Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-07-31
The New knights OftIle Road.

4 resident Of Westminster county, Who farms
small property, was short of hands lest week.
The weather was splendid for haying and be
was anxious 10 harvest his crop. lie thought
hmsclrn luck when sturdy young tramp
the picture of enViablc good health, as all his
kind aro-camc to the house for food. The
farmer liking tho mans looks, gave him a
fuuare meal, and then offered to hire him at
thc current wages for farm hands. The tramp.
being gorged with substantial fare, did not snap
at the chance very eagerly. But at last he
consented and went into the field. The sun
was bot, and swinging scythe was no tun. AS
40 amusement it could not be recommended,
though really less trying on the muscles than
polo, cricket or base ball. The tramp was q
good hand, and the long keen blade went flash.
ing through the tall grass. 1t did terrible havoc
for about five minutes The farmer stood
looking 90, ooDgratuating himself and expect.
Jog to see oil that grass down before nightlall.
At the end of that five minutes, great was the
farmer surprise when his tramp stopped sud
denly, hung his scythe 10 an apple tree and sat
down on rock. AppreheDsve that the new
hand had given out under the tremendous pace
he had kept up, the farmer approached him
with some anxiety. The tramp was not sun
struck. lie was, 10 fact 80 we'll that he was
able to light pipe and pull at it vigorously
with every sign Ct Enjoyment. "Whats the
matter" asked the farmer. Cant stand it, .
said the tramp; TOO hot for work. AS he
spoke he mopped the sweat from his brow with
very ragged snl dirty shirt sleeve. Rest q
while" said The farmer who was anxious not
to loose such fine specimen ofphyslcal man
hood; so expert, too, with the soythe. mo,
| thank you. wal the reply; u give 1t up
weather" And, without more ado, the tramp
took his stalwart form out of that hay field
| and started off at lively gait down the road tt
some of tho plaques of rural life and get in hi:
hay as he beat could But he won't hire AM
more tramps.
We dare say every farmer could tell dCz3r
stories like this, to show the incurable lazlnesS
of tramp3 Such fellows do not want work.
They never ask for it where they think it car
be had. TO seek for work is with them only q
pretext which may get them sympathy and
cell viotuals. Out West We hear the same re.
ports. An Indiana paper says that farmers in
the central and southern parts OF that State and
| Illinois are paying 81 to 81 so day, With
board, to harvest hands. and clnnot secure
them. Yet that country is overluo with
tramps who protest they can find 20 work
Communities will be forced at last TO handle
this tramp question without gloves. The ,vag'
abonds were never so numerous and mischeT'
Gus as now. In the Massachusetts papers we
read Of their attacks on railroad trains. Tho
Western press teens with reports of their as
ssults on farmers who are using labor saving
implements of any kind. They will not work
themselves, and they arc determined no one
else shall They are terrifying farmers IN lhe
wheat country by posting notices on fences and
barns warning Them not to use any machinery
in harvesting, under penalty Of having their
buildings burned These threats have been exc.
cuted in some cases. As We write, q dispatch
comes to hand telling about q farmer in Mime
soto who caught two trsmps in the act OF set
ting fire TO harvesting machine in his wheat
| field The farmer might have waited for 9
| legal process, but happening to have q pistol
| handy, he impulsively shot at and killed the
two incendiares Like good citizen, he then
gave himself mp and (the report adds quite super
| fuously) was Instantly RECESSED 1t would
be better for States not to put their citizens to
the trouble of doing their own police work on
these trsmps. Such dangerous men should be
| arrested on the highways and sot to work
N J. ,ToprH0L0f Commerce.