Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-11-03
a Colony OF Grautp.

CURIOUS COMMUNITY - HOW THE KAs-
GED RASCALS PASS Their TIME.
Correspondence of ne PbuaE ,,hia Press
Ia woodland on Darcy road, la one of TIE
most picturesque sections OF country in tue
vicinity of Philadel phis. there IS a certain
llJtie community or settlement OF tramps.
During the day they lounge around res OF
brush WOOD, made IN "A little stony nOll Nv
sometimes singing, sometimes cooking or
fGenclng or washing, sometimes drinking.
Occasionally some of them spurrsi BY AN
petite or Tired of idleness. 90 ont into tls
nelds and gather herbs or flowers and bring
Ihen into the city TO sell, and W tn The money
received buy whisky, upon which they a 4
get drunk aud make The woods ring gigl
songs and botstsrous laughter, or savage
cries. The size of this motley gath sriUg
varies with the time and the seasons.
hardly ever numbers less than twenty aof
mas reached TO eighty. There are n "a al1
women, old and yoIng. Neatly all day
long, 81 have said, they linger arSu I'D the
hEes in the wood, AMI when me weather X
not uuplcaSanily cold they also sleep on
under the trees, but In the winter, add syllsn
storms OF great violence occar. they y .s
refuge IN barns ia the neignbOrhooi
Upon beautiful and wooded knoll thsy
have set up a little cabin made nt logs a al
bark OF trees. In the stony hollow IN the
side OF a hill. where they pass much o! IN cir
time, they have Kettles ana pa1s and other
household utensils, and "A wooden tripoi
"Ion which TO hang kettle over a .ire. and
sirong from zee 10 tree, lines upon which TO
hang their clothes TO dry. Tney fare we'll.
They BEG from the farmers IN the neishboF-
hood, VINO uare not refuse Tn IN, aud fear
even 10 EiGT muir n their dem ads. Any
OF nee Ia them might result in the buraing
ol The barn or home OF the helpless Offender.
IL J. no worier that man saould live in
dread with 4 gang of lawle>s yagaboni,
about bis door and no protection near him
Tor himself or his wife or his daughters. Tlis
community seems 10 be governed by d
master and mistress -the latter q old,
white-hair.d wretch who has been known ia
the vicinity for years. They receive the al
legiance Of ali the others, and refuse admit
lance into the circles To such applicants a. do
lot, for any reason, please their fancy, y.
course, their authority is not al WAYS sub
united 10. but to a great extent they are the
rulers OF the colony. Toe society gener-
ally IL not inviting, and individually il
is repnlsive. SO many low-orOwed. scDwl-
lng, savage human beings one seld Om M get,
with in The same day. Ii an honest Iaborer
looks contemptuOusly a. them they sc1wl
In return or mutter thre8teuiugly; II a carl
Gus stranger go too near their 'reSiaence"
they warn him OF, or il he laugh al their
patched garments mapping In the breeze
they curse him; III he anudeS 10 them as
'onmmers" they rise in their MAJ ssty ani
pour forth their indignation. Now, To break
up Ms settlement is a question wlicl has
agitated the minds OF The farmers round
about for a long time. Winter does not de-
sIroy IL. All last winter the tramps could
be tracked by the footprints on the snow
nom the barn where they slept to the hollow
In the WOODS, where they hal gathered to-
getber an immense mound OF leaves AMI
wtthered brush. No Que is willing 10 order
them of. 1t is not safe. They have aeo
tolerated until patience has given way, and
how 10 get rid of them is q problem waicl -
yet 10 be solved.