Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-05-21
TRAVELLING WITH TRAMPS.
A Newspaper Correspondent Learns
Something Of Communism
in Ohio.
The Torch and BludgeOn to be Used
TO Equsllze The Wealth OF
the Country.
Cor. Cincinnati Enquirer.l

The present unsettled condition
of society and business led your
correspondent to undertake a mis-
sion, the information gained in
which was intended to supplement
that supplied by your reporters in
the great cities who are endeayor-
ing to unravel the secret purposes
of those vast bodies Of armed men
who are nightly drilling in secret
halls and byways. 1t was a mad
thought and would never have oc-
Cured to a sensible, sober citizen
but there is no accounting for the
eccentricities Of the average news
paper reporter, who seems to be the
adjutant Of advanced ideas, and to
whose indomitable energy and
pluck are due many of the adyan-
tages of our present civilization.
| began the serious business Of
my wanderings at Chillicothe,
Ohio; indeed, the thought Of turn
ing tramp did not enter my mind
until | stepped from the train at
one o'clock at night at the Maret-
ia and Cincinnati depot. A cold
rain was falling, and the porten-
tous clouds gave token of still
greater rainfall. stood under the
awning of the depot and watched
the train pull out for the East and
was just turning to enter the gen.
tlemen's sitting.room when l ob
served the depot watchman drive
out into the storm a couple of men
who had seemingly taken shelter
therein from the rain. The mer
went out with the docility of dogs
but passing under the gaslight
noticed ones face was ashen pale
and the glitter Of his eye told only
too plainly that the devil in hin
was thoroughly aroused, and safe
opportunity was only lacking t.
make him square accounts with the
depot watchmau. | said to the
man on duty;
"Why did you drive these mer
into the storm? There is plenty
room in here by the fire."
The fellow gave me a ouizzica
look, and concluding that | was {
"solid mar" answered respectfully
"Why, sir, if | allowed these
men to sit here, in less than ter
minutes the room would be full o.
them. ! feel sorry for the poor
fellows, but | must obey orders
which are to allow no one to re-
main in these sitting-rooms who is
not waiting for trains. Why" he
continued, ." step here to the door
see those men along the wall of the
depot. Them's tramps, every one
Of them. Last winter" he went
on to say, "we had an awful time
here. | was in the yards, and th,
company had a lot of old cabooses
and for three weeks these old car,
were full every night, and wher
this spring came | used to e
through the cars and beat them our
with clubs" a
The talkative watchman wen
about his business, while | remained
the sole occupant Of the sitting
room. Inside it was warm, ligh
and comfortable; outside, dark
cold and dismal rain falling.
could not keep my mind from wan
dering to the houseless and home
less fellows | had noticed under tn,
depot awning, and | went on
among them. Iopened a converse
tion with one Of them, and Learned
that he was a carpenter by trade
had family in LoganspOrt, Ind.
and had started out to look fOl
work. Our conversation drew
around us all the cramps" as the,
are usually termed, eighteen il
number, and a motley crowd W
were-literature and muscle, me
chanical skill and common labor oil
Il level, comforting each with tn
other over mutual misfortunes.
do not wish to jar the nerves OF tn
over.fastidiouS; but | cannot Gu
off the emphasis used by these mer
] gave them my business, thato
plasterer, and told them / had trav
eled far and near looking for work
but had been unsuccessful; tina
nv INV mnnnv ha1 run out an,