The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1878-08-01
From the N. Y. Times
Painting Tramps.


and it stands to reason that he is often
hungry and more or less naked. Now, l
am not going to turn any naked, hungry
wretch from my door without feeding
him, and if everybody would do the same,
the world would be all the better for it. "
These were, in substance, words re-
Gently spoken by Mr. Elisha Hawkins,
who had just moved into Mooseville, n.
Y, and rented DIR. Halletts new house
near the Methodist Meeting house. Mr..
Hawkins had come from q region in the
northern part of the State where the
tramp has not yet penetrated, and he
knew nothing of the real character of
that pest. Why he took up his residence
in Mooseville need not be here set forth,
though it might be mentioned that he
had held a mortgage on DR.. Hallett's
house, and had bought it in at ridicu-
lously low figure under foreclosure sale.
That he was a kind hearted, unsophisti-
Gated old gentleman was evident to every
one who met him, and the Mooseville
people were glad that the house, which
had so long lacked tenant, was at last
respected citizen.
On the second night after Mr.. Hawkins
had made use of the language hereinabove
quoted, his front door bell was suddenly
rung. 1t was about 9 o'clock in the
in his chair while his wife was "going
over the wash" and layin aside such
garments as needed repairing. Mr.
Hawkins first wondered to some extent
who could be at the front door, and
finally decided that if he answered the
ring he might perhaps find out He
accordingly took up the lamp and went
to the door, whence he hurriedly return
ed and called his wife to come and help
him bring in a poor woman who was
either dead or in faint. Mrs. Hawkins
promptly answered the appeal, and with
the help of her husband lifted up thin
and thinly clad woman, who was lying on
the front piazza, and carried her to the
sitting room sofa. The woman was pale
and unconscious, though a strong ruddy
tint showed that life still fingered in the
extremity of her nose. A glass of wine
was forced between her lips, and her
hands and arms were tenderly rubbed
Under these ministrations she gradually
regained consciousness just in time to
grasp bottle that was slipping from her
pocket, with the view of smashing itself
on the floor.
The stranger, after wildly calling for
her husband" 3" father" precious baby"
and some more miscellaneous relatives,
asked where she was and why she had
not been allowed to die. She then ex-
planned that she was a poor but honest
woman, whose husband was dead, and
whose only child was lying at the point
of death at East Venice, the next station
on the Mooseville Railroad. She was on
her way to see her child die, and, having
no money, was compelled to walk. She
had already walked for fifteen consecu-
tive days, during which time she had
eaten nothing but two apples and raw
turnip. The bottle in her pocket con-
tanned, so she was told, either whisky or
brandy, and had been given to her by
good doctor when she started on her
tramp, but her temperance principles did
not allow her to taste it, although she
had kept it as the gift of good, kind
friend. Imagining that she was just
about to die, she had rung Mr.. Hawkins
front door bell in order to ask leave to die
on his piazza but his kindness had 80 re-
vived her that she felt strong enough to
reach East Venice if some one would
only give her fifty cents wherewith to
pay her car fare. Mr. Hawkins and his
the woman an excellent supper and
ms gave her supply of clothing and Mr..
Hawkins gave her five dollars. Her graf
itude was profuse, and as she departed
to take the train to her dying child's
bedside, Mr.. Hawkins felt that all that
he had said in behalf of tramps was fully
justified. During the day he mentioned
the matter to a few acquainta tances, and
repeated his declaration that he would
never turn a distressed tramp unassisted
from his door.
That night the front door bell rang at
about 1890, and Mr. Hawkins got out Of
bed and went down stairs in sleepy but
still benevolent frame of mind. He
found three tramps-two of them women
and the other a man-lying unconscious
on his piazza. He dragged them into the
hall, revived them with wine, and having
listened to their pitiful stories concerning
their dying children in the next town
fed them and sent them away. He did |
not, however, give them any money, for
although he believed their stories, he |
felt that the volume of tramps was be-
coming rather too large for his purse
Still, he returned to his bed feeling that
be had done his duty, and that his quiet !
conscience stood in need of good deal |
Of sleep. Between 1870 and 1915 seven |
more tramps rang the front door bell and |
we're found by Mr.. Hawkins lying in
seven distinct dead faints on the piazza.
Five he relieved, and then he lost his |
The last two tramps had to
revive themselves, and the three addi |
between and s the next morning did |
not receive even a mouthful of cold |
breakfast.
great change was noticed in Mr.. |
Hawkins when he appeared at Whitman's S |
store early in the day, and bought half |
gross Of large carpet tacks and ten yards |
Of oil cloth. He wore stern and deter
mined look, and when Mr.. Whitman said |
hat all the tramps in the State had heard |
about the poor woman whom he had
helped, and were on their way to see him,
Mr.. Hawkins used an expression that |
would have sounded better in his wifes |
mouth had she applied it to dilapidated
stockings. Going home with his pur-
;hases, Mr.. Hawkins was met by Stebbins,
the stage driver, who told him that he
nad passed more than fifty tramps on
their way from Utica to Mooseville. Mr..
Hawkins made no reply, but as Mr..
Stebbins afterward said, looked blath- !
ernthunder."
Just after dark Mr. Hawkins front |
piazza was carefully laid with oil cloth,
through which six dozen of carpet tacks |
had been thrust with their points up
ward When he had completed the work |
be smiled grimly and remarked to Mrs. |
had clasped her hands !
and said 80 father it will hurt en-
Serve EN- right, by gosh p At 9 o'clock
Mr.. Hawkins went to bed and waited to
hear the first summons of the bell. 1t |
came at 9:35, and was almost instantly |
followed, first by wild yell, mingled
with profane expressions, and then by a
sound of rapidly retreating footsteps. In
the course of the night this phenomenon