The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-11-15

greedily did they .deyour it that the
tramp, whose nQneyhad procured it,
only secured one piece of bread for his
share. ..s1, s.s4.5.a saidm
BY the time this magnificent banquet
was ended it was broad daylight, and
this little congregation Of travellers had
an opportunity ot.seeing their surround
ings A water tank and a horse-these
were the only signs osindicate the pres
ence of civilization. All around was
one unbroken wilderness of sand, re-
lieved here and there by little clumps OF
Nevada's favorite vegetation, sagebrush.
Far away to the south, the beautiful wa
tiers of the Truckee could be seen glis-
tening. in the sunlight, as they, wound
their way. to. the, west. To the north
stretches the snow-eapped chain. OF the
Sierra Nevada, looking down with chilli
ing effect upon the five trarnps. A con-
sultation was now held to decide wheth-
er. the. wanderers should press on to
4Wadsworth,- OF wait until the afternoon
on the uncertain hope Of dumping"
the freight train and stealing ride.
After much earnest discussion, embel-
ished by elaborate arguments on either
Eside, it was decided to remain. AS one
of the tramps elegantly. expressed it,
g Eff we can, t., play the racket, there's
plenty of grub in that 'ere house, and
we won't send a greenhorn for it next
time, neither, an it's. better to ,trot in
the night than in the day. 4
"1Wall,n said another, "if we're goin'
+ to stay here, let's build a tie house. [
amt goin' to STAN under this tank all
day. Ell there was whisky init t might
Edo, but I don't want the rshadderi of no
water over me. ~, a. ~ .'is' III.
The proposition. met with cordial
assent. On the ether side of the road
was a huge pile of railroad ties, which
are always kept on hand at certain sta
| tions along the, line To, this pile the
five tramps Immediately proceeded, and
made an assault upon it in approved
military style. A 'sstie house, is a nov
city in modern architecture to the unin-
Isitiated; and yet beneath its protecting
shelter many a weary tramp, whose
waking hours are passed in connecting
schemes of plumber, has slept away his
WEAKNESS amid pictured scenes of home
and happiness drawn by. fairy fingers.
It is a very simple arrangement. The
ties are placed on end and close togeth-
er, to form three sides of the house.
The fourth side lis left open, to serve as
door. Then across the top more ties
are placed to serve as a roof, and the
''tie house, is complete, masion fit
1iraihonad. II very high Winds, Of course,
it is not available, for the occupant
would be liable to be buried in its ruins.
But in. a, calm, pleasant day, like that of
the Sth OF July it was cosy and COM
Portable retreat from the. rays of the
blazing sun. 1880 Z. se.
The edifice completed, the tramps
spread themselves out, some on their
backs. some resting on their elbows.
Conversation in the slang vernacular OF
the tribe was now animated, and now
/ tagged. . To an observer, these misera-
BILE creatures, without home and with
tout friends, hunted down by society Gas
they should be), and scorned by the
honest man who earns an honest living,
would haye.appeared happy family,
or a nest of hornets who had fled from
civilization to enjoy life. in their own
/ way in the wilderness. It needed but
two or three short-dressed girls to give
to the house all the characteristics of a
gypsy carnp-according to the stage no.
ton of gypsy camps. But one brief
hour passed in that tie house would
have effectually dispelled all romance
from the mind of the observer. The
conversation was. low and vulgar, and
plentifully 7interlarded with most bias
phemous oaths. They cursed railroads,
they cursed conductors, they cursed the
newspapers which exposed them; they
cursed every thing but that most de-
serving of curses-their own miserable
selves.
0neBy oneitIm II aInps sdndpped off to
sleep, after partaking freely Of flask
of whisky which had been purchased
from donation in money. BY an old
,gentlemanaN hd had been touched by the
plaintive tale of one of their number,
and whose Simplicity was made the sub
ject of many 9 joke and peal of drunken
laughter in that novel house of ties. AT
length but two remained awake-the
last conner, who had been thrown from
the train, and the epulsive-looking man
who had first aceosted him. =
"Well, young feller,''' suddenly ex-
claimed the latter, $50. you want to iine
us, do ye? You want to be jolly boy
like old Adam, and jog along through
life without any one to bother with OF
any one to bother ye, do yep''
i "rhat's just what want. -
"Wall, ye'll find it sum- at hard at fust.
lrampin' is perfessun, an of course
we've got to begin way down. Now, how
did ye jump that train that they put ye
OHM stzsASEg gFsfsss W or
81 jest got on at Reno, and when the
4 eonfuc foIs uoIa RIO ~, r onlad :.