The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-11-03
a COLONY of Tramps.

CORES pundCncc of the Philadelphia frc-~.l
darcy, Penn, oct 20.-In a woodland On
Darby road, in one of the most picturesque
sections of country in the vicinity OF PhlIadel-
Dha there is curious little community or
settlement of tramps. During the day they
lounge around fires of brushwood, made in y
little stony hollow, sometimes singing, some
times cooking, or mending, or washing, some
times drinking. Occasionally some of them,
spurred by appetite, or tired of idlencsS, 30
out into the fields to gather herbs or flowers,
and bring them into the city to sell and with
the money received buy whisky, upon which
they all get drunk and make the woods ring
with songs and bOiserous laughter or savage
cries. The size Of this motley gathering varies
with the time and the seasons. 1t hardly ever
numbers less than twenty, and has reached to
eighty There are men and women, old and
young Nearly all day long, as nave said,
hey lingcr around the fires in the wood, and
when the weather is not unpeasantly cold they
also sleep out under the trees; but in the win
Ter and when storms of great violence occur,
they take refuge in barns in the neighborhood.
Upon beautiful wooded knoll they have set
ND little cabin made of logs and the bark of
.rees. In the stony hollow in the side of hill,
where they pass much OF their time, they have
Kettles and pans and other household utensils,
and a wooden tripod upon which to hang a
kettle over fire, and strung from tree to tree
ines upon which to hang their clothes to dry.
They fare well. Thy beg from the farmers in
me nclghborhOod, VINO dare not refuse them,
and fear even ~ n.urmur at their demands
Any offence to Il III might result in the burn
ing of the barn or home Of the helpless offend.
cr. 1t is no wonder that man should live in
Uread with gang Of lawless vagabonds about
his door and no protection near him for him
,clf or his wife or daughters This commmi
" seems to bc Governed by master and
"miSrcss'-thC latter an old, white-haired
wretch who has b"cn known in the vicinity
for years. Thcy receive the allegiance OF all
the others, and refuse idmittance into the cir
cie to such applicants d, do not for any reason
please their fancy. OF course their authority
: not always submitted to. but to great cX-
tent they are the rulers of the colony. The So
cicty generally is not inviting and Individual
v it is rcpusivc. So many low -brOwcd, sCOWl-
,ng, savage human beings one seldom meets
with in the same day. If an honest laborCr
.Doks conCmptuOusly at them, they scOwl in
return or muttcr threatrnnglv: if Il curious
Stranger 70 too near their residence" they
warn hi,l Off or if he laugh at their patched
garments Tapping in the breeze they curse
MIN: if he alludc, To them rs "hummcrS" thcy
ri>c in their majesty and pour forth their in
GiGnatiOn. Now. to break up this settlement
: Il question which has ag,alcd the mind, Of
he farmers round about for long time Win.
'rr does not destroy it. All last winter the
ramps could be tracked by the footprints on
lie snow from the barn where they slept to the
follow in the woods where they had gathered
.pgcthcr an immense mound OF leaves and
Vithcrcd brush. No one is willing to order
.hcm of Il j, not safe. They have been tol.
Grated until patience has given way, and how
- ret rid Of them is the problem which is yet
- be solved