Middletown transcript., 1877-06-16


The summer season is at our doors.
The fashionable world is preparing for
its out of town summering, and SO is
the tramp. The latter, indeed, dis
gusted at the want of liberality Of the
Metropolitan heart, has already begun
to migrate from the populous centres
on the seaboard to the sylvan shades
of the country, there to repair, in bu-
collie quiet, his wasted energies. When
the nipping frost of autumn comes the
tramp will return to town reinvigorated
and with cheek developed. IF the
temper of the rural press be taken as
a criterion the tramp will have warm
reception in the suburbs this su@er.
The origin of the tramp is shrouded in
mystery. He came upon the country
ike the Colorado potato bug whence
no one knew. As the Huns and Goths
swarmed down upon Rome of old, 50
the tramp appeared at the gateways Of
our Eastern cities. They have eluded
the statistician and only vague guesses
can be made as to their numerical
strength. Some facts regarding his
habits are all thatis known about him.
He is a liar, thief and loafer. At
every house he tells different story
full Of romance and pathos. His i'm
agination is brilliant, his person un-
clean, his habits dissolute, very Grim
inal in every appointment except the
striped shirt. Though ne has only re-
Gently grown to strength, he is an old
established fact, and his present for
midable condition is due to organiza-
ton.
THEIR ORGANIZATION.
That the tramps have an organiza-
ton is established beyond doubt
Within a twelve-month the papers Of
the country have literally teemed with
narratives which show conclusively
that an organization exists, with signs,
passwords and symbols. A sign Ian
guage has been discovered but not in
terpreted. Throughout the States of
New York and New Jersey the posts
of lodge gates have been embellished
with mysterious signs, surprising in
eccentricity the hieroglyphics on Egyp-
tian obelisks. By scratch Of chalk
or knife cut the pioneer tramp indi-
Gates to his fellows that follow the
character Of house, thus saving much
labor and deterring mendicants from
being refused money and food. In
vestigation has proven that most Of the
tramps now depredating the country
were at one time in the army. Usually
after war and the devastations Of
armies a class of worthless fellows get
abroad, and once free from the sur
veillance to which they are used they
wander hither and thither, leading row.
ing, nomadic lives, with no care for the
morrow, growing more insolent and
idle every day.
THE ANCIENT ROMAN TRAMP.
Gibbons tells of deserters from the
Roman army who infested the high
ways Of Gaul, and single handed levied
tribute Of bread and wine from the de-
fenceless husbandmen. In Syria and
Mesopotamia followers Of the PrRtor-
ian guard, who, tired Of travel, slept
by the roadway, like their followers in
Gaul, depredated country already
poor from demands made upon it by |
the commissariat Of the army. Here, |
then, is the early prototye Of the tramp
of to-day. Gibbon in speaking of this
subject merely mentions the facts obiter,
and it is fair to infer that the tramps
of Rome were not so numerous or |
troublesome as the tramps of to-day. |
If they had numbered as many thou
sands as our tramps do they would no
doubt have been treated with that con-
sideration which the thoughtful his
torian devotes to all things important.
We have no details as to how they
lived, further than that they insisted
on having food and drink, and when
short of money they borrowed from
wayfarers. Nothing is heard
of them in the City of the Seven Hills,
and if they ever cengregated there
their identity was lost in the vast pop
ulaee, and the Irenarchs were never
bothered as our police justices are to
fnd place in which to incarcerate
them.