New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-07
Union SQUARE OvERRUN AT NIGHT.


TWO HUNDRED AND FIFrY-EIGHr L0DGERs ON SAT-
uRDAY NlGHT-rHEiR HABITS AND APPEARANCE.
Union -square, one of the chief ccntcrs Of
metropolitan activity by day. is the great meetns hco
for every OF tramp mendcant, and vagabond by
night This open lodg:nghOuse OF the wretrhed was
visited between and O'Clock on SUNDAY morning by
reorter who counted 233 OF all and cOnliions
IRON the debasod beggar 10 the weldrssod DC
bauehee sleeping of the effects Of nights oarousiA
This surprisingly large number is scarcely hundred ue-
low the entire lodging capacity OF the Square allowing
tenant to each division OF bench, and giving up The
cottage to the half who were slowed away under
under its vesndas The s.eepcrs arc not allowed to ie
upon the grass neignborinS patroiman SAID
ne had not seen so many trsnps In the
square for number OF weeks, and thai
the usual number for the Summer would average l75
nightly The officers occasionally drive them ont. but
had come the conclusion that they watched moro
easily when in company and there was the alternative
of taking them the saIi0Dhouses, which could not
accommodate many Of having tramp cuTled up IN
the shadow Of every doorway or under every express
wagon in the vicinity.
TIE habits OF the Unonsquare dodgers vary. THO
CIRCULARS who have settled to steady pursuit OK
this sort of life are their places by 10 o'clock In the
evening" aud inest the east side Of the square. where
they arc less disturbed Most OF them drIuktn beg
gars from So to 80 Of class OF abeooded
young of Is to p years who do odd obb about tho
city, and have taste for HOUSEKEEPING aud buT.r
alarms early in the evening reserve all the benches In
the center Of the square that are not ncnmoered Win
iron arms and allow lying down at full length The west
side Ais up rapidly about midnight with transient
odgers the victims OF varying circumstance and Win
ramps whom officers have drivenou OF Madlsonsquae
The boated beggar, lying the outside benches we're
sneared with the greasy refuse they gather and the ds
of the gutter Scattered here IN there few mon
under 80 who retained seedy unity. They took good
care TO protect their health from the air. bgtoniDS
their coat collars tying handkerchies about their Docks
and Keeping stiff backbone and an attitude of rthse-
ton An old gray haired man, with intellectual features
which were pale ana thin. passaby dressed and APP
pear~d to be semespectable bcggar and frucnter OF
free reading rooms Opposite sat young clerk out N
OF handsome suit Of clothes His hung hstessy'
and his lace looked wearied aud expression of
mental pain His story that OF score VI his elbow
odsersno work. no income. and unwilling to ask creus
| at a lOdging-house when the chances OF pelhS
able to pay In tho future are 80 siili'
On one bench three Emphatic Germans, all win
heads thrown back danger OF having their necks
disocated A ablelooking and muscular English
mechanic sat out night with dogged obstnacy aud
one eye open while opposite irlshnan had lighted
| his pipe There two Young boys NJ
| Union-square, one q welldressed little Hebrew
| twelve years Of age, who had thrust M
les through the back rails OF tho bench, ana
buried his face in folded arms the other younger lad
with the last unsoll paper doubled under him. Gangs VI