The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-02-23
Pauper Bills--A Good Story,

A friend from the country sends us a
very readable story of an impudent'
drunken tramp, and, in a private note
says:
Herewith | send you a communication
on the pauper question, which you are
welcome to make any disposition of you
please, in the waste basket or otherwise.
1t possesses one virtue-it is truel If you
care 10 use it or any part of it you can dc
So"
The following is the communication:
In your last weeks issue is an article
in relation to the ease with which the
wandering poor can get assistance from
the county, through lack of moral stamina
on the part Of the town poor master, as
supervisor. 1t is, without doubt, in the
main, just, the supervisor not troubling him
sell to make the necessary inquiries as to
the cause of their necessities, often listening
to spurious stories without sufficient
proof, and still oftener being approached
by the sickly and scantily clothed mother
and ragged and apparently starving chill
dren, while the drunken lazy brute of a
father is carefully kept in the background.
but occasionally he has an experience
ofquite different character, and, not in
frequently his backbone is put to pretty
severe strain. A supervisor of this coun ty
has been persistenty aud DANGEROUSLY be-
set by an indulgent mother to purchase
for her daughter clothing such as other
girls OF her age have, that she might 60
into society without being subjected
to the modification OF having nothing bet
ter to wear than calf boots, woollen hose,
and delaine dress.
Another instance: A fine specimen of
the genus tramp knocked at the door of
the supervisors Office at ii o'clock at
night, aud, on being admitted, said that he
had been at work in the neighborhood
three miles out, and, mpleting his con-
tract, had come to town and then and
there put himself outside of as much tan
glefoot as man of thirty years and good
constitution could conveniently carry-in
fact he had occasionally taken in rather
more than he could well get away with. :"
However, with native energy and jealous
determination to go straight on to the ends
he had, that night, come to the end of his
money, and though he had patroDized
some half dozen saloons literally, none of
them would give him supper or bed, and
he was very sorry, quite ashamed, in fact,
but would the supervisor kindly give him
an order for supper, bed and breakfast p
didn't like to ask it, you know, but gentle
men would get caught in a tight place now
and then; the landlord of the hotel-a
very pleasant man by the way-was about
to lock up and had limited that an order
trom the proper quarter was usual in such
cases; a few lines would do; it was very
cold; would he please to hurry as he might
unfortunately be locked out The super
visor thought he would not be justified in
giving an order, in fact he couldn't
see it, and advised him to go to his late
employers as the best thing he could do
But our tramp very plainly intimated that
he came for an order, not for advice, and
was going to stay till he got it, and--well,
ne staid; advice, threats, argument were
all IN vain, he didn't scare worth q cent.
the Jail had no terrors, the constable
(who was sent for but could not be found)
would have to keep him all night any how:
and, finally, to make the matter perfectly