Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1875-04-05
THE GENUS TRAMP. "

THE GENUS 'lhaMf.
How all the men live who do DO work for
their daily bread is a mystery. Aoy one who
IS familiar With the street population OF large
c;.v like this cannot fail TO be coguizant OF the
large number of men out Of employment who
are to be seen lounging about the corners and
strolling along with an air more OF apathy than
anxiety. Time seems to haug heavy on thslr
hands, and they appear to be constantly LOOK
ing in a lazy fashion for means OF helping the
hour to pass more swiftly away. They gather
on the corners, obstruct the sidewalks, and are
chiefly recognizable by their stubborn hstiess'
ness. The vcioity n which building opera
tons are being carried on has wonderful at
traction ior them They will haunt 1t from
morning to nighttall, Watching the masoDs and
the carpenters as if each separate lOater had
fortune at risk in the work. They are easily
known by the do-nothiug suggestlVeness OF
their attitudes, a disiDcination TO make move
ment and an air of seeking soft place to sit
down or convenient post to lean against.
They are econonicalto the verge OF meanness
in their expenditure of animal vigor, and make
one think tha, they must be OF something OF
the same miud as the French wit who gave as
a reason for not committing suicide that "by
the time be found out what fraud life Is
be had got so used TO living that he could
aot do without it." They are at outs With
the world, and such Of them as take the
trouble to think at all are probably of the opiu-
ion that humanity is amighty poor conee rn,
and that society has done them a great lujus'
tice. Perhaps they even cherish mild re-
sentiment against their parents tor having
brought them into an existence 10 which peo-
ple have to work for living. They endeavor
by their appearance to convey the impress
sion that they are sufferiog from some
moral injury. They tbiok that the world
owes them living, and they will pick it up
somewhere.
We have said that it is a mystery how these
iders get enough food to keep their bodies and
souls together aud raiment to protect their
bodies, and yet there Is al explanation. some
of them-n0t many-are mechanics or laborers
who would be at work if they could get 1t to
do. But the impression that any very great
number of people have been thrown out OF en-
ployment in Baltimore is an exaggeratlon OF
the real facts. Moreover, with the approach
of spring business of all kiods has recovered in
activity, aud consequently We ought, to see
fewer of these loupgers while the truth is that
few dave of warm weather adds to their oum.
ber The great majority of them belong to the
vagabopd class known as "tramps," which
within two or three years past has greatly IN
creased in this country, aud which durog the
past winter received an alarming number OF re-
cruts. The tramp is peculiar institution.
Heis wauderer or citizen, according to cir
cumstances. If be strikes city where there
are reasonably good accommodating 10 the
police stations; soup honses and relief assocla-
tious 10 active operation, and the chances great
for broken victuals and old clothes at the house
doors, he will locate for while But for com
uunities where workhouses exist and laws
against vagrancy are rigidy enforced he has no
fancy. He will quickly shake their dust from
off bis feet. He is the American cousin OF the
lazzaroni who bask in the sun all day long on
the church steps of Italian cities. He does not
want to work, and will not unless it is the only
barrier between him and starvation. ln one OF
the Eastern cities month or so ago an expert
ment was made that illustrated the nature ot
the tramp Some three score able bodied men
were passing an agreeably ludolent leisure iu a
charitable institution that gave bed and board
An occasion came when labor was needed on
some local improvements in which the mana
gers of the institution we're interested. They
conceived the notion of employing their bench.
carries supposing that the men would be glad
to earn little money. But not they, indeed
Out of the fifty odd strong and hearty tramps
who ate at the Institution tables and slept 10
its beds, there we're not halt doz u who could
be prevailed upon to accept work. They pre-
tcrred their idleness and stuck to 1t. 1t charity
to such people and these men We're but types
of their class-is no, misapplied, then We do
not know how il possibly c,uld be.
Besides the charity afforded tramps 10 the
ways We have indicated, they draw good deal
of SuStenance from the mistaken klndoess OF
families, particularly from the female members,
who cau be more easily prevailed upon by the
pathetic story and appealing expression OF
which the veteran tramp is master. We hardly
like to be quoting cynical Freuchmen 10 con-
nection with American women, but 10 this re-
spect there Is a pertiuency 10 the saying that,
Woman has DOT reasoning powers; only ln-
stinct, and she acts from that alone" A very
estimable lady, whose door is daily besieged by
these beggarS, who pass the word from one to
another when generous house is found, was
demonstrated with for ber indiscriminatipg
charity to them. Her answer given with
genuine feeling that de6ed reply, was that the
Lord who sustains me commands me to help
others" But she forgot that the same Provi-
dence has cursed the sluggard, and established
an iufexible rule of affairs that imposes the
necessity Of industry upon all men. The tramp
Is Objectionable not only because he Is some
times harmless vagabocd. lie Is thief upon
opportunity, and sometimes deeper criminal,
as witness the murder committed 10 bostoo
last week by one of the tribe. Undoubtedly
much of the petty thievery that has been COM
m'tted is traceable to tramps, and 10 the coun-
try desolated chicken roosts and burned barns
are the marks they have left behind them. -
Bah Amer can.