The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-09-15
In0 l&tnVf.nn, f,nr

70 T, j. ., TTTT! -1T7f
1he NaInpf.nor Lnr
lpThe viAitors 10 the G'codntryy this
summer, who happen to bepflan~; OBJ
seryipgltntp pf5 pinls will hotjoe
tlopngingt along the higIways a and
Sby'%&ays6f AMIDST any 'hdigtb borhoJd
he may resort to in: the Atlantic
States. a slouching figure clad in tho
'hiotleyi iofim6bl licun6y,withr aicertainI
uncertainty of'"mabncr, urtive,
half defiant, half.clipging ar and d
stcaltby sidclonguglanoo which at
once attracts attention and rope 8
This creature is tho tramp. Now
-to.esa1bouutry.side, he is yet fast be-
com,ng,a familiar objeet even in. til Q
mbst ss&hed ! ard eatqk,tBway
places, whore, bus few years since!
his very name was snnknown. lie exs
hibits tho samo character undot
similar conditions, for, though he .oan
fawn audi whiuea where he Ithihks
abascmont will bo safer or moro
sorvicoablc, yet at some 'lono farm-
house, whore ho has only frightened
women to deal with, tho blustor OF
tho low-browcd brute is savage and
lmportunato. y 7"'' '' '-'''E r'"
pla ilo is generally, seen alone,
although chance cncountcr with an
g old pal occasionally leads to- n tcm-
porary partnership in vagabondage.
IT. but the tramp is naturally ,unsocial,
his being a form OF misery that" docs
y not like company, apd drink i or bad
temper, or both, generally forbid
gee friendship extending beyond '.ai' few
days. Bot he. sometimes has another
sort Of compahion, 6hE '%hV4 can not
ii loave when drinks makes him, dis.
agreeable or dangerous, ono who has
no rsfogo from his rnge but the
grayo. On summer evening the
tramp may happen to be seen
stretched at full length on some bit
ofgyass by tho roadside, smoking n
stumpy Black pipe, while A.. forlorn,
Lump and haggard scmblanco Of,
womanhoods bends over tho brands,
of chip fire, or gathers in greasy
old handkerchief the munched aud
smumble1 rcmnants Of bcggar's
mcalS-a %&sdeondshands and "Atlird-
hand saving that stands, in the liCo
of this wrctchod being, in place of all
the sweet dishes OF household econo-
my. Unless there is something in the
presence Of tho approaching party to
tvrbid such anrexLibition, the chances
arc tho tramr'%ill@ take, an oppor!H,
tunity when two0r tbreo people are
passing BY TO display' his brutalityl
by hurting FOUL Ewords, or stiok or a
ston' D't tho uhhappy;slavo who ,wou a
\, faim hide 'hefsolf behind him. If
: suchoun as*Gultcomc sho bears it as
ono usod1to siidilsr Mt tuoks, shrinking
and clatchins her ragged shawl closor
about her throat, perhaps, but II, ,a-
king. nc moun, nor raising kcr houd.
T.. IIerftase fisi farJly 'soen otiur .Ickes,
never .Mlidthekslthose windows of
the soul hide tho consciousness of
aYful depths Of degradation, or
4 .whc ther the hghtof expressions has
gonc out, none will over know.
Our observer if faithful in his
calling, will tird tbey tramp has h
curious, habit of Sroking about the
roots Of a treo b. tho wayside, or
the foot Of n telegraph poio' OF gate
post and, If caro- is takoh' in watching
4 him, he may be frequently seen en-.
gagged i'll this Occupation either upito
: carly or quite late in the day. Tx.
amino tl,e place whore hc, bus been
searching, and clrse scrutiny may
reveal three Or four cabalistio char.
caYctcrs rudcly scratched on tho " BOD
aor. stone, cross Or dot 'iiiI tho ccntcr
, .olia circle or square, triangle, signs
} resembling ph, pogrhphy, or other
.sisps oloqliing, more like Printers
proof marks. Thoso ,afro tho tra,bps,
- guidcmarks, rho hlazed trees of tho
path, tho trail Of his hunting ex xpc.
1dldeas; Tley tclI kimStAt TtEe poxt
@tdrh heads to a!r'ioh phas,asIkorb ho
can safely ask for money that tho
poor soldier is good dodge to try
in another direction that the atmer
on tho right keeps savage dog,
that Gully Grip or house of resort
Tor tramps, can bo found in .he fvil.
lago on the canal. The tramp not
only studics those indica.iohs for his
own instruction, but he isSbound 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
tho tricks Of his trade, tho tramp will
beg, stcal, live in the poor.houso
take turn in prison, or starvo if'it
comes to that, but pcvor will lido a
fstroko ofwotk IA thiswotld. ue is
p hero in our midst, ard our comm uni.
ty has got him oproyide for. We
ought t6csSo about tho soiktBy proper
:, legal enactments forthwith. Ho
should bcitakcn care Of by such means
"Ias whlprevont the increase of his
tribe and the waste tof'his de,,rcda.
tions. llis3 Destructive thcfts, his
d terrible, rocNcYpessjn in. tlle use Of FIRE,
andseoecasio ioRSk soutBroaks.tof spite,
render l!n.Mdtkpds of taking care Of
] himself altogether too costly to be
sonanrfd. Besidcs, he Is a. disgusting
o,d dreadful nuisance, and on6Iiti