The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-02
Some Account Of Their Organizes
ton and Personnel.
Mysterious Signs and Symbols with
Which They Mark Houses.
THE TRAMP IN POLITICS.

!
want Of bcrali,y OF the metropolitan heart, has al.
ready begun from tho populous centres on
the scaboard to tho sylvan shades Of the country,
there repair, in bucolic Quot, his wasted energies
When tho nippng frost OF autumn comes tho tramp
viii return to town rcinvgoraod and with cheek de.
vclopcd II the temper OF the rural press be taken a.
a the tramp will have warm reception 10
the suburbs this summer. The origin Of tho tramp II
shroudcd in mystery. He came upon tho country like
the Colorado potato bug, whence no ono knew. As
tho Huns and Goths swarmed down upon Rome OF old,
so tho tramp appeared at the gaeways OF our Eastern
cities They nave cluded tho stntistcian and only
vague gucsscs can BIO made u.s. to thor uumori
cal strength. Some facts regarding hh
habits aro all that Is known about him.
lie Is liar a thief and q oaicr At every house he
comes 10 be tolls Ginercut story ful! OF romance and
pathos His imagination is brilliant, his person un'
clean, his habits dissoutc, very criminal in every
appointment except tho striped shirt. Though he hai
only recently grown 10 strength, no is an old cstab
lsned fact, and his present formidable condition II
duo TO organization
THEIR ORGANIZATION.
That the tramps have organization Is established
beyond doubt. Within twclvemonh the papers Of
the country have literally iccmcc with narratives
which show conclusvey that an organization exists,
with signs, passwords and symbols. sign language
has been discovered, but not interpreted.
Throughout the States Of New York aud New
Jersey tho posts OF lodge gates have beer
embellished With mysterious signs surprising IN ecccn
triciy the hicroglyphics on Egyptian obeliskx By
scra,ch OF chalk or kne cut tho pioneer tramp ind.
Gates 10 hts fellows that follow the character Of house,
thus saving much labor and lettering mendicants
from beng refused money and food. Investigation
has proven that most OF The ramps now dcpredxting
tho country at one time in the army. Usually
r. ,lca ~
worthless fellows got abroad, aud free from the
surveillance to which they are used they wander hithcr
and thither, leading rowing nomadic lives, with no
caro- Tor the morrow, growing moro insolent and idle
every day.
THE ANCIENT ROMAN
Gibbon tells OF desertcrs from tho Roman army who
infested the highways of Gaul, ana single handed lev
led tribute OF bread and wine IRON tho dcfonceess
hushauamcu. In Syra and Mesopotama followers
oil the pr1torian guard, who, tired Of travel slept ny
the roadway like their followers in Gaui depre-
dated country already poor rom demands made upon
il by tho OF the army. Hero, them the
early prototype oi the tramp OF to-day. Gibbon in
speaking on subject merely mentions these facts
oLitrr aud IL Is iair TO inter that the tramps
OF Rome not SO numerous or troublesome
as The ramps o. ,o.oay II .ney ,n mao
would doubt have been treated with that consacra
lion which tho thoughtful historian deyotcs 70 all
thugs important We have no details IS to how they
lived iurthcr than that thoy insisted on having food
and drink, whom short OF money they borrowed
IN the City the Seven Hills, and II they ever congre.
gated there their identity was lost IN the vast popu
lace and tho lrcnarchs were never bothered our
police ust,ccs are to nnd PLACES IN which TO incar
ccratc Them
The original army OF American tramps which
an oHshoot OF the army dish ndcd IN 1864, has been
much augmented within the past few years by re-
cruis from among the laborcrs and mechanics who,
nnding difficult 10 get employ meni, have joined The
rowing army. Most 0! these gentlemen from the
trades are sharks Who when times were good used
orrrnIze strikes and mako comfortable living by
noodw hiking the fellows who WORKED hard for living
and ,oncd unions oricr 10 protect themselves anu
moi 10 hamper or A. ht capital They easy liv.
ing IN strikes and strikes were always going on.
The hard tunes have opened Tue eyes Of mechanics,
DO so frequent in The future. Mention has been
made organization having been Instituted among
ton Is due alone 10 the infusion OF tins ence trades
| unon clement into The ranks. From what Is known
oil this organization 1t IS PLAIN that spirit OF trades
| unonIsm is rampant among the ramps They nave
achieved the dream OF the new mcinDcrs their mill
! strike Many Of the signs and passwords used ny
tramps now wcro once n vogue IN New York city
among strikers ana with " low concentrations made
necessary by tho exigenclcs Of tramp life, the
| code may be said 10 govern.
/ rnE u>IoS TRAaps
These banded outlaws hold Conventions during the
vntcr In large cites mako arrangements and
details Tor summer work. They WILL 81 COURSE object
10 TIC word worh but other is handy TO illustrate
our meaning rhe ramp who goes about tho country
! In tho summer time aad comes 10 town IN winter
has heen met by The c'ly loaler aud Instructed III the
mysteries OF organization. The city loacr recognized
1 that a groat deal oil strength was being wasted
| Tor some banu Of union, and has grouped the
lrainps INTO army. Two years. experience has
shown them that IN cnion there strength,
| and growing consciousness Of strength has made
| them impudent and aggressive they have robbed
where they got chance They have burned larin
| houses aud barns lncy have poisoned cattle, and
they make limit to their demands where they think
| there neither man nor u shotgun handy. What
the result OF this tramp organization may bc no one
knows but y IS quito certain that unless some strong
effort made 10 cxtcrmInae tramps lie aud properly
beyond the city limits viii be in dangcr--a danger IN
creasing every year.
In the winter time a large number " tranps nd
lodgings III The police station houses OF Ncw YORK, and
Inc committee Crime, appointed by the Legislature
IN 1873 speaks subject IN the following terms
EVERY station house in the city Of New York receives
mighty larss NUMBER Of odses Of both who spend
them deserving and snnsring poo, Many others
abona habits The tramp nuisance is attracting groas
deal Of attention thrcnyoa, the county and beyond all
iork and station TO another lv
s s a" " way sn' 's dealing "s o
muy has been found eaet,ys ana !, Is TO- MAKE them
horror and me very su.ses!on e i causes him
Viii n he PERFECTLY pc g with pay vii" as aSa @''s
4ss. ns Who @ and s% o s w shi Them ssFs
The work that they could do would, undoubtedly.
tue sesai"s cr the slrect is Is snioreea
and by the testimony oil several of tho
justices and other ospcrta
LEGISLATIVE Kryoar At REPRESSION
This suggestion OF the Legislative committee to
have Inc tramps do work induced police captain 10
make tho expert ment and the result was revolt
among tho lazy scoundres Mr.. Hamilton Fish, Jr.,
who was in the State Assembly when tho report Of
the committee presented, prepared bill based
Tho Recommendations contained III 1t. The bill pro-
ylcd that puupcr ranps should be housed and led by
the poor commissioners Of the several counties, aud
thai they should DO made TO work ana compensate the
state for iougng ana board. The bill amended
ana finally orJcrcd 10 third reading, but Governor
Tidcn returned ~ without his signature refusng TO
crowd honest labor out OF the market by resolving the
State into paupcr workshop. After tins veto tho
/
have been made from timo to time during the recent
session 10 procure iog isatiun against tramps.
| TRAMrs AS VOTERS.
| Some idea OF the power vi tramps an organized
body may be gained from the following fncts published
In the HERALD OF April -, and the facts may explain
why II dricult to Obtain enactment against
Migrants. EERALD reporter was sent TO investigate
] the Kings County Poor House and his report OF tho
investigation, which was subsequent 20 that 81 whites