-
pair He npologized, and did it nicely.
His make up patterned after Alfred jim
gle, and his volubiiitv was almost as
great. He obtained another contribution
with the understanding that it was to be
invested in whisky. He went away.
Last night he came again. 1t was al
most three o'clock. The streets were
quiet, save that now and then the foot
utans OF Gonna einnor umnEnno1 m n.h,,
The last "copy" had been sent to the
disciples of Faust, and the heavy tick Of
the clock seemed to say, "AIl in, all in. :"
The wandcrer looked sad indeed Hi.
face was ms leathery MS if he had lair in
the crypts Of Egypt. But the cheeks and
nose were tinged with a coloring sub
stance more enduring than any cosmetic
known tn my lady" He walked to the
spittoon and expcctorated. Then he came
b 'ck with the strut Of Kansas bull
whacker. Then he commenced with
soy, about how he'd made an effort to
get over to Lexington the other day
padding the hoor'-but the rains had
come and sickness had seized him, and
he had turned back. In COvington he
had found Judge Arthur. The hand
some, big .souled Congressman knew him
and his family in their better days, and
hid donated ten dollars. "Ah, you
don't know me-" he said, with wistful
air, "you don't know who | nm" We
suggested that if the knowledge of his
ancestry and his personal history was
likely to cost us ten dollars. we we're Just
rs we'll off without the information. He
had lost the bulk Of Judge Arthur's dou-
celtr, he continued. ut "short cards -
The amount wasn't much. and he thought
that bv handling it judiciouslv he might
raise stake, hut the foul tiend that fol-
lowed his adverse fortunes Ind triCkcd
him when on the very verge of realiza-
ton. He thought that Mr.. Pendleton
would give him pass TO Lexington -
He hoped 20 the cuspndor and expccto-
rated again, and then ratified away:-
There was time when money was no
object to me. ] worked in California in
40, when we got dollar and half
thousand, and many's the fellow have
lifted when he WIS out of sorts. If all
fellows I have fed and clothed could
march in procession, like Richards vic
tins. they'd make fine brigade. But
I've lived nm erring life. If / only had
some religious faith to sustain me !
wouldn't care damn. But I'm skept-
cal" Then came a dissertation on relig-
ion, mixed with the philosophy of Kant.
Then he tod how he fought the Indians
on Bra2os River, before Texas was
State how he haI gone down to revel in
the "Halls Of the Montezumas" in lS47,
in the First Louisiana Regiment, how ne
had been TO Nicaragua how he had |
worked on the Charleston Mercury two
years when Rhett edited the paper how |
he had worked on the Herdid and TI1b-
une, of New York, and how he had
printed paper at Tampico-haIf Eng
lish, half Mexican. Thus it ran, fugitive
and discursive. His language was good
perhaps little ornate - but he never
lacked for a word. We looked at the
nomad and asked how many years he had
been with us. Filty-two, he said. 1t
seemed miraculous. His hair was black |
A. "A rocks feathers, and his eye was as
bright and sparkling as a canarys. He |
was one Of those phenomenal men whom
time cannot collar and throw, who live
On through adversely and exposure, con-
tinually recruiting natures commissary,
and drying as to tissues just
bit, perhaps, but never growing Old
Poor devil What history. We look
ed At him in kindness, and we thought
we saw a little highwine tear gather ut