The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-10
A COMMUNITY OF TRAMPs.

other through . pleasant country whore apple bios
SONS are now falling ike snowhakes. In each OF
these cities there many mon who for long time
have not had any work. Tho young men, ranging In
age from seventeen to twenty nvc, who whom work
was to be had, paid from 81 10 SO week Tor board
have for long timo had no occupation. They would
be rather jolly and rough fellows even II they had
works and while they would stand on corners at night
and use Language that lady ought not to hoar
and spend their money recKlessly they
not naturally hard-hearted set. Capital no longer
dema mos that they shall furnish supply. and
for very many months they have ocen loafers They
could have no opportunity Tor being anything else
Boarding house keepers long ago refused to trust
tnem, SO thoy started two communities for them
selves. Both these communities arc near Paterson
southwest OF the canal. A reporter OF tho HERALD
has paid them visit. one community consists Of
eighteen young men, tho other comprises twenty
Tho eighteen sleep in barrack, or. as some people
call IT, a Dutch bar6. which Is floor OF say fifteen
square, with four posts around u, The posts oid
ing a tmc-worn roof This barrack Is at Contrevie,
two miles from the picturesque Notch OF the First
Mountain and few feet from the brtny Morris
Canal The sides Of course open. Night before
last there wa, about ton Of hay on the floor Of the
barrack and allowing for the ordinary size or man,
there was room Tor seventeen men closely packed;
and that the outside men would have chance
for rolling Off But thore moro man tnan ths
rules OF mathematics would accommodate But no
slept.
The community OF twenty live nearer toward Pat
nighttidc they so 10 barn there, and sleep
like sardnes. But they do not go 20 bed carly A.
six O'Clock tho morning tho early ones arc np from
your neshbor and soon two-ihirds OF tho guests arc
up They have all slept In uuiorn, which consists VI
puntaO0ns, worn In black, snIny magnncence NJ
fireman. 5 parade, blue wooisn shirt, now thicker
with dirt than was 1vc years ago. pair of shoes,
SS o aso hat nd pa.
hcad, clse the man next you may leuvc you another
hat sso TOO large 10 any case these hats would mos
add charm TO plate glass window on Broadway.
Sleeping close II Is easy for man with extra szcd
pair OF boots to come down on you with tho noel like
an alarm CLOCK and wake you. So that tho whole
lodge-they called u lvanhec Chapter. No 7-waa
awake with the singing OF tho rst robin who sat on
the end of feathcry pine at the next residence and
chartered ike patorson gossip II ysu could shake
the wisps hay of your hair and look up toward
the mountains, you would not wonder why tnesc poor
devils come out nero in the soft sweet air May 10
sleep, The trst thing IN order 10 procession down
10 the canal, whore all 90 20 take "a wash" These
leave tho shop without "a wash" So down TO the
banks Of tho canal they all 20, bats on and thrown
arc something ike q mimic cascade. Towels! Did
you ask about tho towels? Grass, coat Innings, coat
psec,a,c The luxury. Breakfast BID you ask who're
thoy got breaKfast2 To tell you the truth, that Ia
what they all started out for The men from tho bar
RACKS down tho road wore Oh for Newark, franklin,
Passaic aud Little Falls long ago.
THE TWENTY GO TO PATERSON.
Al i've O'Clock In tho afternoon the trumps begin to
strsggle IN. The men down at tho Censrevlllc bar
digger thieves than she men up at Fcnncr's
barn. The latter are bigger oafers and have the
making OF a greater number OF criminals among
them. But supper time is not until seven Down az
rncRs so They
woods on Saturday night Dee man gets home earlier
than the others and goes into the woods and build:
the Ore The chickens stolen and tho other iood
begged como 10 about half-past six On Friday night
tho Ccntrevie crowd were out Of SALT so they sent
over to the hotel Tor II. Tho German woman over
there gavo agent rather than tho ire OF
she barrack community. Radishes lettuce, young
bces and cabbage green's got out OF the gardens
Of the German gardeners at CentreviIo Van W,nkle.
tho tnnkecper, had fourteen hons and ono rooster
which ATTENDED his congregation IN te every day Walk
but only the hen OF his congregation
now residing ncar home. The tramps were gen-
erous enough 10 leave him pair TO begin housekecp-
ing with again ncxt spring. The milk house Of tho man
up tue road mad several gallons takcn from It on
Thursday evening". and the lady who locked her
station might have savod herself the trouble. Tho
boys up, took on pars Of the roof noisted can
Of milk ana wore having good time beside their nra
IN tho woods at midnight. The tramps who sleep IN
The barn Fenner's "sting" Paterson saloon keep
ers Tor beer but as general thing they arc willing
The women In tho neighborhooi are alarmed, and ono
German lady OF forty said yesterday that she was
afraid any longer lot her little daughter go up the
ROAD work. "lndeed, sir sad she, 1T Is no safe
for woman, or as It were tho same, for no female
haven't been In town for Two weeks, on account Of
the fellows who block the bridge and want
= great risk, STR" sun tho alarm among the good
people OF that ncighborhood IS unnecessary. shot
discharged nj those scamps al tho nrst motson Tor
sturbaucc would scatter them for miles. They steal
chickens and they bog bread and tobacco and salt
somcti lines they make quito stake Ia the way Of y
piece of pork, and other dny they stoIc several
shad from nsh pcdcr's wagon They could steal .
great doai more but they have very little ingenuity
They arc a brutal, stupid lot, without the genius Of
gypsics They insult women, bat not II thorc 10 the
shadow OF man half mile away They like "a
candle aud pack OF Cur DIS ana sit on the wreck
OF old canal boat and play uCt their dirty cyeda
AFRO heavy. They tho men-of whom there arc
thousands In tho suburbs OF New York-who como
10 your kitchen aud ask tor something to cat and
demand ''somcthing hot" especially Coffee and who
nro mover saucv IT they see dog. rhcy are SO
cowardy that only whom they 60 IN crowds are they
courageous, and ono good man With club, not to
speak Of pistol would DO equal 10 the iorty-cight
havo thcir Two rural hotels near Paterson. Tho
othcr morning = ha!i-dozen Jumped among the voee-
tables OF gardeners wagon, that they might rida
down tho coffee" they demand at city houses.
Tho scarod old German said nothing. After awhile
German, with a li,te boy beside him, drove along with
a Load OF radshes lettuce and rhuDnrb. and several
ragged tramps to- lazy 20 walk mile, jumped into
the wagon, spelling tue STOCK. He drove Thorn away
with whip, but tDcy stoned the wagon aud hit tho
child 10 tho back that u Is not unlikely that he may
die. Tho laws OF New Jersey would scatter these
wotches only that tho laws OF Now Jersey arc pro-
verbally strong, whio The constabcs, foar or i've
miles apart, forget whether or not they were ever
elocted.