Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-20
THE EXPERIENCE OF rRAnps.
How They Manage to Live at the Ey
pense of the Public.
fFrom fte Sun Francisco C,IV ]

4
Now, then, off We co."
:" Wei, you needn't be so rough about it;
/ m going, aln't IL
The nrst speaker was conductor OF the
. Central Pacific railroad.
The second was q curious looking sspeci.
men of humanity. He was tall and Slightly
built, and his slender frame was encom pas s.
ed by O suit which told pamistakably tn At
he was tramp. DIES pife his well defined fea-
lures. which betokened rather the gentleman
Of sentin ent and taste than q warrant wan
dering upon the face OF the earth. He wore
blue wooden blouse and a sailors il-cloth
hat. His legs were eneased In a pair of owe :
ais, which were SO short that they did not
reach the top of his heavy brogans, which
We're evidently about four sizes too large for
his small feet, and disclosed 10 view q pair
OF old fashioned blue wooisn stockings suca
as grandmother used 10 make In the good old
days gone by.
This singular specimen of humanity. with
an audIbly Inutuered curse on conductors In
general, and this special conductor in partic.
going east at about O'Clock In the morning,
on the 9th of September, AID. 1877, at Clark 3
station, IA miles west of Wordsworth. He
mad Geen dlse0vered In the smoking car
awakened, aid found to be without the usua
strip of pastebOard emitting him ID a ride
The car was stopped for his especial benefit
which placed him on q level with kings and
emperors. and he was summarily elected. A
careful observer might have noticed that the
shove which sent him from the car was not
careful observers TO watch his movements
He made quick bound from the train, land
ed On all tours, and found himself spra Wiling
at The foot of a huge water tank.
There were observers, though. although not
careful. The moment the tramp regained
his feet, which he did with great apparent
dlfhculty, a voice came Kissing through the
We'll, pard, you're a jolly 'un, you is!r
The tramp, gathering himself together,
peered through the gloom OF early morning
tt1r I'm lla
share of men, who were scrutinizing him
closely. There was nothing suggestive of
evil in their eyes, but they were not pleasant
10 look upon.
Why, what's the natter"
Oh, nothin's The matter, only we've gone
and GIN us away"
'' On ye away"
"E as, gin, Us away. We was a goin' to
jump the train, but when the cop conductor
threw ye off, the racket was up Why, after
hndin' you he had the whole gang lookln' for
us, an here we're blocked. There amt an
other cabOOse till four O'Clock in the after
noon, an, now here we've got to stay till then
or foot it TO Wadsworth."
The elected tramp ex pressed his profound
regret IN the vernacular of the tribe.
Why the -. ," cried another, 'didnt
you come the truck racket till We got here?
Don't yer know this is one of our regular sta
tons, and the cop never goes through the car
from adswOrtn to Winnemucca?"
81 didn't know that"
Well, you are green 'un."
This fact was mOdestly admitted by the
new arrival. He even became frank, and
admitted that this was his first tramp.
I" Bub," he said, in sudden Outburst of IN
geniOus caDdOr, - Boys, I've made up my
mind to lead free an easy life after this.
I've worked for blasted mOnOpoies all my
life; don't mean to do 1t no longer; want
to join the jolly boys of the road, will We take
me along and learn me the rackets?"
ain course we WILL" said the first speaker,
give us away. Wed a been nigh on TO Wads-
worth afore now but for yer stupid racket on
that ere train"
The morning sun was just sending forth
his advance guards of rays TO herald his ap-
prOach; the door of the only house at Clarks
station, that of the tender Of the water-tank,
opened, and the four tramps looked at each
other significantly. One Of them spoke up;
he said
Heres a good chance to learn the green
'un sumthin'! Here, young feller jest go to
The house there an see II ye can git US sum-
Thin 10 eat"
The new conner started for the house, while
the other four sheltered themselves from OBJ
servotiOn on the farther side OF the water
tank. The two bits Us cents) secured q gen
erOus lunch from the kind hearted landau y.
Rich bread and creamy butter, three slices
of currant cake. two pieces of pie, and soma
crack ers aud cheese thrown In, were wrapped
neatly in newspaper a month Old, and the
tramp returned to his companions. rejoicing.
"All Tor two bits'' he exclaimed a, he dis
played his treasure to the four tramps.
What!' they gaspet, as with one voice,
starting back in astOnishment.
That's all. Only two bits.'
"Gin away agin w mOaned the first tramp
in .One of absolute detection.
% Look here, young un, We mustn't never
give money fur vittles. If We do that, they'll
expect as all to do it. And very materially
they would. Now" burning an appealing
Look TO his fellows, "ain't that nateral?"
Every MATERIAL" came in dismal chorus
from the group
Neutrality-suspicious. their disgust, however,
they pitched Into The lunch with an appetite
born Of long fasting, and SO greedily did they
devOur it that the tramp, whose money hal
procured It, only secured one piece OF bread
for his share.
BY the time this magnificent banquet was
ended it was broad day flight, and this little
Of seeing their surroundings. A water tank
and a horse-these were the only signs to
indicate presence of civilization. All around
was one unbrOken wilderness of sand, re-
Nevada's favOrite vegetation, Sagebush. Far
away to the south the beautiful waters of the
Truckee could be seen glistening in the sun
light, as they wound their way TO the west.
To the north stretches the snow capped chain
of the Sierra Nevada, looking down with
chilling effect upon the five tramps. A con-
sultatiOn was now held TO decide whether the
wanderers should press on to Wadsworth, or
wait until the afternoon on the uncertain
hope OF dumping" the freight train and steal
ing ride. Alter much earnest discussion,
either side, it was decided TO remain. AS
one of the tramps elegantly expressed 1t, "Ef
We can't play the racket, there's plenty OF
grub in that ERE house, and we won't send a
greenhOrn for IL next time, neither, an it's
better TO trot in the night than In the day"
Wall" said another, "if we're goin' to
stay here let's build a tie-house. 1 amt
gon' TO stan under this tank all day. Eff
there was whisky in 1T Z mightdO, but don't
want the shadder of no water over me"
The proposition met with a cordial assent.
On the other side of the road was huge pile
of railroad ties, which are always kept on
hand at certain stations along the line. To
this pile the five rramps Immediately pro-
ceedtd, and made an assault upon ii Ia APP
proved military style. A 'tie-house" is q
novelty in modern architecture to the unin.
itiated; and yet beneath its protecting shelter
many q weary tramp whose waking hours
are passed III cOncOcting schemes of piunder
has slept away his WEAKNESS amid pictured
scenes Of home and happiness drawn by fairy
fingers. 1t is very simple arrangement.
The ties are placed on end and close together,
to form three sides of the house. The fourth
side is left open to serve as door. Then
across the top more ties are placed to serve
as q roof, and the "tie house''i Is complete, a
mansion fit for any tramp that ever Infested
the railroad. In very high winds, of course,
1t is not available, for the occupant would
be liable to be buried in its ruins. But in q
calm, pleasant day, like that of the Sth of
July, 1t was cozy and comfortable
retreat from the rays of the blazing sun.
Tho edidco rOrn Olafpl fhe ira m spraod